Biodiesel

Biodiesel

In the biodiesel reaction project at Science Leadership Academy we are creating a video explianing out process and what our engineering class does. Some of the activities i have taken part in with the biodisel project consists of, caulking, cutting sheet metal, mesurements, and brianstorming different ideas. With the combind minds minds of the two advance engineering classes we were able to find correct mesurments, flow rates and build a proto type of what will be an inexpensive flow process to create biodeisel. We hope to paten this plan and procedure, and introduce it to farrmers and hopefully the public only at the cost of which is used to produse the fuel rather than making a profit.

Revised Biodiesel script

Title: Why is biodiesel a cleaner fuel source? ☺
Alison and Yousuf: (act like we are building the reactor)
Robert: Hey what are you guys building?
Yousuf: We are building a biodiesel reactor.
Robert: Oh, what are you building one of those for?
Alison: We’re building it so we can make cleaner fuel.
Robert: (confused) Wait, how is biodiesel a cleaner fuel source?
Alison: There are many reasons as to why biodiesel is a cleaner fuel source. The main reason is that it is a green fuel, meaning that it is good for the environment.
Robert: I still don’t understand.
Alison: Here we’ll explain…Biodiesel can be made out of anything with fat in it, such as; soybeans, corn, algae, tallow trees, and fryer grease. This is good because we can grow the materials and make the biodiesel in America. Which means we’ll no longer have to rely on foreign oil. And that means that gas pump and heating oil prices will go down.  For the first time ever the United States has gotten foreign aid to help pay for heating oil in the winter. And we can make our biodiesel out of fryer grease which is even better. This serves two purposes; One that it gets ride of the fryer grease and two we get a clean fuel source to run cars and generators on.
Robert: So we can use all the grease left over from the fast food places to make fuel and we don’t have to pay huge amounts of money?
Yousuf: Exactly! It’s a win-win. The fast food places get rid of their oil and we get cheaper fuel saving us billions of dollars. Also it means we control our energy. If we control our energy we’ll control our future.
Alison: Also since the biodiesel can be made from waste products we don’t need to use the crops we use for food to make our fuel, which companies are doing now to make ethanol. That would also stop the problem of the increase in food prices and the demand for more farming land.
Robert: This looks hard to build though.
Alison: No, it is actually quite simple to build, it can actually be made at home with simple materials, like sheet metal and pipes from a hard ware store. One reactor can be made at the price of about $150. So it takes a little start up cost, but after that you make money because you won’t have to buy fuel at the gas pump. Another thing, by making biodiesel at home, the fule won’t have to be transported.
Robert: So why does it matter that fuel would not have to be transported?
Yousuf: It matters because if the fuel does not have to travel as far then there would be lower emissions from the transportation of the fuel.
Alison: Also not only will there be less emissions from transportation, but Biodiesel has lower emissions when it is burnt compared to other types of fuels. The CO2 levels are much lower than both gas and diesel and yet it has almost as much energy as diesel. Also biodiesel has no sulferdioxide emissions. This means more miles per gallon and fewer emissions when using biodiesel compared to other fuels.  
Intro: Biodiesel is a cleaner fuel source
2: Renewable resource – kitchen grease oil
3: easy to produce- home made reactors
4: lower emissions – compared to diesel but close to same energy
5: less traveling- made at home
6: compare biodiesel to other sources of energy
7: not taking away from food – making food cheaper or no increes
conclusion:
Diesel is getting expensive
Why is it cleaner?

Making Biodiesel

    In our Advanced Engineering class, our teacher Mr. Van Kouwenberg had assigned us to make biodiesel. We had to draw up the blueprints, find materials, build the model, register for a patent on the design, and finally make the biodiesel using our design. We began building the biodiesel during November 2007. Mr. VK (Van Kouwenberg) split our class up into groups and assigned each group an area of the model to work on. My partner Mithun and I worked on the settling tanks. Cutting out the shape, molding the pieces to fit together, connecting the funnel to the bottom and such. Mithun and I did this for both for the large settling tanks and worked partially on the methanoic acid tank.

    We began this project so that cheaper, efficient, and cleaner fuel would be available to the world. This design would especially benifit South and Central America and developing countries. 

Claims 5 and 6, Solid Settling Tank and Liquid Settling Tank

The use of settling tanks to separate the different solids and liquids that will be used for the Biodiesel. In this Biodiesel project, two settling tanks will be used. One for the solids and one for the liquids. In a settling tank, the substance(s) with the highest density will sink to the bottom of the tank, while the less dense materials will stay higher. Through this process, the chemical mixtures that will be used for the biodiesel will be separated from each other. The denser chemicals will be separated from the less dense chemicals, and pure substances can be obtained.

Biodiesel Blog 1

Our engineering class was constructing and preparing to use a flow process to produce Biodiesel. At this stage, we have completed the parts necessary for making the process, and the parts that need to be welded together have been sent to The Franklin Institute for their welding. Right now, we are waiting for the parts to be finished and returned to use, so we can set up the flow process and start producing BIodiesel. So basically, we are ready to start producing the fuel, but the parts need to be completely finished and set up before we begin

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