Algae Biodiesel

One area of alternative fuels that has gained a lot of interest over the last year or two is algae biodiesel. This is probably because it will produce 10-30 times what the best oil producing crops in America will produce. Here are some of the gallon per acre figures in this chart (note that the gpa figure varies greatly depending on who you ask, where it is grown, how it is planted, the strain used, how many harvests per year, etc).

As you can see, algae produces a lot more oil per acre than all the other oil crops put together. And this is why algae biodiesel is gaining more and more interest.

Here are some other points to consider...

As you all are painfully aware of, producing ethanol has its drawbacks. The price of crops has risen drastically over the past year. The ethanol people say it should not be so because the byproduct of ethanol is a high protein animal feedcake. They say no animal feed is lost in the process and the price of corn should not go up because of that. However, everything is more expensive and that's a fact. It's probably due to the fact that more oil crops/animal feed crops are being planted than people food crops.

Here too, prices are skyrocketing and probably for the same reason... more crops are being planted for biodiesel than for human consumption. The biggest problem with oil crops is that there is only so much land out there and in today's environment, we cannot replace food crops with oil crops. That is the benefit of Jatropha: it can be grown where food crops will not grow. The same can be said for algae biodiesel - it can be produced without using up valuable food crop land.

No? Well, Did you know that...

Biodiesel - Treasure In The Tank

By ALICIA ROBINSON

The Press-Enterprise

In the still largely uncharted territory of alternative energy sources, a handful of Corona entrepreneurs are pinning their hopes on used vegetable oil, soybeans, algae and whatever else they can get to make clean-burning fuel for diesel engines.

After relocating to Corona from Orange County last year, Extreme Biodiesel is firing up a refinery that the company says will start small but ultimately may be able to produce more than 7 million gallons of biodiesel a year, which would rank it among the largest commercial producers in the state.

The Corona facility is part of a nationwide explosion of biodiesel production in the past few years. The National Biodiesel Board, an industry trade group, estimates the 176 refineries that were functioning in 2008 produced 700 million gallons of biodiesel -- a 1,300 percent increase over 1999 production.

That trend could continue, with at least 39 plants under construction and biofuel regulations either existing or proposed in nearly every state.

But biodiesel's long-term future is clouded by competing technologies, the fluctuation of oil prices and the availability of raw material for the alternative fuel. Despite growing interest, promoting biodiesel for personal or small business use can be hard because few Southern California gas stations sell it.

As a commercial product, biodiesel is still gaining acceptance. But the concept is more than a century old.

As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency points out on its Web site, the first diesel engine designed by Rudolf Diesel in the 1890s ran on peanut oil. Today, used cooking oil and soybean oil are the most common feed stocks for biodiesel.

Biodiesel producers are hoping California's Air Resources Board will include their fuel on a list of alternatives to help meet a reduction of carbon emissions mandated by the governor. Minnesota, Pennsylvania and other states have passed laws requiring all diesel fuel sold to be a biodiesel blend.

Those moves are part of a nationwide shift toward requiring cleaner-burning fuels. National Biodiesel Board spokeswoman Jessica Robinson said in the past five years, proposed state legislation on biodiesel has soared from 100 bills in 2003 to 653 bills in 2008.

But several hard-to-predict factors could threaten biodiesel's prospects. Experts say there isn't enough vegetable oil available today to make a dent in the use of petroleum diesel. They also say potential feed stocks like algae are not yet ready for the market, and raising special crops or trucking in raw materials may offset the environmental gains of using cleaner fuel.

"We're looking at the whole process to ensure that just because we tamp down the emissions in one area, they don't pop up in another area," Air Resources Board spokesman Dimitri Stanich said.

Extreme Biodiesel now collects about 45,000 gallons of used oil a week, picking some up from restaurants and getting the rest from a recycling company.

"We're trying to take a waste product, turn it into a viable fuel that is better for the environment, and take some of the dependence off foreign oil," said Bob Neuberger, Extreme Biodiesel's chief operating officer.

At the Corona refinery�which is a succession of large tanks in a warehouse, workers mix heated vegetable oil with methanol and lye in one tank and let it react�they extract the leftover methanol then spin the mixture in a centrifuge to remove glycerin (the nontoxic byproduct that separates from the oil).

The fuel is then run through four tanks containing a dry, absorbent substance to remove any remaining impurities, and it's ready to use. The process does not create any emissions or pollutants.

The resulting fuel can be used in pure form or mixed with petroleum diesel. Most diesel vehicles don't require any modifications to use biodiesel, and experts say it can reduce exhaust pollution by as much as 80 percent, depending on the blend.

Roy Stone uses biodiesel in a few of his rentals at Stone Equipment in Corona. The lower emissions are a benefit if the equipment is used in a confined area, he said. "You don't have the smell of diesel," Stone said.

The price, which often makes or breaks a new product, doesn't always work in biodiesel's favor. Robinson said blends typically cost about a penny per percentage point more than regular, meaning an 80/20 blend of petroleum and biodiesel would cost about 20 cents more per gallon than straight petroleum.

However, pure biodiesel doesn't depend on petroleum prices and can be cheaper than blends. Federal statistics showed diesel prices hovered between $2.29 and $2.33 a gallon in mid- to late-January, while Extreme Biodiesel was advertising fuel at $2.19 a gallon.

For customers like Jason Perez, a Corona resident who fuels his three-quarter-ton GMC truck with 100 percent biodiesel, the price got him to try it.

"To be honest that was the main reason, but now that I've done it, it runs great," Perez said. "I really feel like I'm making a difference, that I'm not polluting."

Biodiesel Benefits

What's the next "Big Thing?" Well, clearly our energy problems seem to grow as fast as the prices at the pump, so finding an alternative fuel is now a national priority, and a common topic of conversation. For instance, just a few years ago if you mentioned the word "biodiesel" you'd probably get either a blank stare or a sarcastic remark about the exhaust smelling like french fries. Today, though, biodiesel is no joke. It's now an established alternative fuel, and becoming a mainstream commodity. In fact, the latest Energy Bill that's being signed into law will significantly increase the use of biodiesel in the United States.

The rate of biodiesel production has already been ramping up at a rapid rate: Back in 2005, some 75 millions gallons of biodiesel were produced. In 2006, that figure more than tripled to 250 million, and it's expected to jump to as high as 350 million in 2007, according to Jenna Higgins, spokesperson for the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). And she points out that in Europe, where diesels are much more the norm, production is 1.5 billion gallons per year. In addition, about 700 major fleets nationwide, including all four branches of the U.S. Military, use biodiesel. And about 1,100 retail pumps nationwide also make the fuel available to the public.

Such rapid growth likely prompts several questions for diesel owners who are considering filling their tanks with biodiesel. How does it differ from conventional petroleum diesel? Can I run it safely in my vehicle? What are the advantages�and disadvantages�to using biodiesel? We'll touch on these subjects and more, including how some folks are making their own biodiesel for less than $1 gallon!

First, we need to clear up a common misperception. Biodiesel is not the same as pure vegetable oil. Even though Rudolph Diesel, the inventor of the diesel engine, originally designed it to run on peanut oil, biodiesel is a whole different type of fuel. Although derived or extracted from various plant oils (typically soybeans) or waste vegetable oils (such as from a restaurant fryer or poultry fat), it goes through a process called transesterification. In simple terms, this refers to stripping out the fats and glycerin the oil with a combination of lye and methanol.

Even though biodiesel contains no petroleum, it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel. Even as little as two percent biodiesel provides additional lubrication, and a number of major diesel engine manufacturers approve of percentages from five to 20 percent (referred to as B5 and B20). In some cases it is used as the sole fuel (B100). (Note, however, that running pure biodiesel might in some cases void an engine warranty claim.)

Biodiesel can be used in diesel engines with few if any modifications, and is biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Biodiesel is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is legal for sale and use in the U.S.

How about performance? Biodiesel has the highest energy content (BTUs) of any alternative fuel. As already noted, it provides significantly better lubrication than petroleum diesel, and can reduce premature engine wear and tear. It actually has higher average cetane than diesel (but a slightly lower BTU value), and furnishes similar fuel economy, horsepower, and torque.

In addition to being made from a renewable, domestic resource, biodiesel is better for the environment. The EPA found the exhaust emissions of particulate matter from pure biodiesel (B100) are about 47 percent lower than overall particulate matter emissions from diesel. The report also verified a 67 percent reduction in unburned hydrocarbons and a 48 percent reduction in carbon monoxide.

Biodiesel also poses significantly less risk to human health than petroleum diesel its reduction of particulate matter, and also potential cancer causing compounds by as much as 80 to 90 percent. That's all to the good, but are there any downsides to running biodiesel in your vehicle? Biodiesel is a mild solvent, especially in higher concentrations, and tends to loosen accumulated sludge, which might clog the filter and require replacement after running a tank or two.

Also, most pre-1994 vehicles and a few later model vehicles may have rubber fuel lines and/or rubber seals in the fuel system. Biodiesel can gradually swell the rubber and degrade it. It's a good idea to check under your hood periodically and replace fuel lines and seals with a biodiesel-resistant synthetic, such as Viton, if they begin to deteriorate. In addition, for those who drive in a colder climate, biodiesel gels at around freezing or higher depending on what kind of oil/fats it was made from and the percentage of the blend. Just using a lower concentration of biodiesel is a simple remedy.

The price of biodiesel may be slightly higher as well ($3.30 per gallon or more, as of this writing), depending on the source. But the benefits of biodiesel can outweigh the few extra pennies at the pump. For instance, Decker Truck Line, which runs B20 biodiesel in 20 of the company's Caterpillar-powered trucks, noted that the reduced maintenance and engine wear benefits equal or outweigh the slightly higher cost of the biodiesel blend. According to Decker, observations and oil analysis showed that running biodiesel resulted in cleaner engine oil, less engine wear, decreased maintenance and no cold weather issues, even with temperatures in the teens and single digits.

Looking at the biodiesel balance sheet overall, the pros outnumber the cons when you consider its performance, safety, lower emissions, and positive impacts on domestic jobs, farming and the U.S. energy supply. The bottom line�if you aren't using biodiesel in your diesel vehicle now, chances are you will be in the near future. - Steve Temple/automedia.com

National Biodiesel Board,www.biodiesel.org

Extreme Biodiesel, 888-998-7223, www.extremebiodiesel.com

Chrysler Sanctions B20 in Dodge Ram

DaimlerChrysler has approved the use of B20 (20% biodiesel) in Dodge Ram pickup trucks, effective with the 2007 Model Year, and with the stipulation of the use of biodiesel fuel that meets the fuel specifications established by the US military.

Initially, DaimlerChrysler is approving use of B20 in Dodge Ram pickups equipped with Cummins diesel engines for its military, government and commercial fleet customers only.

In the absence of a commercial standards, the military several years ago developed its own specification to avoid fuel quality problems while still allowing the military to meet its EPAct alternative fuel requirements.

Currently, the military spec as defined by the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) requires biodiesel blend components to meet the separate ASTM specifications for the two parts�D975 (diesel fuel) and D6751 (the B100 biodiesel blendstock)�and adhere to specified blending procedures.

Chrysler is working with the government, automotive suppliers, energy providers, universities and independent agencies on a national fuel standard that would make B20 an option for all owners of Dodge Ram diesels.

Promoting increased use of biodiesel is a part of DaimlerChrysler�s campaign to re-introduce diesel-powered passenger vehicles to U.S. consumers. Modern diesel vehicles offer fuel economy improvements of about 30% and reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to their gas-powered counterparts. At the same time, diesel vehicles provide the power and performance valued by American consumers.

While diesel technology alone can make big strides toward helping us meet our national energy, environment and security objectives, when you add biodiesel and other biofuels, it gets really interesting. �Chrysler Group President and CEO Tom LaSorda

Chrysler Group has previously endorsed use of B5 (5% biodiesel) fuel in the Jeep Liberty CRD diesel SUV, and every vehicle is fueled with B5 at the assembly plant in Toledo. In addition, use of B2 is approved for the diesel-powered Dodge Sprinter vans.

In the United States, Chrysler Group is participating in an extensive biodiesel research program, including development of a national B20 specification. The research partnership includes Detroit-based nonprofit NextEnergy; Biodiesel Industries, the nation's largest chain of biodiesel refineries; automotive suppliers Bosch, Delphi and Cummins, along with researchers based at Wayne State and Michigan State universities, with initial work to include much-needed research and field testing of biodiesel fuels.

Chrysler Group is also working with Michigan State researchers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to re-use a brownfield site in the Detroit area to produce crops for biodiesel research and development programs.

DaimlerChrysler is participating in research programs in Germany and India to develop processes for producing high-quality biodiesel from non-food agricultural products. DaimlerChrysler has also announced plans to market vehicles in the US this year equipped with BlueTec, a portfolio of emissions aftertreatment technologies that enable the vehicles to meet the strictest emissions standards.

Southern California co-op facilitator

Extreme Green Technologies, Inc., also known as Extreme Biodiesel was founded in 2003 to promote the use of biodiesel as well as produce and distribute their own line of biodiesel processors. Located in Corona, CA, Extreme Biodiesel is one of Southern California's grassroots "green" companies that make it possible for locals to actively participate in reducing our dependence on fossil or petroleum-based fuels.

The company is focused on reducing mankind's carbon footprint by promoting the use of bio-fuels processed from readily available feedstocks such as waste vegetable oil (WVO) and algae derived virgin oil. They have created a local biodiesel cooperative that allows individual members to purchase biodiesel for private use and is a source of local biodiesel for fleet fuel providers.

Aside from their cooperative, Extreme Biodiesel holds semi-regular biodiesel seminars for individuals or would-be biodiesel cooperatives on producing their own fuel. These seminars/ workshops are held on the company's premises in Corona. For an up-to-date schedule, please refer to their website www.extremebiodiesel.com.

*This short article on Extreme Biodiesel is the first of a series that will focus on the development of Algae Biodiesel locally.

Article & Photo by Garry Patricio

November 26, 3:12 PM

LA Green Technologies Examiner

Extreme Biodiesel Passes Inspection

Extreme Green Technologies, Inc. (Extreme Biodiesel) has passed final inspection by the city of Corona and is now one of few fully licensed biodiesel production and distribution facilities in California

Assistance of TEAM Corona was vital to Extreme Biodiesel opening facility

CORONA, Calif. (January 28, 2009) � Extreme Green Technologies, Inc. (Extreme Biodiesel) joins the ranks as one of California�s few fully licensed and operational biodiesel production and distribution facilities.

"We are very pleased to reach this point in the company�s history. We are on the cutting edge of this emerging industry along with a few other biodiesel companies in California," said Joe Spadafore, President of Extreme Green Technologies, Inc.

With passage of final inspection by the city of Corona, production will increase to as much as 4,000 gallons a day of clean burning and recycled biodiesel. Extreme Biodiesel uses a process that separates the biodiesel from waste products contained in used cooking oil, which is then converted to biodiesel fuel.

"Getting this facility approved was a very big step for the company. We can now use this facility and the permitting process as a template in other communities where we intend to build additional production and distribution sites,� said Spadafore.

California has mandated the use of bio-fuels in a significant percentage of state, city and county vehicles, creating a demand that far exceeds available supply. The opening of facilities similar to the one Extreme Biodiesel is now operating in Corona will be critical to helping California meeting its self-imposed renewable energy usage goals.

The company recently won the prestigious new technology award for its Extreme Green Machine at the international SEMA show in Las Vegas in November 2008. Extreme Biodiesel is currently converting waste oil to biodiesel, but is also working with potential suppliers of algae to provide even greater resources for biodiesel raw materials.

In addition to its current plant capable of producing 1,500,000 gallons of biodiesel a year, they are looking to expand that plant rapidly to increase production up to 3,650,000 gallons per year.

For more information about Extreme Biodiesel please contact Joe Spadafore at (949) 280-1557, or reach him via email at Joe@ExtremeBiodiesel.com.

Extreme Eyes Diesel Retrofit Market

Sunday, March 8, 2009 10:00pm PDT

By JAHMAL PETERS

Contributing Writer

Refining vegetable oil into a biodegradable diesel-engine fuel is one of the latest trends in alternative energy, and Extreme Green Technology, Inc., has slid right into the market. The Corona-based company is one of the state's newest fully licensed and operational biodiesel production and distribution facilities.

Extreme Green Technology Inc., also known as Extreme Biodiesel, primarily uses waste vegetable oil to create a cleaner-burning form of fuel that can be used in almost any diesel engine without modification.

Bob Neuberger is co-owner of Extreme Biodiesel in Corona, which makes biodiesel processors for individual use and has opened a production and distribution facility for truckers.

The company finalized all the permitting in January, said Rick Carter, chief financial officer for Extreme Biodiesel. "Within the week we'll be up to manufacture 2,000 gallons (of biodiesel fuel) a day and then build it up to 4,000 gallons a day."

"Our goal over the next six months is to get to 6,000 gallons a day," President Joe Spadafore said. Extreme Biodiesel started as a company in 2003 designing processors mainly for individual end-users. In the past 24 months, the company has sold more than 150 units in the United States, Canada and Africa.

Extreme Biodiesel plans to expand its facility and expects production to level out at about 14,000 to 22,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel a day within a year.

With a current staff of six employees, Spadafore expects that number to increase significantly as the company's operations expand in the 12,000-square-foot facility.

"It'll be driver-intensive; we will have tankers going in and out," he said. "It will be driver employments, and employment for the operation of the facility."

Extreme Biodiesel has a co-op with 150 members who can fill up at the facility at 1560 Maple St. in Corona.

"Circle City Towing in Corona is one of the company's largest clients," Carter said. "Construction and expansion of the facility is mostly done in-house, but," Spadafore said, "the company will hire a contractor when needed."

Howard Electric in Temecula set up much of the wiring and Corona-based CJ Suppression installed the sprinkler system. The appeal of biodiesel stems from its ability to blend with diesel fuel or outright replace it in a fuel tank with few prerequisites. This is a boon to truckers who face the costly retrofit of older diesel engines with after-exhaust emission controls.

Extreme Biodiesel is conducting tests with diesels from Cabo Trucking in Los Angeles to determine whether a 50 percent biodiesel blend will reduce emissions sufficiently to offset the need for retrofitting. "If the 50 percent biodiesel works, truckers won't have to pay for the (emission controls), which are $15,000," Spadafore said.

The mandatory retrofit instituted by the California Air Resources Board ordered the retrofit of all trucks manufactured from 1992 to 2007. "A 2000 (model) truck that is susceptible to this still has 20 years of life left," Spadafore said. "Trucks from '92 to 2007, you're talking about a lot of trucks on the road."

"Engine modifications needed to burn biodiesel fuel are minimal. The only real prerequisite is if you use biodiesel for the first time it's going to reduce the carbon build-up to the fuel filter and that might need to be changed," Carter said.

The fluctuating price of diesel fuel -- which spiked last fall and threatened the stability of independent truckers -- is another reason Extreme Biodiesel is optimistic about expansion. "That's one of the main reasons we decided to do the big refinery with gas prices going up like they were," Carter said.

Extreme Biodiesel gets its vegetable oil from restaurants and makers of salad dressing. It plans to expand its production from waste vegetable oil to algae; if successful, the amount of biodiesel produced would expand greatly. "Soybean oil can produce 220 gallons of oil per year per acre," Carter said, "Algae can produce 66,000 gallons of oil per acre, per year; we would be able to produce more oil than we could ever use."

"There's nothing else to do with algae, and since it's self-sustaining and we're not taking any excess land. The algae company Extreme Biodiesel partnered with for the experiment remains confident," Spadafore said.

Renewable Energy

Monday, February 9 08:29 pm

Tom Doggett

U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday pushed for more investment in solar and wind energy, saying the country that can make renewable energy sources price-competitive with traditional fossil fuels will become the economic superpower of the future.

Obama, speaking at a townhall meeting in Elkhart, Indiana, said renewable energy companies needed tax breaks and loan guarantees to provide incentives for firms to manufacture and customers to purchase solar and wind energy.

Obama acknowledged that while the cost of producing electricity by wind and solar has declined, it is still cheaper to generate power from plants fueled by coal or natural gas. However, Obama said he wanted the government to invest every year in new technologies to drive down renewable energy costs over the long term.

"The country that figures out how to make cheaper energy that's also clean, that country is going to win the economic competition of the future," he said.

The roughly $800 billion stimulus package pending in Congress to revive the American economy includes billions of dollars in tax breaks and other financial incentives to boost the use of renewable energy. They are intended to ensure solar and wind energy companies have steady business.

Obama called on Congress to require U.S. utilities to generate a certain amount of their electricity supplies, such as 15 to 20 percent, from renewable energy sources.

He said that, once such a benchmark is set, then renewable energy companies can "count on a pretty solid market that they're going to be able to sell their energy to."

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee was scheduled to hold a hearing on Tuesday on draft legislation that would set a national renewable energy standard. Under the bill, the amount of the U.S. electricity supply coming from renewable energy resources would gradually increase to 4 percent by 2012, 8 percent by 2015, 12 percent by 2018, 16 percent by 2020 and 20 percent by 2039.

Obama also pledged to double U.S. renewable energy production within the next three years. (Editing by Walter Bagley)

Biodiesel is also a viable source of renewable energy. It is user-ready and easily adaptable to infrastructure already in place.*

* adapted by www.ExtremeBiodiesel.com

SEMA 2008: Green Cool Zone Trucks

We are so used to huge trucks with outlandish paint jobs at SEMA, that we barely noticed these monstrosities in one corner of the upper level of the South Hall. But then we spotted the "Making Green Cool Zone" banner hanging over them and decided to take a closer look. Along with the dozen or so cars and bikes on display there were some seriously non-green-looking trucks. Their carbon footprints might be small, but godalmighty were they huge.

There was an enormous 2006 Chevy Dually done up by eXtreme-Biodiesel to showcase their 4-hour, 40-gallon portable Extreme Green Machines that make biodiesel just about anywhere they want to. The truck itself gets 25 mpg, which might not seem too impressive until you read that the turbodiesel engine pumps out 1,000 hp and 1,200 ft. lbs. of torque.

Dino Fuel Alternatives (DFA) was also on hand with not one, but two veggie oil trucks. They had a Vegistroke Ford, which we already know is one fast truck, having won the Thundertruck drags with a time of 15.81 seconds, but they also claim it gets 144 mpg. DFA's Vegistroke system has been available for any PowerStroke motor, but the company just finished its new VegiRam system for the Cummins diesel engine also. It was displayed in a VegiRam Dodge dually painted up like a NASCAR Craftsman truck series competitor.

Johnathan Goodwin had another super-efficient Hummer in Vegas, this one an H1 model with E85, Biodiesel, and water boy stickers on it. We already told you about the other Hummer H1 at SEMA that has been converted by Zero South with tracks to do a South Pole run next year. Right now it's a rolling education center with video screens facing in so passengers can see project presentations. Wild Gator Racing brought out a specially-prepped E85 Chevy Silverado that looked trail-ready.

Then we saw our favorite vehicle of the day, Baby. It's an old Japanese fire truck that was converted to run on natural oils and has become an ambassador for alternative fuels and environmental issues as it made its way around the world. Baby was featured in the award-winning documentary Oil + Water, and is now on the Kavu Elements Nature Propelled educational tour. Besides being able to run on just about any kind of oil, Baby also uses vehicle motion, sun, wind and water to store and use energy so the team can run off the grid when parked. The whole thing opens up too, with sleeping areas and a stage for movie showings, concerts and presentations. Very, very cool.

The Roots of Biodiesel

When Rudolph Diesel first demonstrated his compression ignition engine at the World�s Exhibition in Paris in 1898, he used peanut oil�the original biodiesel. He believed biomass fuel to be a viable alternative to the steam engine, particularly to run farm equipment. Vegetable oils were used in diesel engines until the 1920�s when an alteration was made to the engine, enabling it to use a residue of petroleum�what is now known as No.2 diesel. The diesel engine is capable of heavier workloads and is more efficient than a gasoline engine, thus most commercial vehicles are powered by diesel. Biodiesel has come full circle back to its roots as the original diesel engine was designed to run on an alternative fuel.

Transesterification of a vegetable oil was conducted as early as 1853 by scientists E. Duffy and J. Patrick, many years before the first diesel engine became functional. Rudolf Diesel's prime model, a single 10 ft (3 m) iron cylinder with a flywheel at its base, ran on its own power for the first time in Augsburg, Germany, on August 10, 1893. In remembrance of this event, August 10 has been declared "International Biodiesel Day".

Rudolf Diesel demonstrated a Diesel engine running on peanut oil (at the request of the French government) built by the French Otto Company at the World Fair in Paris, France in 1900, where it received the Grand Prix (highest prize).

This engine stood as an example of Diesel's vision because it was powered by peanut oil � a biofuel, though not biodiesel, since it was not transesterified. He believed that the utilization of biomass fuel was the real future of his engine. In a 1912 speech Diesel said, "the use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal-tar products of the present time."

During the 1920s, diesel engine manufacturers altered their engines to utilize the lower viscosity of petrodiesel (a fossil fuel), rather than vegetable oil (a biomass fuel). The petroleum industries were able to make inroads in fuel markets because their fuel was much cheaper to produce than the biomass alternatives. The result, for many years, was a near elimination of the biomass fuel production infrastructure. Only recently, have environmental impact concerns and a decreasing price differential made biomass fuels such as biodiesel a growing alternative.

Despite the widespread use of fossil petroleum-derived diesel fuels, interest in vegetable oils as fuels in internal combustion engines is reported in several countries during the 1920s and 1930's and later during World War II. Belgium, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Japan and China have been reported to have tested and used vegetable oils as diesel fuels during this time. Some operational problems were reported due to the high viscosity of vegetable oils compared to petroleum diesel fuel, which result in poor atomization of the fuel in the fuel spray and often leads to deposits and coking of the injectors, combustion chamber and valves. Attempts to overcome these problems included heating of the vegetable oil, blending it with petroleum-derived diesel fuel or ethanol, pyrolysis and cracking of the oils.

On August 31, 1937, G. Chavanne of the University of Brussels (Belgium) was granted a patent for a "Procedure for the transformation of vegetable oils for their uses as fuels" (fr. 'Proc�d� de Transformation d�Huiles V�g�tales en Vue de Leur Utilisation comme Carburants') Belgian Patent 422,877. This patent described the alcoholysis (often referred to as transesterification) of vegetable oils using methanol and ethanol in order to separate the fatty acids from the glycerol by replacing the glycerol by short linear alcohols. This appears to be the first account of the production of what is known as "biodiesel" today.

More recently, in 1977, Brazilian scientist Expedito Parente produced biodiesel using transesterification with ethanol, and again filed a patent for the same process. This process is classified as biodiesel by international norms, conferring a "standardized identity and quality. No other proposed biofuel has been validated by the motor industry."Currently, Parente's company Tecbio is working with Boeing and NASA to certify bioquerosene (bio-kerosene), another product produced and patented by the Brazilian scientist.

Research into the use of transesterified sunflower oil, and refining it to diesel fuel standards, was initiated in South Africa in 1979. By 1983, the process for producing fuel-quality, engine-tested biodiesel was completed and published internationally. An Austrian company, Gaskoks, obtained the technology from the South African Agricultural Engineers; the company erected the first biodiesel pilot plant in November 1987, and the first industrial-scale plant in April 1989 (with a capacity of 30,000 tons of rapeseed per annum).

Throughout the 1990s, plants were opened in many European countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden. France launched local production of biodiesel fuel (referred to as diester) from rapeseed oil, which is mixed into regular diesel fuel at a level of 5%, and into the diesel fuel used by some captive fleets (e.g. public transportation) at a level of 30%. Renault, Peugeot and other manufacturers have certified truck engines for use with up to that level of partial biodiesel; experiments with 50% biodiesel are underway. During the same period, nations in other parts of the world also saw local production of biodiesel starting up: by 1998, the Austrian Biofuels Institute had identified 21 countries with commercial biodiesel projects. 100% Biodiesel is now available at many normal service stations across Europe. In September 2005 Minnesota became the first U.S. state to mandate that all diesel fuel sold in the state contain part biodiesel, requiring a content of at least 2% biodiesel.

Recipe for using KOH (potassium hydroxide) in titration

KOH (Potassium Hydroxide/Caustic Potash) TITRATION

This will create a testing solution that can be used for each titration.

What is Biofuel?

Biofuel is defined as solid, liquid or gaseous fuel derived from relatively recently dead biological material and is distinguished from fossil fuels, which are derived from long dead biological material. Theoretically, biofuels can be produced from any (biological) carbon source; although, the most common sources are photosynthetic plants. Various plants and plant-derived materials are used for biofuel manufacturing. Globally, biofuels are most commonly used to power vehicles, heating homes, and cooking stoves.

Biofuel industries are expanding in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Recent technology developed at Los Alamos National Lab even allows for the conversion of pollution into renewable bio fuel.Agrofuels are biofuels which are produced from specific crops, rather than from waste processes such as landfill off-gassing or recycled vegetable oil.

There are two common strategies of producing agrofuels. One is to grow crops high in sugar (sugar cane, sugar beet, and sweet sorghum) or starch (corn/maize), and then use yeast fermentation to produce ethyl alcohol (ethanol). The second is to grow plants that contain high amounts of vegetable oil, such as oil palm, soybean, algae, or jatropha. When these oils are heated, their viscosity is reduced, and they can be burned directly in a diesel engine, or they can be chemically processed to produce fuels such as biodiesel.

Wood and its byproducts can also be converted into biofuels such as woodgas, methanol or ethanol fuel. It is also possible to make cellulosic ethanol from non-edible plant parts, but this can be difficult to accomplish economically.

What is Biomass?

Biomass is material derived from recently living organisms. This includes plants, animals and their by-products. For example, manure, garden waste and crop residues are all sources of biomass. It is a renewable energy source based on the carbon cycle, unlike other natural resources such as petroleum, coal, and nuclear fuels.

Animal waste is a persistent and unavoidable pollutant produced primarily by the animals housed in industrial sized farms. Researchers from Washington University have figured out a way to turn manure into biomass. In April 2008 with the help of imaging technology they noticed that vigorous mixing helps microorganisms turn farm waste into alternative energy, providing farmers with a simple way to treat their waste and convert it into energy.

There are also agricultural products specifically grown for biofuel production including corn, switchgrass, and soybeans, primarily in the United States; rapeseed, wheat and sugar beet primarily in Europe; sugar cane in Brazil; palm oil and miscanthus in South-East Asia; sorghum and cassava in China; and jatropha in India. Hemp has also been proven to work as a biofuel.

Biodegradable outputs from industry, agriculture, forestry and households can be used for biofuel production, either using anaerobic digestion to produce biogas, or using second generation biofuels; examples include straw, timber, manure, rice husks, sewage, and food waste. Biomass can come from waste plant material. The use of biomass fuels can therefore contribute to waste management as well as fuel security and help to prevent global warming, though alone they are not a comprehensive solution to these problems.

How To Make Biodiesel

Making Biodiesel - 3/27 Methanol Test