Biodiesel: Biofuel Research Paper

Josh Aldrin B Sario

s
Bachelor of Science and Computer Engineering
STI College Balayan
November 7, 2022
I. Introduction

A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases
energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. Biofuels are fuels that have been developed
from other materials such as plant matter and animal waste matter. They are derived from
biological carbon fixation. It’s advantages to conventional petroleum fuels is reduced carbon
footprint and it is renewable. Nowadays, biofuels are important for domestic energy security.
The United States of America is the top country by biofuels consumption in the world.
Biodiesel is a type of biofuel in a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and
consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is a clean-burning fuel produced from grease,
vegetable oils, or animal fats. Biodiesel is produced by transesterification of oils with short-
chain alcohols or by the esterification of fatty acids. The transesterification reaction consists
of transforming triglycerides into fatty acid alkyl esters, in the presence of an alcohol, such as
methanol or ethanol, and a catalyst, such as an alkali or acid, with glycerol as a byproduct.
Because of diminishing petroleum reserves and the deleterious environmental consequences
of exhaust gases from petroleum diesel, biodiesel has attracted attention during the past few
years as a renewable and environmentally friendly fuel.
Since biodiesel is made entirely from vegetable oil or animal fats, it is renewable and
biodegradable. The majority of biodiesel today is produced by alkali-catalyzed
transesterification with methanol, which results in a relatively short reaction time. However,
the vegetable oil and alcohol must be substantially anhydrous and have a low free fatty acid
content, because the presence of water or free fatty acid or both promotes soap formation.
 II. Review of Related Literature
A lot of research in biodiesel has been made in the past decade leading to the
advancements in it’s effectiveness and production which opens new doors for its potential
use. IEA or the International Energy Agency, published Biofuels for Transport (2004)
assesses how far we have come – and where we seem to be going – with biofuels use in
transport. It reviews recent research and experience in a number of areas: potential biofuels
impact on petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions; current and likely future costs of
biofuels; fuel compatibility with vehicles; air quality and other environmental impacts; and
recent policy activity around the world. It also provides an assessment of just how much
biofuels could be produced in OECD and non-OECD regions, given land requirements and
availability, what the costs and benefits of this production might be, and how we can
maximize those benefits over the next ten years and beyond.
At present, the biodiesel technology has advanced enough for it to be considered as an
alternative to the conventional diesel fuels. According to the research paper of Daming
Huang, Haining Zhou, and Lin Lin (2012), biodiesel production is set to rise drastically in the
coming years. Biodiesel offers the promise of numerous benefits related to energy security,
economics, expansion of the agriculture sector and reduction of pollutant emission. Despite
its many advantages as a renewable alternative fuel, biodiesel presents a number of problems
that must be resolved before it will be more attractive as an alternative to petroleum diesel.
 I. Abstract
II. Introduction
Biodiesel had around for more than a
century. It was developed in the 1890s by
inventor Rudolph Diesel, the diesel engine
has become the engine of choice for
power, reliability, and high fuel economy,
worldwide. Due to its clean emissions
profile, ease of use, and many other
benefits, biodiesel is quickly becoming
one of the fastest growing alternative fuels
in the world. With minimal subsidy
biodiesel is cost competitive with
petroleum diesel, and millions of users
have found and enjoyed the benefits of the
fuel.
Copper production industry heavily
depend on fossil fuels thus contributing 7-
9% of fossil fuel-based CO2 emissions.
The specific value of carbon dioxide
emission of the copper refining process is
averaged 181 kg CO2 per 1 ton of anode
copper. Finding a cleaner alternative for
copper production is a great way to reduce
the industry’s carbon footprint. Thus, we are
trying to find a suitable biofuel in the copper
production and we chose biodiesel.  Using
biodiesel lowers particulate matter produced
by 47%, reduces hydrocarbon emissions by up
to 67%, and reduces smog.
Our hypothesis is that if the concocted
biodiesel can be able to provide enough heat
to reach the critical temperature of copper
with the same or cheaper price tag, then we
are one step in reducing the world’s
dependence on fossil fuels and reducing our
carbon foot print which can in turn slow the
effects of climate change.
III. Objectives
Our objective for this task is to
concoct a biofuel that can feed fire for
at least 15 minutes and heat a copper
wire up to its critical temperature.
IV. Methods
A. Materials
Ratio: 200 ml Oil : 60 ml Ethyl :
4g Lye
 Used Oil
-
 Sodium Hydroxide (Lye)
-
 Ethanol
-
B. Steps in Production of Biodiesel
1. Mix ethyl and lye to make a
methoxide solution.
2. Heat the oil below the boiling
point of ethyl alcohol (60 degrees
Celsius).
3. Mix the oil and methoxide
solution and stir. Maintain the
temperature of the solution
during this process.
4. After 30 mins, let the glycerol
settle at the bottom and collect
the biodiesel at the top.
5. Separate the biodiesel from the
glycerol and wash the biodiesel to
remove any residual reactants or
contaminants.
C. Summary
After gathering all the ingredients, we
first mix the ethyl alcohol and lye in a
container to form a methoxide solution.
We stir it until all the lye is dissolved in
the alcohol. For the reaction to happen,
we need a source of energy so we heat
the oil below the boiling point of Ethyl or
else it may cause a violent reaction when
mixed. We heated the oil up to 50
degrees Celsius and mix it with the
methoxide solution. We stir it until evenly
mixed and then we let it aside to give it
time to complete the reaction. After a
while, the glycerol will settle at the
bottom leaving the biodiesel at the top.
After separating the glycerol and the
biodiesel, we then wash the biodiesel to
remove any remaining reactants or
contaminants. The final product is then
used as the fuel in our DIY diesel burner
to try and reach the critical temperature
of the copper.

V. Results

VI. Conclusion