Donovan.Norberg.Fall.2010

By: Dan DonovanBryan Norberg **//__What is Biodiesel? __//**

Biodiesel is a type of bio-fuel which is used to fuel cars and other vehicles. Biodiesel is used as alternative petroleum oil. Biodiesel is special because it is a clean resource and is safe to use in our environment, compared to other fuels that pollute the planet. Biodiesel is made from renewable resources which make it easier to produce. Biodiesel also lubricates car engines, which decreases engine wear, making the engine last longer. Speaking of engines, biodiesel is compatible with most car engines that run on diesel. According to researchers, biodiesel can reduce the risk of cancer, which the emitting of petroleum oil have been known to cause.

The National Biodiesel Board defines biodiesel as the following: //"Biodiesel can be used in any concentration with petroleum based diesel fuel in existing diesel engines with little or no modification. Biodiesel is not the same thing as raw vegetable oil. It is produced by a chemical process which removes the glycerin from the oil."//



**//What is the reaction of Biodiesel? How is Biodiesel Produced? //** The basic reaction of biodiesel is the following: **//soybean oil//** //plus **sodium methylate** forms **biodiesel**//. Biodiesel is pretty much a combination of oil or fat with diesel. To be more specific, biodiesel can be made from oils/fats such as: vegetable oil, cooking oil, plant oil, animal fat, soybean, rapeseed, canola, palm, cottonseed, sunflower, and peanut.

In order to make biodiesel, the fat or oil needs to go through several chemical reactions in order to become a fuel. The fat or oil needs to be purified and then it is reacted with methanol or ethanol which then is reacted with potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide. After the reaction, esters and glycerol is produced. Esters are the biodiesel, while glycerol is extracted from the esters (because glycerol is known to clog the car engine). This entire process is called transesterification and its one of the several ways to make biodiesel. 



**//Who would Purchase Biodiesel? Why would they? //** People who want to use an alternative to petroleum oil are usually the major buyers of biodiesel. People buy biodiesel because it is good for the environment, it doesn't wear down the car engine, and it can reduce dependency on foreign oil. Biodiesel can be bought from a biodiesel-producing company, from a petroleum distributor, or from gas stations. Buses in major cities such as Cincinnati have started using biodiesel as fuel recently over the last couple years.



**//Is Biodiesel Safe for the environment? //** Biodiesel is environmentally safer than petroleum oil; however, biodiesel does emit nitrogen oxide which is harmful to our environment. Nitrogen oxide is bad for the environment because it contributes to the formation of smog like in California (smog is fog that has been polluted with smoke). But other than the fact that biodiesel emits nitrogen oxide, it is still safer and a cleaner resource than petroleum oil.



**//What are the cons to Biodiesel? //** Other than the fact that biodiesel emits nitrogen oxide, it does have other disadvantages to it. One con is that biodiesel can be expensive (depending on the market condition). Pure biodiesel can cost $1.95 to $3.00 per gallon which can be really expensive even in this economy compared to the high gasoline prices. Another con is that biodiesel may not be widely available in the United States; the reason for this is because there are only 19 plants that produce biodiesel in the United States out of the 51 states.



**//What Type of people promotes biodiesel? //** Most people who are supporting biodiesel are college students who want to make a difference to their planet earth. Scientists who back-up global warming urge people to switch to biodiesel to save the environment. Many believe if the world can turn more to biodiesel it can help the earth to counter the pollution and perhaps to help the economy out. Also because fossil fuels are becoming more and more scarce throughout decades.



=<span style="color: #2e9c21; font-family: 'Impact','sans-serif'; font-size: 65pt; margin: auto 0in;">Biodiesel from Algae =

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**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The world’s oil supply is being depleted. Optimists say we have 100 years left at best. Others think we have 45-50 years. This could mean we may run out of oil by the time we are in our 60’s. Oil is our main source of energy, but it has its cons. For instance, although it puts heat in our houses, moves the TS Kennedy and flies people around the world, it pollutes. It kills the atmosphere. In turn it is believed global warming is occurring and oil seems to be the culprit. If we cannot do anything about this the very planet that we live on, Earth, may not be ours to live anymore. **

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 150%;">What Are People Doing About the Problem? ** <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In order to keep this planet we need to find another energy source. One that does not emit gases into the atmosphere that causes global warming and climate change. Many practices have been attempted and are working such as solar energy and hydroelectric cars. The problem with hybrid cars is that they still use some fuel that is not solely from electricity or hydrogen. Therefore the next step must be taken. Algae just might be the answer. Yes that’s right algae, like the green nasty stuff floating in your pool after the spring. ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; height: 300pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; visibility: visible; width: 300pt;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Algae are being tested for its ability to create biodiesel. It has many things going for it and looks promising. The algae excrete oils around them that can be converted into a biodiesel. With just sunlight, water and carbon dioxide algae can be produced and reproduced to create farms that can supply energy to many things. The main catch of the algae is the microalgae inside. ** **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The microalgae are the ones making the oils and given the name, are microscopic. **

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<span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">The Process

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">The algae are not creating the fuel. It is the oils within the algae that create the fuel necessary to operate machinery. There will be algae farms produced solely to create algae for the production of energy. The way the farms are set up, there will be ponds, similar to race tracks. This will exhibit an ideal harvesting area for the algae. Circulation is also vital to the growth of these farms. The ponds, once carbon dioxide is fed in, will circulate causing the algae to submerge and resurface, collecting sunlight, growing and going through their natural life of photosynthesis. From here the algae will be taken out, while the oils will be used. Upwards to 60-70% of the natural oil can be used to produce biodiesel.



**//<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 150%;">Algae's affect on Carbon Dioxide production //** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Carbon dioxide, instead of going into the atmosphere and causing global warming, will actually be fed into the algae farms. Fossil fuels burn oxygen and produce carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide will be fed into the farms creating a cycle where there is not such a great rate of carbon dioxide pollution. The factories that run the ponds and make them work will be right next to the ponds themselves. Coal will run the factories, but every bit of the carbon dioxide waste made from the factory will be put towards the algae farms. Naturally, not every bit of carbon dioxide is going to be used, just as not every bit of oxygen is used when you take a breath. But, the amount of carbon dioxide being turned back into oxygen by the plants will be great and tremendously help the cause of lowering pollution.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 150%;">Benefits ** <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">The best part about the deal is the multiple uses of the algae. The algae have the oils extracted from it and some would think the algae, once it dies, gets put to waste. But the answer to that is no. The algae can be taken from the farms that it once lived and can be used to break down sewage or use as fertilizer. So not only does it produce a tremendous amount of energy, it also can decompose and grow other products. But what else is good about algae? Algae only take three things to grow, water, sunlight and carbon dioxide. Isn’t it great that we live on a planet where carbon dioxide is everywhere? There is a huge orb of fire called the sun that will be here for another couple billion years producing sunlight. And water covers 70% of the earth’s surface. Even better algae can grow in any type of water salty or fresh. As long as there is a place to grow the algae will grow.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">.  <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;">As shown algae seems great and has so much hope, but there are problems with the idea. One of the main problems at hand with algae biodiesel is that it might not actually be that compatible with vehicles. Yes for factories it would be great, but the ultimate goal is to get rid of the use of fossil fuels. So if vehicles cannot be fixed then the problem is not completely solved. Not only that if the algae becomes too cold it does not work that well. For instance, if you live in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, your fuel might not be effective once October comes around. Therefore, some genetic scheming with the algae must take place. It is definitely possible, but it does not look like we have the technology quite yet. Hopefully within the next 10 or so years we will have the ability to run this sort of operation. Gerhard Knothe says “I would like to see a biodiesel fuel with optimized properties becoming available or at least that its realization will be in the near future. And I hope that the work described in my papers and future work will eventually help achieve that goal.” Lastly the overall price is a problem. As of now the production cost of a single gallon of biodiesel algae is a whopping $33.


 * Who’s Using It? **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">British Airways and Solena are two companies, one an airline company, the other an algae producer. The two are teaming up with hopes of someday using this technology to the fullest to prevent pollution. All different algae producers have their ways of growing their algae. They have different ways of storing it, heat, amount of water, carbon dioxide and even different algae species altogether. The only biodiesel algae as of yet that has been approved is Solazyme. Solazyme is keeping it hush-hush with the United States Navy about the biodiesel. The biodiesel has been tested and still is being tested by the Navy, but the commercial availability is lacking. The US Navy also hopes that the extremely useful, green algae can be someday used to prevent the pollution and global warming.

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