High School Biodiesel Reactor
Teaching Module
Allan Fluharty, NBCT
Prosser Career Academy, CPS
Research Mentor: Dr. Thomas L. Theis
Professor of Civil and Materials Engineering
Director, Institute of Environmental Science and Policy
Chicago Science Teacher Research Program, NSF-RET
University of Illinois at Chicago
December 5, 2010
Petroleum (Liquid Fuel) Picture
 We currently import over
50% of our petroleum
needs - 70% by 2025.
 Once roughly half the oil
has been extracted, it
becomes harder – and
more expensive – to get
at the remainder.
 The key date is not
when the oil runs out,
but when production
peaks, meaning supplies
decline. The peak may
come by about 2020.
Proved Oil Reserves 2003
Biodiesel – General Definitions
 Biodiesel is a domestic,
Biodiesel
renewable fuel for diesel engines
derived from fats and oils such
as soybeans and animal fats.
Petroleum diesel
 Biodiesel can be used in any
concentration with petroleumbased diesel fuel in existing
diesel engines with little or no
modification.
 Biodiesel is not raw vegetable
100%
2%
5%
10%
20%
oil. Biodiesel is produced by a
B2
B5
B10
B20
B100
chemical process that removes
glycerin from the oil.
The type of biodiesel is designated BXX,
where XX is the volume percent of
biodiesel blended with petroleum-based
diesel fuel.
Biodiesel Reaction
Biodiesel can be manufactured in a batch process through the
transesterification of oils (fatty acids or triglyceride) by
methanol. The reaction is carried out using a strong base
(NaOH or KOH) as a catalyst.
Emissions Reductions with Biodiesel Blends
Emission Type
B100
B20
Total Unburned Hydrocarbons
-67%
-20%
-2.2%
Carbon Monoxide
-48%
-12%
-1.3%
Particulate Matter
-47%
-12%
-1.3%
+ 2%
+0.2%
Oxides of Nitrogen (NOX)
+10%
B2
“When considering the combined benefit of all these reductions, the small increase
in nitrogen oxides (NOx) should not overshadow the net environmental gain with
biodiesel use in North Carolina. Biodiesel is a viable part of the overall effort to
improve our air quality.”
B. Keith Overcash, PE, NC DE&NR, DAQ
High School Biodiesel Reactor Module: Goals
1. Learn scientific principles that support Produce an environmentally friendly
alternative fuel for the school district buses and other machinery that use
diesel oil.
2. Learn how to operate a chemical manufacturing plant in a safe and efficient
manner.
3. Design and equip a quality control laboratory to characterize biodiesel
through a variety of tests using infrared spectroscopy, measurement of
refractive index, specific gravity, and the heat of combustion.
4. Recycle waste cooking oil from the school cafeteria, culinary arts shop, and
nearby fast food restaurants.
5. Educate ourselves and our community about the impact of fossil fuel
emissions on our environment.
6. Help high school students prepare to pursue careers in technical fields and
this emerging industry.
7. Use glycerol—a reaction byproduct—to make soap products for sale at the
school store.
Rational & Impact
•
The project will positively impact several hundred students and many teachers in
several departments at my school.
 The bioreactor will provide a tool to teach important principles of chemistry, such
as physical properties, inorganic and organic reactions, stoichiometry, etc.
 The computer aided design, construction, and auto mechanics departments will
help design and construct the reactor, providing an opportunity to many inquirybased experiences as students go through the design/build process.
 The HVAC shop will be needed to create the appropriate ventilation for the
biodiesel reactor room and a fume hood for the quality control laboratory.
 There will be opportunities for students in the auto mechanics and auto body shop
to get involved during modification of the van to run on biodiesel fuel.
 Other students will be involved in the production and sale of soap made from a
glycerol byproduct of biodiesel manufacturing process. This has a potential to
involve students from art classes and graphic design.
Collaboration
• This is a collaborative project that will
involve the science department with the
vocational shops within the school.
• Sponsors will be sought out from the
many educational, business, and not-forprofit organizations in the Chicago area
that have a stake in the development of
green technology and practices.
• Businesses and schools in the
surrounding community will be asked to
supply waste cooking oil, thus helping
the community “go green.”
Biodiesel module supports Green
Chemistry principles
Principle #1: Pollution Prevention – It is better to prevent waste than to
treat or clean up waste after it is formed.
Principle #4: Chemical products should be designed to preserve efficacy
of function while reducing toxicity.
Principle #7: Renewable Resources – A raw material feedstock should be
renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically
practical.
Principle #10: Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of
their function they do not persist in the environment and break down into
innocuous degradation products.
Activity 1: Determining the Physical
Properties of Vegetable Oils
Learning Standard: Properties of Matter
• Students are given 4 unknown oils, and are
asked to perform a test on the oils to
determine their identities.
• Upon cooling all 4 oils over ice, the
coconut oil will solidify first, followed by
the peanut oil. The canola oil and soybean
oil should both not solidify due to their
melting points being below the freezing
point of water.
• The concept of other distinguishing
properties of the oils can also be discussed
(density, color, etc.).
Activity 2: Titration of WVO
Learning Standards: Solutions, Rates of Reaction, and
Equilibrium
• A titration of the triglycerides in the waste
vegetable oil (WVO) is performed to
define the amount of raw materials. This is
necessary due to the breakdown of the
triglycerides during the frying process.
• This activity can be used to teach students
solution chemistry (concentration and
molarity), rates of reaction, and chemical
equilibrium .
• This activity also provides an opportunity to
talk about concentration and have students
perform scientific calculations.
Activity 3: Synthesis of Biodiesel
Learning Standard: Chemical Reactions and Stoichiometry
• This activity can be used for discussing
synthesis and synthetic transformations.
The process involves the use of a
catalyst and catalysis can be discussed.
The nature of vegetable oil and diesel
allows for many discussions of organic
chemistry concepts including
hydrocarbons, functional groups
(esters), fatty acids, etc.
• The synthesis of biodiesel is fairly
straightforward and can be done in 2
class periods.
Activity 4: Analysis of Biodiesel
Learning Standards: Acids & Bases, and Oxidation &
Reduction
• This activity consists of three tests the
students can perform on the biodiesel they
have prepared in order to test the
properties:
1. pH: They will test the pH of the
biodiesel, allowing for a discussion of
acids and bases and pH.
2. Combustion: This test allows for a
discussion of combustion reactions.
3. Freezing Point: This test allows for a
discussion of the use of a physical
property to determine the nature of a
material.
Making Soap from Biodiesel ByProducts
• A byproduct from making bio-diesel is
glycerin. The glycerin can be purified
and used as an industrial degreaser in its
raw form, composted and used as a
fertilizer, or made into bar soap.
• The bar soap is excellent for use in the
shop because of its degreasing abilities,
but can also be used as a household soap
for everyday use. Adding fragrances and
dyes will make household use more
appealing to other members of the
household.
Biodiesel Project Summary
•
This project provides urban high school
students a hands-on opportunity to
perform scientific inquiry.
•
The project supports the goal of a
vocational high school, which is to
provide students with job skills that can
be applied immediately after finishing
high school.
•
A working biodiesel manufacturing
process will provide many
opportunities to create inquiry
activities that give students hands-on
experiences with scientific,
technologic, and business topics.