How Will Furman's Biodiesel Be Used?
The biodiesel will be sold to Facilities Services at a price belowe the cost of regular diesel. A waste that the dining hall produces is now being changed into a useful product that Facilities Services can utilize at a cost savings.
Initially, the biodiesel will fuel the lawnmowers used on Furman’s campus. The biodiesel will also fuel the Facilities Services truck used by students to collect the waste vegetable oil.
Processed biodiesel can be used in any conventional diesel engine, and switching between biodiesel and regular diesel does not present problem. Biodiesel emits no sulfates, which are an important pollutant in petroleum fuels.
In addition, because biodiesel is simply returning CO2 to the atmosphere that was recently absorbed by living plants (rather than stored in the lithosphere), biodiesel reduces net CO2 contribution by 70% compared to regular diesel fuel The fuel burns cleaner and does not cause vehicles to lose a significant amount of power, only a 3% reduction.
What Are The Safety Precautions For Furman's Biodiesel Project?
- All students involved in the processing of biodiesel have been trained appropriately in the necessary procedures and safety precautions.
- Proper safety equipment (coveralls, goggles, and rubber gloves) are worn at all times when handling dangerous chemicals or working near the processor.
- Emergency electricity shut-offs have been installed in case power must be turned off.
- A pressure relief valve has been installed on the top of the water heater to release gas pressure in the event of a build up. A ventilation fan is also present.
- The Environmental Safety Manager, Bernie Stanton, will make random inspections of the facility unannounced to ensure all guidelines and precautions are being met.
Where Is Furman's Biodiesel Project Located?
The biodiesel processor, materials, and equipment are housed in a small building behind Furman's Facilities Services.
Furman students make biodiesel under the direction of Dr. Perry.
How Is Biodiesel Being Made On Campus?
The process of making biodiesel starts with collecting waste vegetable oil from the campus dining hall oil receptacle. The waste vegetable oil is pumped out, driven in a pick-up truck that runs on biodiesel made at Furman, and pumped into the processor. The processor is composed of a water heater, a sight tube, a circulation pump, and various intakes and outputs.
Furman's biodiesel processor (left) and wash tank (right).
Methanol and lye (potassium hydroxide) are mixed together and then added to the processor, after heating the vegetable oil to approximately 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The oil and the reactants are circulated for two hours. The mixture sits in the water heater for at least 12 hours to allow one byproduct, glycerin, to settle to the bottom of the tank.
The biodiesel is drawn off the top of the tank, and is transferred to into a wash tank. Water is misted onto the top of the liquid, and the water collects impurities as it drops through the solution.
The water is drawn off the bottom of the mixture, and the biodisel is washed at least two more times. When the pH is neutral, most of the impurities have been removed. The biodiesel sits in the wash tank for 1-5 days to ‘clear’, after which it is pumped into the holding tank. The biodiesel is then ready to be used in any diesel engine.