Title: Low-Cost, Portable, Off-Grid Biodiesel Production Plant
1TEAM 12 Low-Cost, Portable, Off-Grid Biodiesel
Production Plant
Team Members James Black Sam Dresser Joey
Kilmer Matt Mills
Eglin AFB Sponsor John Deep
Faculty Advisor Dr. Dave Cartes
2Project Background
- Biodiesel is an environmentally safe alternative
to standard diesel fuel - Diesel equivalent but processed from biological
sources (vegetable oil and waste oils) - B20 (20 Biodiesel, 80 standard diesel fuel) can
be used in unmodified diesel engines - Works as a solvent in fuel lines and fuel filters
- Engine manufactures cite less engine wear as
benefit
TEAM 12 Low-Cost, Portable, Off-Grid Biodiesel
Production Plant
3Semester Goals met
- Wash Tank Agitation
- Methanol Recovery System
- Final Design Size Constraints
- Chemical Analysis
- Pro-E Modeling
- Parts Ordering and Price List
- Conclusion
TEAM 12 Low-Cost, Portable, Off-Grid Biodiesel
Production Plant
4Wash Tank Agitation
- 1st Idea Bubble Wash
- 2nd Idea Agitation Wash
- Time
- Conclusion Agitation Method
TEAM 12 Low-Cost, Portable, Off-Grid Biodiesel
Production Plant
5Methanol Recovery
- Material Copper Pipe Aluminum
Housing - Thermal Analysis
- Power required vs Power lost
TEAM 12 Low-Cost, Portable, Off-Grid Biodiesel
Production Plant
6Final Design Size Constraint
- 5 8 Trailer
- Easy Latch down
- Cleaning accessible
- Easy Disassemble
7Chemical Analysis
- Main Ingredients
- Feedstock
- Methanol
- Sodium hydroxide (Lye)
- We are going to use waste vegetable oil vs.
straight vegetable oil - Waste vegetable oil is cheaper, but it has to be
processed. - Two choices for lye
- Sodium hydroxide vs. potassium hydroxide
- We are going to use sodium hydroxide because it
is cheaper and easier to acquire. - Potassium hydroxide is better because it
dissolves in methanol much easier, but it is
expensive and harder to acquire.
8Pro Engineer Drawings
- Trailer Weight/ Tow load
- Methanol Recovery
9Parts and Price List
- Finned Strip Heating Element - 50.46
- Quantity 6
- Style A 38 Watts/in2
- 12.9 Amps
- Overall Length 17.875 in
- Fin Length 13.125 in
- Center to Center Length 16.875 in
- SKU 3575K46
- Reaction Tank/Oil Holding Barrel - 87.15
- Quantity 2
- 30 gallons
- Top OD 19.25 in
- Outside Height 28.75 in
- Gauge, Top/Body/Bottom/Ring 18/18/18/12
10MathCAD Calculations
Heat lost from barrel
11MathCAD Calculations
12Conclusion
- Design Complete
- System Concluded
- Power Generation Concluded
- Parts List Complete
- Future work
- Parts Ordering
- Bargain Parts