Low-Cost, Portable, Off-Grid Biodiesel Production Plant

1
TEAM 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
2
Project 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
3
Semester 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
4
Wash Tank Agitation

• 1st Idea Bubble Wash
• 2nd Idea Agitation Wash
• Time
• Conclusion Agitation Method

TEAM 12 Low-Cost, Portable, Off-Grid Biodiesel
Production Plant
5
Methanol Recovery

• Material Copper Pipe Aluminum
  Housing
• Thermal Analysis
• Power required vs Power lost

TEAM 12 Low-Cost, Portable, Off-Grid Biodiesel
Production Plant
6
Final Design Size Constraint

• 5 8 Trailer
• Easy Latch down
• Cleaning accessible
• Easy Disassemble

7
Chemical 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.

8
Pro Engineer Drawings

• Pro Engineering

• Trailer Weight/ Tow load
• Methanol Recovery

9
Parts 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

10
MathCAD Calculations

• Heating Calculations

Heat lost from barrel
11
MathCAD Calculations

• Power Calculations

12
Conclusion

• Design Complete
• System Concluded
• Power Generation Concluded
• Parts List Complete
• Future work
• Parts Ordering
• Bargain Parts