biodiesel research at the university of georgia daniel geller – uga engineering outreach
TRANSCRIPT
Biodiesel Research at The University of Georgia
Daniel Geller – UGA Engineering Outreach
http://www.engr.uga.edu/service/outreach
UGA Biodiesel Highlights• 1980 - Biodiesel program
begins• 1981 – UGA buses run on
peanut oil• 1984 – Development of small
diesel engine testing laboratory• 1996 – UGA B20 bus
demonstration for the Olympics• 2003 – UGA boilers run on
poultry fat• 2006 – Southeastern Biodiesel
Workshops• 2007 – All UGA buses run on
B20
FATS and OILS +
ALCOHOL
catalyst
BIODIESEL +
GLYCEROL
Biodiesel Production
Simple to make Difficult to make right - Biodiesel is made by the transesterification of vegetable oils
C R1
+ 3MeOH
C
C
C
OH
OH
OH
Me
Me
Me
+
Triglyceride(fats and oils)
Methanol(alcohol)
GlycerolMethyl Ester (Biodiesel)
KOH
O CO
C R2O CO
C R3O CO
R1O CO
R2O CO
R3O CO
Poultry Fat• Georgia is Nation’s largest
producer of poultry• Historically, value of
poultry fat was quite low ~$.12/lb
• 2003: UGA researchers examine fuel properties of poultry fat
• Poultry fat developed as boiler fuel at UGA
• US Biofuels in Rome, GA successfully utilizes poultry fat as Biodiesel feedstock
Poultry Fat - Issues• Limited supply of high
quality material for Biodiesel production
• Value of material increases due to increased demand from fuel markets
• Waste treatment at poultry processing facilities not optimized for oil recovery
• RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY
Poultry Fat - Research
• Development of simple screening methods for the identification of potential fuel feedstock streams
• Development of advanced mechanical methods for the recovery of fats from waste streams
• Use of recovered waste streams as boiler fuel and Biodiesel feedstocks
Poultry Fat - Research
• Development of multi-phase processing techniques to treat high FFA materials (in conjunction with GA Tech)
• Development of solid state acidic and basic catalyst systems to develop semi-continuous conversion system
Expansion to Food Processing Industry
• Methods developed for poultry industry can be applied to any producer of waste fats and greases
• Current screening of multiple food processing facility waste streams in Georgia
• Development of the Georgia Biofuel feedstock database
Expansion to Food Processing Industry
• Food processing streams reveal relatively high quality oil streams going to by-products (pet food, etc.)
• Capture of waste streams proving to be relatively easy as in house aggregation common
Algae - Potential
• High oil yield potential
• Over 50% oil by mass
• Predicted oil yields of 1000-20000 gal/acre
• Soy only 50-100 gal/acre
• Photosynthetic: Only needs light and CO2 for oil production
Algae – Obstacles: Growth
• Must stress algae for max oil output
• Limitations in space/light/doubling time
• 1000s of species: Optimum oil producers are not always optimal for growth
Algae – Obstacles: Harvesting
• Open pond algae systems result in 1 part algae per 1000 parts water
• Traditional filtering systems do not work
• Must remove algae from the water
Algae – Obstacles: Extraction
• Unique Cell Wall – must be disrupted
• Immersion in water, complicates oil extraction
• Traditional extraction methods do not work
Algae – Obstacles: Conversion
• Secondary metabolites from stressed growth inhibit transesterification
• Oil soluble proteins precipitate with addition of MeOH
Algae – UGA Research
• Newly funded DOE project: Improving cost effectiveness of algae-lipid production through advances in nutrient delivery and processing systems
Algae – UGA Research
• Use poultry litter and carpet industry wastewaters as nutrient source
• Evaluate Carbon capture of algae systems
• Algae harvesting using fiber flocculation
Algae – UGA Research
• Cell disruption using explosive decompression
• Evaluate feed value of algal meal
• Develop non-chemical lipid extraction techniques
Algae – UGA Research Approach
Compost yard leachates
Flue gases
INPUT
Fermentation off gases
Animalwastes
Wastewater from industries
Sewage
Nutrients
CO2
Sunlight
Mic
roal
gae
culti
vatio
n
AlgalBiomass
Harvesting
Fermentation/Anaerobic digestion
Pyrolysis /Thermochemical
liquefaction
Hydrocarbon extraction&
Transesterification
Biodiesel /Biofuels
OUTPUT
Electromagnetic biostimulation
Oilseed Radish (Raphinus sativus)
• Cool season cover crop• Traditionally used to
protect and enhance soil• Low-input crop;
drought/disease resistant• Normally plowed under at
the end of cool season
Oilseed Radish Biodiesel feedstock potential
• Non-food crop• Seed contains up to 48%
oil• Very low input: high oil
yield/dollar ratio• Agronomic Benefits• Secondary income source;
not primary cash crop• Possibility to get two
crops/year in GA plus primary cash crop
Oilseed Radish: State of Research
• Seed has been obtained and crushed using inexpensive extruder
• Cold crush yielded 30% oil without solvent
• Oil fuel properties analyzed
• Oil converted to Biodiesel• Meal evaluated as animal
feed
Oilseed Radish: Economics
• Currently growing oilseed radish in Dawson, GA.
• Current stands thriving with only fertilizer+seed+labor inputs
• Added economic benefits: nematode control, erosion control, nitrogen scavenging
• Non-edible oil (high erucic acid) may keep oil out of commodity markets