Project #6: Biodiesel from Waste FeedstockSponsored by The National Science Foundation Grant ID No.: DUE-0756921

Anna Greve, Junior, Civil Engineering

Kathe Pocker, Pre-Junior, Biomedical Engineering

College of Engineering and Applied Science; University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati, OH

Dr. Mingming Lu, Yang Liu and Qingshi Tu; University of Cincinnati

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Presentation Outline • Background on Biodiesel

– Advantages and disadvantages

• Methods of Extraction – Waste Cooking Oil (WCO) and Waste Coffee

Grounds (WCG)

• Results

• Future Plans

• Timeline

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Background on Biodiesel •What is biodiesel?•Advantages:

•Domestically produced•Use in engines •Environmentally friendly•Biodegradable

•Disadvantages: •Lack of auto maker approval •Lower fuel economy•Investigating nitrogen oxide

emissions •Possible harmful effects on car engines

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Waste Cooking Oil Benefits

•Grease traps remove and separate fat, oils and greases in restaurants and food service establishments

•Solves the problem of too much grease and oil waste, especially in septic tanks and water treatment facilities

Background on Biodiesel

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Waste Coffee Ground Benefits

•Enriches the feedstock market while lowering the production cost•Lowers purification cost•Replaces coal•Reduces the solid waste•Protects water resources

Background on Biodiesel

Why biodiesel?

• Electric cars – Short vehicle ranges and long

recharge times – Extremely expensive – Battery uncertainty – Less existing infrastructure

• Corn-based ethanol – Causes food prices to increase – Energy used to fertilize, transport,

and process the corn releases greenhouse gases

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Methods of Extraction

•Two Methods of Extraction:•Waste Cooking Oil (WCO)

•Waste Coffee Ground (WCG)

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WCO Extraction - Titration• Take a small amount of WCO (1mL), and combine with

10 mL methanol and 2 drops of an indicator • Add 0.5 mL or 1.0 mL NaOH drop-wise • When it turns pink…STOP

WCO Extraction - Neutralization

• From titration, necessary amount of NaOH to be added is determined

• At this time, free fatty acid concentration (FFA) can also be determined

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WCO Extraction - Reaction

• Allow NaOH to dissolve in 20 mL of methanol

• Combine, heat and stir • Variations in reaction

times

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WCO Extraction - Separation

• Allow separation

• Remove glycerin

• Perform water wash

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WCO Extraction – Data Gathering

• Biodiesel is weighed

• This weight is compared to weight of the starting amount of WCO to get a percent recovery

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WCG Extraction – Neutralization

• Weigh out 5 g WCG – Variations in mixtures

(5% NaOH, 5% KOH, and 10% KOH)

• Combine with 200 mL methanol

• Allow to stir and heat for 2 ½ hours

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WCG Extraction – Collection

• Every 30 minutes, check the heat and extract 1.5 mL solution

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• Put vials in freezer to later evaluate purity

WCG Extraction – Methanol Evaporation

• Allow methanol to evaporate

• Dry off remaining methanol

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Results – WCO Extraction

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Results – WCO Extraction

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Results – WCO Extraction

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Results – WCG Extraction

• For each mixture, 5 extractions were done

• Need to send samples to an outside facility for purity assessment

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Future Research Plans

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• Conduct more time trials for WCO extractions • Assess purity for both WCO and WCG extractions • Experiment with different amounts of NaOH and

different neutralizing agents • Dr. Lu’s cooking grease

Goals and Objectives

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• Have gained a better understanding of biodiesel production and use through WCO and WCG extractions

• Learned the documentation process behind research projects

Acknowledgements

• Dr. Mingming Lu

• Yang Liu

• Qingshi Tu

• Dr. Urmila Ghia

• Kristen Strominger

• The University of Cincinnati

• The National Science Foundation

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Timeline

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Objectives1/28-2/3

2/4-2/10

2/11-2/17

2/18-2/24

2/25-3/3

3/4-3/10

3/11-3/17

3/18-3/24

3/25-3/31

4/1-4/5

Biodiesel Extraction Batch

Literature Review

Coffee Ground & WCO Extraction

Paper

Presentation and Poster

X X X

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X X X

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References

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• Al-Hamamre, Zayed, Sascha Foerster, Franziska Hartmann, Michael Kroger, and Martin Katlschmitt. "Oil Extracted from Spent Coffee Grounds as a Renewable Source for Fatty Acid Methyl Ester Manufacturing." Elsevier (2012): n. pag. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. <http://www.journals.elsevier.com/fuel>.

• Agnew, Rachel, Ming Chai, Mingming Lu, and Nancy Dendramis. "Making Biodiesel from Recycled Cooking Oil Generated in Campus Dining Facilities." Sustainability 2.5 (2009): 303-307. Print. 20 Jan. 2013.

• Meher, L.C., D. Vidya Sagar, and S.N. Naik. “Technical aspects of biodiesel production by transesterification – a review.” Renewable and Sustainably Energy Reviews 10.3 (2006): 248-268. Web. 29 March 2013. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032109002913>.

• http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/biodiesel.shtml • http://www.thermaco.com/what-is-a-grease-trap.php • http://blogs.automotive.com/why-hybrids-ethanol-biodiesel-are-better-than-electric-cars-

10604.html#axzz2PbIqT7y8 • http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/4279508• http://www.bankrate.com/financing/cars/pros-and-cons-of-electric-cars/