With the increasing strain on petroleum reserves (ie. high prices) and the rise in greenhouse gases, there is a growing concern for a viable alternative to conventional fuels; biodiesel is one alternative.
Biodiesel is a petroleum diesel substitute that can potentially reduce our dependence on foreign oil supplies, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and can be produced in the comfort of your home.
Biodiesel is reliable, renewable, and it can be used in any diesel engine without modification to the vehicle.
The primary objective of our project, which is performed through the Chemical Engineering Department at Oregon State University, is to determine an effective means to produce biodiesel and to perform different American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) tests to ensure high purity biodiesel.
To find out more about our project please click on the Project Description link above.
This website will take you through our experience of making biodiesel and will hopefully provide some insight as to how it is made and why it is a cheap and easy alternative to petroleum diesel.
A second batch of biodiesel will be completed on May 24. The second batch was made with used oil from West Dining Center here at OSU.
The first batch produced only four gallons of biodiesel, when almost fiftenn gallons were anticipated. The suspected cause was a rancid batch of used oil from the very begining.
A new progress report for the week of May 15-21 is now online.
