Biodiesel at Alfred State College
In an unprepossessing building hidden away on the “back lot” of the Applied Technology campus of Alfred State College, amazing things were happening during the spring academic semester.
Four seniors enrolled in the robotics and computerized control technology program in the Department of Electrical/Electronic Service, spent the semester researching, building, implementing, and testing the theory that used frying grease can be transformed into a viable, “greener” fuel to run diesel engines.
All the effort and hard work paid off: On the final two days of classes, the test batches turned used dining hall grease into fuel that was used—successfully—to run a diesel engine in the Automotive Trades Department.
The four seniors, Aaron Burt, Hornell; Ryan Goetschius, Wellsville; Jason Dunham, Hornell; and Joe Schultz, Great Valley, presented their project to Tom Massara, executive director, Auxiliary Campus Enterprises and Services (ACES), the campus dining and vending corporation, and Leo Lejeune, manager, Lake Lodge, Maintenance and Transportation, ACES. ACES was the major funding source for the project (as well as supplier, along with the Culinary Arts Department on the Applied Technology campus, of the used fryer grease). Additionally, a $1,500 member item grant was secured for the project by NYS Sen. Catharine Young (R-57).
Each of the four students had a thorough knowledge of the project, which was displayed through their confident and easy manner in explaining the process in layman’s terms.
“We started on the first day of classes,” explained Goetschius, “doing research about biodiesel fuels, the necessary parts, equipment, and budget.”
The implementation and building of the project involved not only these four young men, but classmates in other curriculums on campus: Cody Betts, Stanley, drafting/CAD—model building and process piping drawing senior, created the mechanical drawings based on the four robotics students’ research for the welders to follow in order to create the necessary biodiesel reactor tank. Students in auto body repair painted the tank with a special epoxy paint. All four seniors used the skills that they learned in their two years at Alfred State College to design, build, and operate the biodiesel reactor.
Once the equipment was in place, the testing could begin.
The oil is poured into the first tank, through a screen, to remove the food “debris” left from the cooking. Then it is pumped into the reactor tank where for two-and-a-half hours it is continuously agitated and heated to about 120 degrees to keep it from congealing. Simultaneously, this product is mixed with methanol and potassium hydroxide in an amount proportionate to the amount of oil being treated. Then it is left (still warming) to settle for between 18 and 24 hours. The glycerin byproduct (which can later be filtered and used to make soap products) is drained off and the soon-to-be-fuel is filtered to remove any traces of water before it is pumped into the collecting tank.
Two students enrolled in Dr. Jerry Fong’s chemistry class—Frank Mason, Troupsburg, continuing education; and James Lagioia, Mt. Morris, Agricultural Science—also contributed their expertise by testing the filtered fuel to check for water.
Finally, it’s drawn from the tap, and ready to be used to fire up a diesel engine.
“This process of transesterification (converting vegetable oil to fuel) is about 100 years old,” notes Dennis Conrad, instructor, Automotive Trades, whose Caterpillar 3406 engine was the test for the first batch of fuel.
“The first diesel engine was run on peanut oil,” he continues, “but because diesel fuel was so inexpensive at the time, it’s taken diesel this long to go back to its roots.”
But Alfred State College is looking forward, not back. Next semester, the biodiesel fuel reactor will be moved to the Alfred campus where ACES’ Lejeune will gradually introduce the greener fuel into some of the fleet’s diesel vehicles. Another proposed use for this process is the hope that the college can obtain a generator which will run on college-produced biodiesel fuel, living its belief in sustainability.
Aaron Burt, Hornell; Ryan Goetschius, Wellsville; Joe Schultz, Great Valley; and Jason Dunham, Hornell, use a bottle of their fuel to toast Bradley Thompson, assistant professor, on their success.
Ryan Goetschius, Wellsville, draws the “new” fuel from its holding tank.
This diagram is a representation of the biodiesel reactor designed, built, and successfully operated by Alfred State College students.