Help with my Senior Design Project

[Jen-gineer]

Hey,

I'm designing and building a bio diesel plant for my senior engineering project. and need to do market research on the current trends and necessity for such. I have a survey online that I created, it literally takes one minute to complete and I need all the responses I can possibly get. If there's any way that you could take this for me to help me out I'd be so incredibly grateful!!!

 

Thanks!!!

 

Jen

 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=VcA8...KgA5j87kw_3d_3d

[ctenophore]

Done.

 

Funny you mention this, a friend of mine in FL is thinking of building one. He said there are pretty good plans/kits floating around the net. Good luck with your design project. Do we get to see the final draft?

[wdytat]

Done. I'm rather happy with my Prius gas mileage, but I'd snag me a VW diesel and convert it if it were easy enough.

[jamal]

done. i would like a vehicle that has good gas mileage without me having to drive 20m/hr everywhere

[GaryL]

done.

[NRehman]

Done. Don't drive that much...except for this hobby!

Good luck.

Edited September 13, 2008 by NRehman

[Jen-gineer]

AWESOME!!! THANKS!!!

 

--just a side note--you only need to convert your car if you try to run it on straight vegetable oil. Biodiesel can be run in your car straight if you own a diesel. On top of that it actually extends the life span of your engine and cuts down on engine wear because biodiesel acts as a better lubricator for engine parts. The emissions are also significantly lower (not to mention how delicious they smell). I'll definitely post progress pics as we go (have to keep a good record for my project anyway) and keep everything posted!

[steveoutlaw]

Done and done!

[SkiCurtis]

Done. I hope it helps. cool project.

[fry_school101]

Done. My concern would be the amount of time required to make one's fuel. People already do this with ethanol, but time=money so they're still not rich.

 

Good luck!

[Jen-gineer]

We're setting up a fully automated system with all 55 gallon drums. So it will take ~24 hours for a full 40 gallon batch of fuel to be finished, but in that 24 hours all you have to do is pour the used vegetable oil (that you get free from McDonalds & the like) into the first bin and press start.

Then come back 24 hours later and fill up your gas tank.

 

ethanol and conversion kits for cars to run on pure vegetable oil are bad ideas because they cut into a product that is already in demand. We need clean veg oil and corn to eat and for cooking, whereas the leftover nasty oil is a complete waste product. Using vegetable oil or even ethanol causes a TON of other problems because these are products already in use and in demand just drives their prices up and makes them less accessible.

[Origami]

Done and good luck!

 

It's funny, some of the choices that we're given, I remember one place we passed through (when I was growing up) selling gas at $0.27 a gallon. That's well below the minimum $0.50 a gallon choice that you're survey offered me.... Now, I'm beginning to sound like my dad. Ha! ;-)

[ctenophore]

... used vegetable oil (that you get free from McDonalds & the like) into the first bin and press start.

 

I've heard that many chain restaurants are selling their waste oil to startup energy companies that are making exclusivity deals especially with the big chains (McD's etc). At least that's the word in FL. One of the reasons my friend isn't committing to buying a biodiesel kit yet- unsure of the supply of "free" (or cheap) waste oil.

[st9z]

All set...good luck!

[lanman]

We're setting up a fully automated system with all 55 gallon drums. So it will take ~24 hours for a full 40 gallon batch of fuel to be finished, but in that 24 hours all you have to do is pour the used vegetable oil (that you get free from McDonalds & the like) into the first bin and press start.

Then come back 24 hours later and fill up your gas tank.

 

ethanol and conversion kits for cars to run on pure vegetable oil are bad ideas because they cut into a product that is already in demand. We need clean veg oil and corn to eat and for cooking, whereas the leftover nasty oil is a complete waste product. Using vegetable oil or even ethanol causes a TON of other problems because these are products already in use and in demand just drives their prices up and makes them less accessible.

 

I'm glad you at least understand part of the problem - ethanol or vegetable oil from commonly-used food products is a BAD idea. Design one that turns macro-algae and similar plants into fuel. I grew an amazing amount of pond weeds in my little pond this year.

 

Another problem is that if enough people do this - there won't be enough waste oil from McDonalds, etc. to go around. Have you actually surveyed potential sources?

 

Best of luck with your project!

 

bob

[Coral Hind]

Fast food companies should help fund a project like this. I know last month I was following a car that was burning this stuff and at the first whiff I was craving french fries. Pull into the first Mc Donalds and super sized!

[rioreef]

If it is taking a waste product such as used cooking oil, it sounds great but as Bob put it, there isn't enough to go around to make a dent.

 

Any alternative fuel that takes plants that would otherwise go into food production is a bad idea. Taking your commodity that is your food and divert that into a fuel for combustion will only drive the price of food up (as we have seen) and decrease your supply to areas of the world that need it to live.

 

On a small scale this is cool project, but cannot meet the real demands out there or come close.

 

Good Luck.