What process is used to produce biodiesel fuel? Specifically, the changing of certain types of algae?

Question

I have read a little about a process called 'transesterification'.. Can you give me any good websites or suggestions.

Answer 1

Here some links to get you started.

http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algaculture

Algae oil does hold out a lot of promise, the studies I’ve read have shown we could replace all our fuel need from algae oil without effecting food crops.  Now understand this like most studies are the ideal situation but they seemed to have padded in enough reserve to make it feasible.

Now there are many types of algae out there some are 40%+ oil. There also is one algae strain, Botryococcus braunii, which can be reduced to chemicals traditionally extracted from petroleum and used for transport fuels, that is gasoline, kerosene (jet fuel).

What make me think this is the way to go, rather then say ethonal, is that businesses are putting up their own money for this project, there is very little government money being spent on this, unlike ethonal. That alone tell me that people think there is a profit in it I sure there are some subitisties there but nothing like corn subitisties used for ethonal and ethonal production.

What funny is that in the 1970’s the government spend some money on this very thing found it feasable, but not at the current price of oil back then. Had the government followed through we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in now, but then again hindsite is 20/20.



After you extract the oil (you can press the oil out or use a chemical process to extract the oil) then you use a chemical process to convert vetabale oil to bio-diesel.

That is you need to remove the  glycerin, remove the catalyst, remove the alochol.    

Here a few sites on how to make bio-diesel, they walk you through the process.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2046024_make-bio...

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_ma...

If you want more information let me know, I’d be happy to help out.

Hoped it helped

Edit

Libris FIdelis is wrong on many accounts.

First oft biodiesel the meets the industry stands can be used just like diesel in ALL diesel engines that can use low sulfur diesel (the new standard for diesel) and has 90%+ of the energy of diesel (129,500 btu/gal bio-diesel has 118,296 btu/gal)

As far as economics go with private money going into many of the projects, I’m more then willing to bet that they have check it out completely and are expecting a profit or they wouldn’t be spending they own money on it.

As far as the aluminum pellet system, it does work, the down side is that you need to re-refine the aluminum, which takes massive amount of energy to do this. It’s not as clean as they make it seem, to refine aluminum you need electricity. Where does the electricity come from, mainly coal. So it’s not as clean or as easy as putting aluminum pellets into your gas tank the drive away even the inventor admits this.

http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/200...

Rapid Transit District in the Los Angeles, if biodiesel is so bad why is the RTD of LA using a 20% blend right now? I’m willing to bet the engines they were using in the 1990’s couldn’t use the low sulfur fuel being sold to day. I’m willing it bet it was the lack of sulfur that damaged the engines (used to lubricate the injectors and fuel pumps) rather then biodiesel.

As far as carbon out put, I’d put algae oil straight up against, aluminum pellets any day. I go into details if you wish.

Answer 2

First of all, there is a lot of propaganda on bio-fuel.  And the algae idea is just a theory, not related to economics.

Biodiesel as well as ethanol are impure fuels that do not burn well.  There are some kinds of bio-fuels that work better than others, for instance no biofuel is as effective as gasoline, which we need to stop using, but The Establishment does not want us to use pure hydrogen, which has been successfully used in this country for 25 years, since they cannot patent Natural Element Nr. 1 and because any citizen can put their garden hose in the tank and fill it up to drive to their hearts content using an aluminum pellet system.

There is the "animal fat" process and there is the "plant residue" process for producing biodiesel.  The animal fat rendition process is the least desireable and the most polluting.  In fact, MOST biofuels USE PETROLEUM IN ITS MIXTURE, although many claim they do not.   The typical "biodiesel " is no more than 10% bio and 90% petroleum!  Most bus companies do not want to exceed 7% bio with 93% petroleum!

There are several processes.

One uses an acid to catalyze the base compound of plant and animal oils or to use another alcohol to switch chemical groupings.

Another several methods use very high heat process to produce a gas vapor from plant material, and this is then reconstituted into a liquid.

Another process uses pressure and heat to decompose and reorganize the molecular structure of organic materials and waste.

And of course, there is vegitable oil, which must be altered to make it less thick.

Rapid Transit District in the Los Angeles area at about the mid 1990s tried biodiesel.  It so gummed up its test bus engines that they simply scrapped the diesel engines and bought new engines, rather than to try to overhaul the old engines.

Contrary to what the proponents say, biodiesel and ethanol do not reduce the CO2 footprint, and its manufacture creates as much pollution as a normal refinery.

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Answer 3

http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/fuelf...

Hi there...

I GOOGLE it and came up with many sites try this one.

Answer 4

The best site for making biodeisel for me is a site that just says (Make your own biodeisel) this site has a lot of different ways to make it and it goes into detail and is very understandable. all setimated measurements are in there too. itis the easiest I've found yet..............GIB