Biodiesel Research at The University of Georgia

Daniel Geller – UGA Engineering Outreach

http://www.engr.uga.edu/service/outreach

UGA Biodiesel Highlights• 1980 - Biodiesel program

begins• 1981 – UGA buses run on

peanut oil• 1984 – Development of small

diesel engine testing laboratory• 1996 – UGA B20 bus

demonstration for the Olympics• 2003 – UGA boilers run on

poultry fat• 2006 – Southeastern Biodiesel

Workshops• 2007 – All UGA buses run on

B20

FATS and OILS +

ALCOHOL

catalyst

BIODIESEL +

GLYCEROL

Biodiesel Production

Simple to make Difficult to make right - Biodiesel is made by the transesterification of vegetable oils

C R1

+ 3MeOH

C

C

C

OH

OH

OH

Me

Me

Me

+

Triglyceride(fats and oils)

Methanol(alcohol)

GlycerolMethyl Ester (Biodiesel)

KOH

O CO

C R2O CO

C R3O CO

R1O CO

R2O CO

R3O CO

Poultry Fat• Georgia is Nation’s largest

producer of poultry• Historically, value of

poultry fat was quite low ~$.12/lb

• 2003: UGA researchers examine fuel properties of poultry fat

• Poultry fat developed as boiler fuel at UGA

• US Biofuels in Rome, GA successfully utilizes poultry fat as Biodiesel feedstock

Poultry Fat - Issues• Limited supply of high

quality material for Biodiesel production

• Value of material increases due to increased demand from fuel markets

• Waste treatment at poultry processing facilities not optimized for oil recovery

• RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY

Poultry Fat - Research

• Development of simple screening methods for the identification of potential fuel feedstock streams

• Development of advanced mechanical methods for the recovery of fats from waste streams

• Use of recovered waste streams as boiler fuel and Biodiesel feedstocks

Poultry Fat - Research

• Development of multi-phase processing techniques to treat high FFA materials (in conjunction with GA Tech)

• Development of solid state acidic and basic catalyst systems to develop semi-continuous conversion system

Expansion to Food Processing Industry

• Methods developed for poultry industry can be applied to any producer of waste fats and greases

• Current screening of multiple food processing facility waste streams in Georgia

• Development of the Georgia Biofuel feedstock database

Expansion to Food Processing Industry

• Food processing streams reveal relatively high quality oil streams going to by-products (pet food, etc.)

• Capture of waste streams proving to be relatively easy as in house aggregation common

Algae - Potential

• High oil yield potential

• Over 50% oil by mass

• Predicted oil yields of 1000-20000 gal/acre

• Soy only 50-100 gal/acre

• Photosynthetic: Only needs light and CO2 for oil production

Algae – Obstacles: Growth

• Must stress algae for max oil output

• Limitations in space/light/doubling time

• 1000s of species: Optimum oil producers are not always optimal for growth

Algae – Obstacles: Harvesting

• Open pond algae systems result in 1 part algae per 1000 parts water

• Traditional filtering systems do not work

• Must remove algae from the water

Algae – Obstacles: Extraction

• Unique Cell Wall – must be disrupted

• Immersion in water, complicates oil extraction

• Traditional extraction methods do not work

Algae – Obstacles: Conversion

• Secondary metabolites from stressed growth inhibit transesterification

• Oil soluble proteins precipitate with addition of MeOH

Algae – UGA Research

• Newly funded DOE project: Improving cost effectiveness of algae-lipid production through advances in nutrient delivery and processing systems

Algae – UGA Research

• Use poultry litter and carpet industry wastewaters as nutrient source

• Evaluate Carbon capture of algae systems

• Algae harvesting using fiber flocculation

Algae – UGA Research

• Cell disruption using explosive decompression

• Evaluate feed value of algal meal

• Develop non-chemical lipid extraction techniques

Algae – UGA Research Approach

Compost yard leachates

Flue gases

INPUT

Fermentation off gases

Animalwastes

Wastewater from industries

Sewage

Nutrients

CO2

Sunlight

Mic

roal

gae

culti

vatio

n

AlgalBiomass

Harvesting

Fermentation/Anaerobic digestion

Pyrolysis /Thermochemical

liquefaction

Hydrocarbon extraction&

Transesterification

Biodiesel /Biofuels

OUTPUT

Electromagnetic biostimulation

Oilseed Radish (Raphinus sativus)

• Cool season cover crop• Traditionally used to

protect and enhance soil• Low-input crop;

drought/disease resistant• Normally plowed under at

the end of cool season

Oilseed Radish Biodiesel feedstock potential

• Non-food crop• Seed contains up to 48%

oil• Very low input: high oil

yield/dollar ratio• Agronomic Benefits• Secondary income source;

not primary cash crop• Possibility to get two

crops/year in GA plus primary cash crop

Oilseed Radish: State of Research

• Seed has been obtained and crushed using inexpensive extruder

• Cold crush yielded 30% oil without solvent

• Oil fuel properties analyzed

• Oil converted to Biodiesel• Meal evaluated as animal

feed

Oilseed Radish: Economics

• Currently growing oilseed radish in Dawson, GA.

• Current stands thriving with only fertilizer+seed+labor inputs

• Added economic benefits: nematode control, erosion control, nitrogen scavenging

• Non-edible oil (high erucic acid) may keep oil out of commodity markets

Daniel Gellerdgeller@engr.uga.edu

706-248-1513

http://www.engr.uga.edu/service/outreach