The Economics of Biodiesel Is it a viable alternative?

8/11/2019 The Economics of Biodiesel Is it a viable alternative?

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Community BioFuels, LLC

The Economics of Biodiesel

Is it a viable alternative?


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What is Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a domesticallyproduced, renewable fuel that canbe manufactured from vegetableoils, animal fats, or recycled

restaurant greases. Biodiesel is safe, biodegradable,

and reduces serious air pollutantssuch as particulates, carbonmonoxide, hydrocarbons, and air

toxins. Straight, or blended with

petroleum diesel, biodiesel can beused in unmodified diesel engines.


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Rudolph Diesel, 1912

The use of vegetable oils

for engine fuels may seem

insignificant today, but such

oils may become, in thecourse of time, as important

as petroleum and the coal

tar products of the presenttime.


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History

In 1898, when Rudolph Diesel first demonstrated hiscompression ignition engine at the World'sExhibition in Paris, he used peanut oi l - the or iginalbiodiesel. Diesel believed biomass fuel to be viablealternative to the resource consuming steam engine.Vegetable oils were used in diesel engines until the1920's when an alteration was made to the engine,

enabling it to use a residue of petroleum - what is nowknown as diesel #2.

Transesterification of vegetable oils has been in usesince the mid-1800's. More than likely, it was originallyused to distill out the glycerin used for making soap. The"by-products" of this process are methyl and ethyl esters.

Biodiesel is composed of these esters. Although the diesel engine gained worldwide acceptance,

biodiesel did not. With superior price, availability, andgovernment subsidies, petroleum diesel quickly becamethe fuel of choice for the diesel engine.


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Vegetable Oil Molecule

Triglyceride

3 Fatty acids (methyl

esters)

1 Glycerol


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What is Biodiesel?

Chemically, biodiesel molecules are mono-alkyl estersproduced usually from triglyceride esters

Fatty AcidAlcoholGlycerin

Vegetable Oil Biodiesel

FA

FAFA

FA


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How do you make it?

Virgin vegetable oil or waste oil is filtered and

then heated to remove water.

Top portion of oil is decanted into processor

Catalyst (lye) and Methanol are added

The mixture is stirred and then allowed to

settle

Biodiesel is drawn off of the top and glycerin is

removed from the bottomThe Methanol is reclaimed


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BIODIESEL: ENVIRONMENT and EMISSIONS

Emissions(compared with diesel) B100 B20

Carbon Monoxide -43% -13%

Hydrocarbons -56 -11

Particulates -55 -18

Nitrus Oxides +6 +1

Air Toxics -60-90 -12-20Cancer Risk -94 -27

Mutagenicity -80-90 -20

Biodiesel contains no sulfur

Only fuel to pass EPA Clean Air Act


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A Comprehensive Analysis of Biodiesel

Impacts on Exhaust Emissions


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Based on this analysis, we could reasonably conclude that total toxics

are reduced when biodiesel is added to conventional diesel fuel.


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Life Cycle Analysis

From an Energy input perspective these

fuels return these amounts of energy

Petroleum Diesel: 90%

Ethanol: 100% 160%

Biodiesel: 280% - 350%


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Feedstock's

Oil Palm African palm Palm oil and palm kernel oil Extracted from fleshy outside

Coconut South America and tropical areas Coconut meat is peeled from the husk, dried in the sun, and pressed

Jatropha Americas A bush that produces a seed Seed is crushed for oil

Rapeseed/ Canola Canada, Germany, Russia colder regions

Yellow flowering oil cropPeanut South America warm

Sandy soil

Sunflower North America Squeezed from seeds

Safflower India, Egypt, and Persia Thistle-like plant

Yellow/orange flowerSoybean East Asia and USA

High protein bean

Hemp Russia, China, and Asia Illegal to grow in USA

Corn Americas Use the oil and grain for food

Algae

NREL have cultivated algae to produce oil Could provide enough oil to meet all of the diesel fuel needs of the US

Source of biodiesel fuel from plants or animals


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Environmental effects

Fertilizer use Pesticide application


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Environmental effects of ethanol and biodiesel

Greenhouse gases

reduced by bothrelative to

gasoline and

diesel

combustion


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Current and future biofuels


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Performance Analysis

Biodiesel is interchangeable with #2 fuelin vehicle, generators, home heating

Slightly less BTU but higher Cetane

Same performance, same mileage Ethanol vehicle needs advanced

electronics to optimize electronic ignition

on the fly Significantly less BTUs. (70%) Need to

burn 30% more fuel to travel same distance

Worse performance, worse mileage


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Cold Weather Issues


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Food Versus Fuel

In the US the feedstock competes with thefood chain

Most biodiesel comes from soybean

Most ethanol comes from corn

Both biofuels are heavily subsidized and

with out the subsidies and tax creditswould not be economically viable theycurrently arent!


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Grease Cars

Diesel vehicles are modified by adding

additional fuel components to all waste

vegetable oil (WVO) to be used.

The WVO needs to be heated to 160

degrees before it can be used, normally

by circulating the engine coolant through

a second fuel tank.


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Running on Grease

Bob Morabito, Westchester Countys recycling guru explained; the county is retrofitting 25

additional vehicles to run on vegetable oil. He said, At the end of the year, we accumulate50,000 gallons of oil, which will now provide a free, clean alternative to diesel fuel.

The countys new Veggie Van

garishly green on the outside andfiguratively green all over. Powered byused vegetable oil, the van is the

countys latest effort to use and promotetechnologies that dont contribute to

global warming and do help decreasethe nations dependency on foreign oil.To accomplish the transformation, the

county Department of Public Worksteamed up with V.O.Tech,


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Diesel/Veggie Oil Fueling Station


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Perhaps the car of the future?


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Or perhaps

Electric cars

Hybrid

Gasoline Electric

Diesel Electric

Electric w/ generator

Alternative Fuels

E85 Ethanol (85%) and Gasoline (15%)

M85 Methanol (85%) and Gasoline (15%)

CNG/LPG


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The Carbon Cycle


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Is Biodiesel a Solution?

To what?

Documents

The Economics of Biodiesel Is it a viable alternative?