Our week 6 meeting to train SEI members to run the biodiesel cart was very successful! More than 20 students came to learn about biodiesel and how to run our demonstration cart. If you missed the meeting, don’t worry – you can still help us run the cart in the future!
Since we had so many people, we split into two groups, and while one group was learning to use the cart the other group discussed plans for upgrading the biodiesel cart. Some of the ideas we had for improving the cart:
- Alternative catalysts which speed up the reaction (determined to likely be too expensive)
- Heat up reactor to increase efficiency and speed of the reaction. Various heating ideas were thought up:
- Pre-heating reactants
- Water bath around reactor (or hot water in tubes around reactor)
- Heat blanket or heat coil
- Insulation around pipes and reactor chamber to retain heat
- Heat lamp above reactor
- New energy sources for powering the pumps and mixers:
- Partnering with the OSU solar trailer or hydrogen club for external power
- Solar thermal to heat reactor
- Use some of the biodiesel produced to run a generator
- Stationary bicycle hooked up to a generator
- Photovoltaic cell (most likely)
SEI is fortunate enough to have funding available to make upgrades to the biodiesel cart as we see fit, so we will be discussing plans for deciding on and implementing upgrades over the rest of the year.
