Energy Options » BIO DIESEL

MOBILE BIO MASS UNIT TO PRODUCE BIO FUEL FROM ALL RUBBISH

Editor — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:09:38 +0000

New Biofuels Processing Method

for Mobile Facilities

Science (July 11, 2010) — Chemical engineers at Purdue University have developed a new method to process agricultural waste and other biomass into biofuels, and they are proposing the creation of mobile processing plants that would rove the Midwest to produce the fuels.

“What’s important is that you can process all kinds of available biomass– wood chips, switch grass, corn stover, rice husks, wheat straw …,” said Rakesh Agrawal, the Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering.

The approach sidesteps a fundamental economic hurdle in biofuels: Transporting biomass is expensive because of its bulk volume, whereas liquid fuel from biomass is far more economical to transport, he said.

“Material like corn stover and wood chips has low energy density,” Agrawal said. “It makes more sense to process biomass into liquid fuel with a mobile platform and then take this fuel to a central refinery for further processing before using it in internal combustion engines.”

The new method, called fast-hydropyrolysis-hydrodeoxygenation, works by adding hydrogen into the biomass-processing reactor. The hydrogen for the mobile plants would be derived from natural gas or the biomass itself. However, Agrawal envisions the future use of solar power to produce the hydrogen by splitting water, making the new technology entirely renewable.

The method, which has the shortened moniker of H₂Bioil — pronounced H Two Bio Oil — has been studied extensively through modeling, and experiments are under way at Purdue to validate the concept.

Findings are detailed in a research paper appearing online in June in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. The paper was written by former chemical engineering doctoral student Navneet R. Singh, Agrawal, chemical engineering professor Fabio H. Ribeiro and W. Nicholas Delgass, the Maxine Spencer Nichols Professor of Chemical Engineering.

Agrawal, Ribeiro and Delgass are developing reactors and catalysts to experimentally demonstrate the concept. Another paper by Agrawal and Singh addressing various biofuels processes, including fast-hydropyrolysis-hydrodeoxygenation, also appeared in June in the Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

The Environmental Science & Technology paper outlines the process, showing how a portion of the biomass is used as a source of hydrogen to convert the remaining biomass to liquid fuel.

“Another major thrust of this research is to provide guidelines on the potential liquid-fuel yield from various self-contained processes and augmented processes, where part of the energy comes from non-biomass sources such as solar energy and fossil fuel such as natural gas,” said Singh, who is now a researcher working at Bayer CropScience.

The new method would produce about twice as much biofuel as current technologies when hydrogen is derived from natural gas and 1.5 times the liquid fuel when hydrogen is derived from a portion of the biomass itself.

Biomass along with hydrogen will be fed into a high-pressure reactor and subjected to extremely fast heating, rising to as hot as 500 degrees Celsius, or more than 900 degrees Fahrenheit in less than a second. The hydrogen containing gas is to be produced by “reforming” natural gas, with the hot exhaust directly fed into the biomass reactor.

“The biomass will break down into smaller molecules in the presence of hot hydrogen and suitable catalysts,” Agrawal said.”The reaction products will then be subsequently condensed into liquid oil for eventual use as fuel. The uncondensed light gases such as methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide, are separated and recycled back to the biomass reactor and the reformer.”

Purdue has filed a patent application on the method.

The general concept of combining biomass and carbon-free hydrogen to increase the liquid fuel yield has been pioneered at Purdue. The researchers previously invented an approach called a “hybrid hydrogen-carbon process,” or H₂CAR.

Both H₂CAR and H₂Bioil use additional hydrogen to boost the liquid-fuel yield. However, H₂Bioil is more economical and mobile than H₂CAR, Singh said.

“It requires less hydrogen, making it more economical,” he said. “It is also less capital intensive than conventional processes and can be built on a smaller scale, which is one of the prerequisites for the conversion of the low-energy density biomass to liquid fuel. So H₂Bioil offers a solution for the interim time period, when crude oil prices might be higher but natural gas and biomass to supply hydrogen to the H₂Bioil process might be economically competitive.”

The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and is affiliated with the Energy Center at Purdue’s Discovery Park.

Accessed & published by Henry Sapiecha

DIESEL POWER & MOTOR SPORTS NOW THE GO FOR WINNERS

Editor — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:48:56 +0000

Diesel now used for motor sports

Variable Turbine Geometry Audis sweep Le Mans 24 Hour

Not all that long ago, the mere thought of running a diesel in any form of motorsport would have had you laughed at. Diesel victories are now commonplace in long distance races thanks to the excellent power characteristics, reliability, the low fuel consumption of diesel engines and a battle between the two main TDI-engined cars in the form of the Peugeot 908 and Audi’s R15. Audi Sport Team Joest added to the diesel legend on the weekend with a 1-2-3 victory using newly developed Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG) turbo-chargers on the R15’s 440 kW V10 engine. The Peugeot 908s locked out the first two rows in qualifying and led the race until the 16 hour mark, but one by one, they suffered engine failure, and after 24 hours, Audi took all three steps on the podium. It wasn’t exactly a rerun of the hare and the tortoise though, as the winning R15 racked up more 5,410 kilometers – more distance than has ever been achieved in 78 prior runnings of the French endurance classic. This was all the more remarkable in that it eclipsed a record set in 1971 by a Porsche 917 when the Hunaudières straight had no speed-slowing chicanes. Well done Audi! Read More

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

BACTERIA BREAKS DOWN TRASH FOR POWER GENERATION

Editor — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:12:29 +0000

Turning Trash Into Power

Biological Engineers Generate

Natural Gas with Bacteria

October 1, 2006 — A new kind of waste digester uses two different strains of bacteria in different tanks. This would normally take place in the same environment, but microbiologists have now separated it into two stages that increases natural-gas production. The technology increases efficiency and can turn three tons of food scraps into enough energy to power 25 homes for a day.

DAVIS, Calif. — There’s a new twist on the old adage, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Now that trash may be another man’s power. Researchers in California are turning garbage into bio-gas that may one day provide the electricity in your home.

Trash could soon be powering your home. A new digester can transform it into energy. It uses two strains of bacteria to convert waste into bio-gas. Most digesters store both bacteria in the same tank, which makes the process unpredictable and slow. But not this digester.

“Zhang’s process takes the two bacteria and separates them into two separate environments,” Dave Konwinski, the director of OnSite Power Systems in Davis, Calif., tells DBIS.

This new and improved digester is the brain child of Biological Engineer Ruihong Zhang. She and her students at UC Davis first built its prototype in the lab. She’s thrilled her new technology is being put to use in the real world.

“It’s a new technology … So it’s like a child grow into adult,” she says.

The digester will turn three tons of food scraps into energy for 25 houses a day. But it’s not just for homes. The digester could be especially useful to fuel processing plants. It s scheduled to be up and running this fall. OnSite Power Systems plans to market it in several states in the next couple of years, including California, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

“We can actually scale a digester to fit their current operations, fill it right at their operations, take the waste stream into the digester, and the energy right back into the plant,” Konwinski says. “It will make a substantial dent in our current energy requirement for petroleum.”

It’s a win-win-win situation for the environment, industry and consumers.

BACKGROUND: Environmental engineers at the University of California, Davis, are building a full-scale anaerobic digester that can convert any type of solid organic waste into electricity — even leftovers from restaurants. The system is part of the $100,000 Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD pilot project), but an even larger digester system is being put into place in San Francisco.

HOW IT WORKS: In the process, food waste is collected from restaurants and institutions and then fed to bacteria that thrive in low-oxygen environments. It’s called anaerobic digestion, a naturally occurring process of decomposition. One type of bacteria turns carbohydrates into simple sugars, amino acids and fatty acids. A second group of bacteria eats those compounds and turns them into hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide, and acetic acid — the primary component of vinegar. Then a third group of bacteria takes those broken-down compounds and turns them into methane and carbon dioxide. Between 60 and 80 percent becomes methane. The methane can be used as fuel for an internal combustion engine that provides electricity.

TYPES OF DIGESTION: Anaerobic digestion is not the same thing as human digestion, since the type of bacteria that produce methane don’t live in the human digestive tract. Industrial anaerobic digesters can also harness this natural process to treat waste, provide heat, and increase nutrients in soil. They are most commonly used for sewage treatment and for managing animal waste.

BENEFITS: The goal of SMUD is to obtain 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and biodegradable matter by 2011. Currently SMUD derives 10 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, of which biomass accounts for 2.5 percent. The UC-Davis digester would keep food and other biodegradable waste out of landfills; food leftovers account for 18 percent of a landfill’s contents. One tone of leftover food can produce enough fuel to power 18 homes for one day.

WHAT ARE EXTREMOPHILES? An extremophile is any microbe that thrives in extreme conditions, such as temperature (extreme heat or cold), pressure, salinity, low oxygen environments, or high concentrations of hostile chemicals. Most extremophiles belong to a class known as archaeobacteria, but certain species of worm, crustacean and krill can also be considered extremophiles.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., contributed to the information

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 7th June 2010

ALGAE FOR FUTURE FUEL MANUFACTURING

Editor — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:14:47 +0000

Algae: Biofuel Of The Future?

ScienceDaily (Aug. 19, 2008) — In the world of alternative fuels, there may be nothing greener than pond scum.

Algae are tiny biological factories that use photosynthesis to transform carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy so efficiently that they can double their weight several times a day.

As part of the photosynthesis process algae produce oil and can generate 15 times more oil per acre than other plants used for biofuels, such as corn and switchgrass. Algae can grow in salt water, freshwater or even contaminated water, at sea or in ponds, and on land not suitable for food production.

On top of those advantages, algae — at least in theory — should grow even better when fed extra carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas) and organic material like sewage. If so, algae could produce biofuel while cleaning up other problems.

“We have to prove these two things to show that we really are getting a free lunch,” said Lisa Colosi, a professor of civil and environmental engineering who is part of an interdisciplinary University of Virginia research team, recently funded by a new U.Va. Collaborative Sustainable Energy Seed Grant worth about $30,000.

With the grant, the team will try to determine exactly how promising algae biofuel production can be by tweaking the inputs of carbon dioxide and organic matter to increase algae oil yields.

Scientific interest in producing fuel from algae has been around since the 1950s, Colosi said. The U.S. Department of Energy did pioneering research on it from 1978 to 1996. Most previous and current research on algae biofuel, she said, has used the algae in a manner similar to its natural state — essentially letting it grow in water with just the naturally occurring inputs of atmospheric carbon dioxide and sunlight. This approach results in a rather low yield of oil — about 1 percent by weight of the algae.

The U.Va. team hypothesizes that feeding the algae more carbon dioxide and organic material could boost the oil yield to as much as 40 percent by weight, Colosi said.

Proving that the algae can thrive with increased inputs of either carbon dioxide or untreated sewage solids will confirm its industrial ecology possibilities — to help with wastewater treatment, where dealing with solids is one of the most expensive challenges, or to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, such as coal power-plant flue gas, which contains about 10 to 30 times as much carbon dioxide as normal air.

“The main principle of industrial ecology is to try and use our waste products to produce something of value,” Colosi said.

Research partner Mark White, a professor at the McIntire School of Commerce, will help the team quantify the big-picture environmental and economic benefits of algae biofuel compared to soy-based biodiesel, under three different sets of assumptions.

White will examine the economic benefits of algae fuel if the nation instituted a carbon cap-and-trade system, which would increase the monetary value of algae’s ability to dispose of carbon dioxide. He will also consider how algae fuel economics would be impacted if there were increased nitrogen regulations (since algae can also remove nitrogen from air or water), or if oil prices rise to a prohibitive level.

The third team member is Andres Clarens, a professor of civil and environmental engineering with expertise in separating the oil produced by the algae.

The team will experiment on a very small scale — a few liters of algae at a time. They will seek to optimize the oil output by using a pragmatic engineering approach, testing basic issues like whether it makes a difference to grind up the organic material before feeding it to the algae.

Wastewater solids and algae, either dead or alive, are on the menu. “We’re looking at dumping the whole dinner on top of them and seeing what happens,” Colosi said.

Some of these pragmatic issues may have been tackled already by the various private companies, including oil industry giants Chevron and Shell, which are already researching algae fuel, but a published scientific report on these fundamentals will be a major benefit to other researchers looking into algae biofuel.

Published evidence of improved algae oil output might spur significant follow-up efforts by public and private sectors, since the fundamentals of this technology are so appealing, Colosi said. Research successes would also open the door to larger grants from agencies like the U.S. Department of Energy, and could be immediately applicable to the handful of pilot-scale algae biofuel facilities recently funded by Shell and start-up firms.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 9th April 2010

MAKE YOUR OWN ETHANOL CHEAP

Editor — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:24:28 +0000

$1 a Gallon Ethanol Getting Closer-Plasma Power!

Coskata’s gasification process uses a plasma “torch” to gasify biomass to syngas. The syngas is then converted to ethanol using proprietary micro-organisms.

Coskata leverages proprietary microorganisms and efficient bioreactor designs in a three-step conversion process that can turn virtually any carbon-based feedstock into ethanol, from anywhere in the world. The three steps are:

1. Gasification. Carbon-based feedstock is converted into syngas using well-established gasification technologies. In the Madison demo plant, plasma torches will super heat feedstock to 1,600°F (871°C), which creates a synthesis gas consisting of carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

At its commercial scale plants, Coskata intends to use WPC Marc-11 plasma torches, which have been proven in metallurgical and waste-to-energy commercial applications throughout the world. The Marc-11 torches have more than 500,000 hours of operation in industrial settings, including a GM foundry in Defiance, Ohio.

A smaller version, the Marc-3, will be used in Coskata’s Madison facility. A WPC Marc-3 has been used in Japan to gasify municipal solid waste for more than five years.

2. Fermentation. The syngas is cooled to about 100°F (38°C). Coskata’s proprietary microorganisms convert the cooled syngas into ethanol by consuming the carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) in the gas stream.

3. Separation. Pervaporation technology separates and recovers the ethanol.

Plasma is the term given to a gas that has become ionized—i.e., one where the atoms of the gas have lost one or more electrons and have become electrically charged. Man-made plasma is formed by passing an electrical discharge though a gas such as air or oxygen. The interaction of the electric discharge and the process gas causes the temperature of the gas to increase significantly often exceeding 5,500°C (10,000°F).

WPC’s plasma torches can be fed with process gases of widely varying chemical composition including air, oxygen, nitrogen, argon and others. WPC’s plasma technology can increase the energy of the process gas to between two to ten times higher than conventional combustion. __GCC

A wide variety of gasification approaches are being taken by various biomass to liquid fuels (BTL) processors. As they compete in the marketplace, we will eventually discover how cheaply liquid biofuels can be made from cellulose and other non-food feedstocks.Labels: bioenergy

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 19th Jan 2010

JET AGE FUEL TO CHANGE

Editor — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:38:17 +0000

BIO FUELS FOR AIR TRAVEL IS HERE TO STAY

One of the most exciting developments for aviation is the use of sustainable biofuels to replace the standard kerosene, or Jet-A, fuel that is currently being used. It is clear that our industry’s dependence on fossil fuels is not sustainable, and we see that with innovation, future generations of biofuels for aviation can and will be developed in a sustainable manner. Rapidly developing research shows that next-generation biofuels can be a viable energy source for aviation, and the industry expects that further investigation will develop fuels that can be mass-produced at a low cost and high yield with minimal negative environmental impacts. Importantly, the aviation industry is committed to exploring the use of biofuels that in no way compete for land or water with food supplies, which has been an issue in other sectors.

The term ‘biofuels’ refers to a wide-range of fuels made from almost any form of recently living organic matter, as opposed to fossil fuels made of organic matter from millions of years ago. Biofuels can be categorised by type, such as bioethanol, biodiesel and biogas; and by source, such as sugarcane, maize, wheat, rapeseed, agricultural waste products and algae.

Aviation requires a high-performance fuel that operates in a broad range of conditions and does not compromise safety. Furthermore, next-generation biofuels must be a direct replacement for traditional kerosene fuel (Jet-A) so that manufacturers do not have to redesign the engines and so that airlines and airports do not have to develop new fuel delivery systems, which would delay the introduction of biofuels. Currently, the industry is focused on producing biofuels from sustainable sources that will enable the fuel to be ‘dropped in’ to Jet-A1 – in other words, blending biofuel with fossil fuel until enough biofuel can be produced to fully supply the industry.

Sustainability is the key word for biofuels. In fact, some biofuels have a worse environmental performance than the fossil fuels that they are meant to replace. This is why it is important to use the most advanced biofuel production technology and the best biofuel feedstocks. Many of the ‘first generation’ fuel sources, such as ethanol (produced mainly from corn or sugarcane), have been suggested to cause food shortages in developing nations, taking valuable land and wasting water supplies. Many ‘first generation’ biofuels simply will not work in aircraft, such as ethanol. While 13 trillion gallons of ethanol are being used to power automobiles every year, it would freeze at the high altitudes at which a plane flies, making it non-usable for aviation purposes. Any biofuel used in aircraft would also have to be able to operate at high temperatures, have a low freeze point and be cost-competitive with petroleum-based jet fuel.

It is important to use the most advanced biofuel production technology and the best biofuel feedstocks (images courtesy of Boeing)

The second-generation biofuels currently under advanced development for aviation – such as algae and jatropha – are fast growing, non-food crops that don’t take up land that would be used for food production. In fact, both of these potential feed stocks can be cultivated in some fairly inhospitable places, with much lower requirements for fresh water.

Relative to fossil fuels, sustainably produced biofuels result in a reduction in carbon emissions across their lifecycle. Carbon dioxide absorbed by plants during the growth of the biomass is roughly equivalent to the amount of carbon produced when the fuel is burned in a combustion engine – which is simply returning the CO2 to the atmosphere. Biofuels are anticipated to provide an 80% reduction in overall CO2 lifecycle emissions compared to fossil fuels.

Carbon lifecycle diagrams
Fossil fuels	Biofuels

At each stage in the distribution chain, carbon dioxide is emitted through energy use by extraction, transport, etc	Carbon dioxide will be reabsorbed as the next generation of biofuel feedstock is grow

Second-generation biofuels must have the ability to directly substitute traditional jet fuel for aviation (known as Jet A and Jet A-1) and have the same qualities and characteristics. This is important to ensure that manufacturers do not have to redesign engines or aircraft and that airlines and airports do not have to develop new fuel delivery systems.

At present, the industry is focused on producing biofuels from sustainable sources that will enable the fuel to be a “drop-in” replacement to traditional jet fuel. Drop-in fuels are combined with the petroleum-based fuel either as a blend or as a 100% replacement.

Some first-generation biofuels, such as biodiesel and ethanol, are not suitable fuels for powering commercial aircraft. Many of these fuels don’t meet the high performance or safety specifications for jet fuel.

Recent advances in fuel production technology have resulted in jet fuel produced from bio-derived sources that not only meets but exceeds many of the current specifications for jet fuel.

Now that biofuels for aviation are a confirmed viable option and the certification process is underway, one of the biggest challenges is cultivating the required quantity of feedstocks. The worldwide aviation industry consumes some 1.5 to 1.7 billion barrels of Jet A-1 annually (about 250 billion litres, or 70 billion gallons). Analysis suggests that a viable market for biofuels can be maintained when as little as 1% of world jet fuel supply is substituted by a biofuel

The aviation industry is committed to sustainable biofuels use in commercial flights to become a reality in three to five years and a significant supply of biofuel in the jet fuel mix should be a reality before 2020. It is now up to dedicated stakeholders across the aviation sector, with help from governments, biomass and fuel suppliers to ensure that the low-carbon, biofuelled future for flight becomes a reality.

There are many experiments and trials in progress. This section looks at those tests and reports on their outputs.

Aircraft	Partners	Date	Biofuel	Blend
B747-400	Boeing, GE Aviation	23 Feb 08	Coconut & Babassu	20% one engine

B747-400	Boeing, Rolls-Royce	30 Dec 08	Jatropha	50% one engine

B737-800	Boeing, GE Aviation, CFM, Honeywell	7 Jan 09	Algae with Jatropha	50% one engine

B747-300	Boeing, Pratt&Whitney, Honeywell	30 Jan 09	Camelina, Jatropha and Algae blend	50% one engine

A320-200	Airbus, IAE, Honeywell	By spring 2010	Sustainable feedstocks	TBA

TBA	Rolls-Royce	TBA	TBA	TBA

A320	CFM, SAFRAN, EADS, Honeywell, Airbus	Early 2010	Salicornia (Halophyte)	TBA

TBA	TBA	October 2009	TBA	TBA

Air New Zealand flight on Jatropha, 30 December 2008

This test flight was performed in Auckland, New Zealand on a Boeing 747-400 with one engine running on a 50% mix of biofuel.

Media release from ATAG: Biofuel flight a step towards carbon neutral growth
Media release from Air New Zealand: Air New Zealand Test Flight Proves Viability of Biofuel
Live blog of the test flight: Information before the flight and video about the biofuel being used
Live blog of the test flight: Update #1: Information on the biofuel being used – Jatropha
Live blog of the test flight: Update #2: Details from the pre-flight briefing
Live blog of the test flight: Update #3: Flight takes-off in Auckland
Live blog of the test flight: Update #4: De-brief on how the test of biofuels went, video of the flight and media articles

For more information on this biofuel test flight, check out the Air New Zealand flight web page.

Continental Airlines flight on Algae and Jatropha, 7 January 2009

This test flight performed better than expected, with the fuel having the same performance as normal jet fuel, but the pilots reporting that less of the fuel was used, meaning it is potentially more powerful than normal jet fuel.

Media release from ATAG:
Demonstrating the power of algae to fuel aviation
Media release from Continental Airlines:
Flight demonstrates use of sustainable biofuel as energy source for jet travel
Live blog of the event: The flight takes off, we look at the fuel being used
Live blog of the event: Update #1: The aircraft has been in the air for an hour, we look at the tests being performed
Live blog of the event: Update #2: The aircraft lands and we take a look at the flight path
Live blog of the event: Update #3: The results and media reports

Latest information: Japan Airlines flight on Camelina, Jatropha and Algae, 30 January 2009

This test flight went as well as expected, according to the pilots, with the biofuel mix in engine #3 behaving in exactly the same way as the pure jet fuel in the other three engines.

Media release from ATAG: Working together key to aviation’s green future
Media release from Japan Airlines: JAL flight brings aviation one step closer to biofuels
Live blog updates and more information: Japan Airlines camelina-powered flight (as well as several updates)

Find out more about the efficiencies gained by improving operations »

With the current explosion of interest in sustainable aviation biofuels, the Geneva-based Air Transport Action Group has developed a Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuels, looking at the opportunities and challenges as the industry moves towards this new source of fuel.

• Download The Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuels
• Download the reference version of The Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuels
• Download the key points card

The Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuels was produced with the assistance of: Airbus, Airports Council International, Boeing, Bombardier, CFM International, Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation, GE Aviation, Honeywell, International Air Transport Association, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 19th July 2009

HAVE YOUR OWN BIO-DIESEL PLANT

Editor — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:07:30 +0000

Heat & Biodiesel

Heat is needed during the biodiesel conversion process

for the following reasons:

1. Preheating your oil.
2. Heating your biodiesel during the settling process.
3. Drying water out of water-washed biodiesel.
4. Recovering methanol from biodiesel.

We have compiled a guide to heating systems here for you to be able to make

a more informed decision on which system is best for you. If you have questions

about any of this information call 1-800-679-1398.

The three main types of heating systems offered today are:

- Oil Preheating Systems.
- In-Line Heating Systems.
- In-Tank Heating Systems.

Oil Preheating Systems
Good For:
Pre-heating your oil.

Drawbacks:
May take up to 4 hours to reach optimal temperature.

Oil preheating systems are a safe traditional method of pre-heating the oil prior

to processing. The system conists of a steel drum with at least one thermostat

controlled barrel heater and insulation. This is a very safe method because there

are no heating elements in contact with the liquid. The standard Freedom Fueler

comes with this type of heating system.

In-Line Heating Systems
Better For:
- Pre-heating your oil.
- Drying water-washed biodiesel

Drawbacks:
- Requires a pump to operate.
- Cannot heat throughout entire process.
- Elements must be replaced periodically.

In-line heating systems are better than a pre-heating system but they have one

common flaw, they all require a pump to circulate the oil through the heater in

order for the heater to work. They are mainly intended to pre-heat the oil and

dry the water out of biodiesel that has been water-washed. With an in-line heater

using submerged elements, the user must remember to start the flow of liquid

before turning the heater on.

Note: All heaters have what is called a Watt Density. Watt density is the number

of watts the heater puts out divided by the surface area of the heaters element.

Our heating systems supplier recommends no higher than 30 watts per square

inch in the biodiesel process. All of our heaters have a watt density of 28 watts

per square inch.

In-Tank Heating Systems
Best For:
- Preheating your oil.

- Heating biodiesel during settling.
- Drying water out of water-washed biodiesel.
- Removing methanol from dry-washed biodiesel.

An In-Tank Heating System is the ultimate in biodiesel heating systems, with

the ability to maintain the batch temperature even if the temperature in your

shop drops overnight. Home Biodiesel Kits is proud to offer the only In-Tank

Heating System for home processors on the market. Each of our three

Deluxe Biodiesel Processors now come with our new In-Tank Heating Systems.

All three sizes come with sealed housings, a built in thermostat with high limit

controls preset for the biodiesel process and an incoloy sheathed element to

prevent corrosion.

The entire unit is built into the top of the processor ensuring no leaks and a

completely closed system. These heaters will allow you to heat your batch

throughout the entire process and will maintain temperature with a built in

sensor located in the center of the tank. Our custom heating units were

designed and built specifically for our tanks and the biodiesel process with a

watt density of 28. This is not an off the shelf product built for water or any

other purpose but a professionally made heater manufactured by the leader

in biodiesel heating systems. Call Jess or Ryan today to discuss our new

In-Tank Heating Systems or to order one of our Deluxe Biodiesel Processors

at 1-800-679-1398.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 19th July 2009

BIO FUEL PLANT TO SUPPLY 44,000 FAMILIES

Editor — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:28:43 +0000

Projects: Realisations

Mouscron – 17.6MW biofuel installation – December 2006

In December 2006 Electrawinds started operating a second biofuel installation in Mouscron. This plant has a capacity of 17.6MW and provides green power for approximately 44,000 families on an annual basis.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 18th July 2009

SOLAR FARM 1.3MEGAWATT BY ELECTRAWINDS

Editor — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:16:18 +0000

Projects: Realisations

Middelkerke – 1.3MW solar farm -

June 2007

In June 2007 Electrawinds started a solar energy project in which renewable energy is generated by capturing light in photovoltaic solar cells. These cells directly convert the light into electricity. More specifically, a 6ha site in Middelkerke has been completely covered with 7695 solar panels (approx. 400 families).

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 18th July 2009

BELGIUM GREEN POWER PLANT

Editor — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:57:06 +0000

Projects using green power

Evolis in Belgium

Evolis is an industrial estate located along the E17 motorway on the territory of Kortijk and Harelbeke that is currently being developed by Leiedal Intermunicipal Association.

On this industrial estate Electrawinds will start two renewable energy projects. The first project concerns the construction of 4 wind turbines parallel to the motorway. The second project involves the installation of a green power plant in the new industrial zone.

Wind turbines

§ Four 2MW turbines (Enercon E82, mast height 108 metres)

§ Operational in June 2008

§ Annual production of 20 GWh

§ Energy for approximately 6500 families

§ Status: Building Permit and Environmental Permit applications submitted

Green power plant

§ Principle: generation of sustainable energy through combustion of vegetable fats in traditional diesel engines

§ 16 to 18 MW

§ Operational early 2009

§ Annual production of 128,000 MWh

§ Energy for approximately 40,000 families

§ Status: Building Permit and Environmental Permit applications under development

Heat grid

§ Apart from electricity the green power plant will also generate residual heat. This heat will be fed into a heat grid so as to provide the surrounding companies with heat.

§ This results in higher efficiency (compared to traditional power plants that suffer from major heat losses) and furthermore enables the companies in question to reduce their energy bill considerably.

Solar panels

Electrawinds is prepared to advise the companies on the installation of solar panels (e.g. on flat roofs).

Information

If you require any information you can contact Electrawinds on the toll free number 00 32 (0)800 99 528 every working day from 9am to 12 noon.

Partners

Leiedal Intermunicipal Association:

www.leiedal.be

www.evolispark.be

Press

Info vergadering Kortrijk
Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 18th July 2009

Energy Options » BIO DIESEL

MOBILE BIO MASS UNIT TO PRODUCE BIO FUEL FROM ALL RUBBISH

New Biofuels Processing Method

for Mobile Facilities

DIESEL POWER & MOTOR SPORTS NOW THE GO FOR WINNERS

BACTERIA BREAKS DOWN TRASH FOR POWER GENERATION

Turning Trash Into Power

Biological Engineers Generate

Natural Gas with Bacteria

ALGAE FOR FUTURE FUEL MANUFACTURING

Algae: Biofuel Of The Future?

MAKE YOUR OWN ETHANOL CHEAP

$1 a Gallon Ethanol Getting Closer-Plasma Power!

JET AGE FUEL TO CHANGE

At each stage in the distribution chain, carbon dioxide is emitted through energy use by extraction, transport, etc

Carbon dioxide will be reabsorbed as the next generation of biofuel feedstock is grow

HAVE YOUR OWN BIO-DIESEL PLANT

Heat & Biodiesel

BIO FUEL PLANT TO SUPPLY 44,000 FAMILIES

Projects: Realisations

Mouscron – 17.6MW biofuel installation – December 2006

SOLAR FARM 1.3MEGAWATT BY ELECTRAWINDS

Projects: Realisations

Middelkerke – 1.3MW solar farm -

June 2007

BELGIUM GREEN POWER PLANT

Projects using green power

Evolis in Belgium

Wind turbines

§ Four 2MW turbines (Enercon E82, mast height 108 metres) § Operational in June 2008 § Annual production of 20 GWh § Energy for approximately 6500 families § Status: Building Permit and Environmental Permit applications submitted

Green power plant

Heat grid

Solar panels

Electrawinds is prepared to advise the companies on the installation of solar panels (e.g. on flat roofs).

Information

If you require any information you can contact Electrawinds on the toll free number 00 32 (0)800 99 528 every working day from 9am to 12 noon.

Partners

Leiedal Intermunicipal Association: www.leiedal.be www.evolispark.be

Press

§ Four 2MW turbines (Enercon E82, mast height 108 metres)

§ Operational in June 2008

§ Annual production of 20 GWh

§ Energy for approximately 6500 families

§ Status: Building Permit and Environmental Permit applications submitted

Leiedal Intermunicipal Association:

www.leiedal.be

www.evolispark.be