1. Why Biodiesel? Produced locally Improved air quality
Renewable resource
Simple production process
Works in existing infrastructure
Today’s diesel cars and trucks
Today’s distribution system
Today’s filling stations

2. Brevard Biodiesel seeks to promote the availability and use of clean-burning, renewable biodiesel fuel as a replacement for petroleum by raising public awareness of its environmental, economic, and national security benefits.
Brevard BioDiesel was formed in 2004 in Brevard County, Florida.
Web site: BrevardBiodiesel.org

3. Making Biodiesel
Convert “3-headed” Oils into HydroCarbon chains similar to petroleum diesel… + =
Methanol
Typical “Biodiesel”
(Methyl-Ester) +
Typical Oil, three fatty acid chains attached to glycerol.
Byproduct: Glycerol aka Glycerine
Cetane – typical of petro-diesel

4. Making Biodiesel Inputs: Outputs: Vegetable Oil (“Feedstock”)
Methanol/Ethanol
Catalyst - “Lye” (Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide)
Water
Outputs:
Biodiesel
Dirty Water
Glycerine

5. Biodiesel Production (Batch type)
FEEDSTOCK: Low-FFA Waste Vegetable Oil
Triglycerides
Free Fatty Acids (FFA)
Water
Catfish & French Fries
Biodiesel
Production (Batch type)
Catfish &
French Fries
Screen
Triglycerides
FFA
Water
Methanol
Heat & Time
Holding/Settling Tank
Water
Triglycerides
FFA
NaOH or KOH
Transesterification Reactor
Reversible Reaction
~60%?
Boost using:
Excess Methanol
Heat (<148ºF)
Pressure
Remove some glycerin & biodiesel
Heat & Agitation
Methyl Esters
(biodiesel)
Soaps
Diglycerides
Monoglycerides
Excess Methanol
Glycerin
Excess Methanol
Settling & Separation
Methanol Recovery
Wash
Waste Water
Distillation
Methyl Esters
(biodiesel)
Soaps
Diglycerides
Monoglycerides
Excess Methanol
Glycerin
Compost
(KOH only)
Filter
Pump & Drive
Copyright 2007 Brevard Biodiesel

6. Feedstock Choices Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) Virgin Vegetable Oil Soy
Canola (variety of Europe’s Rapeseed)
Palm
Other: Hemp, Sunflower, Camelina
Tallow
Human?
Algae

7. Oil Feedstock Yields per Acre per Year
Corn – 15 gallons
Hemp – 31 gallons
Soybeans – 38 gallons
Camelina – 50 gallons
Sunflowers – 82 gallons
Rapeseed/Canola – 102 gallons
Jatropha – 162 gallons
Oil palm – 508 gallons
Algae - 20,000 gallons? (LiveFuels Inc.)
GreenFuel Inc:Algae in smokestack filter stack

8. Other feedstock considerations
Sustainable source? Palm Oil – Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil: rspo.org
Will increased biofuel usage minimize human food production?
Chemical properties differ – for example palm oil based B100 biodiesel will start to gel at about 55 degrees F!
Is there enough? In the US we use billion gallons of diesel on our highways each year. We produce ~5 billion gallons of vegetable oil per year.

9. Production System Choices
“Batch” processing vs. Continuous processing
Small Scale / Batch processing / (“Homebrewing”)
Appleseed “Open Source” Reactor (~$ )
FuelMeister (~$3000-$4000)
BioPro (50 gallons in 60 hours) (~$8000)
Medium/Large Scale
Xenerga, Kissimmee, WVO, 5 million gallons per year (MMgy) (~$2,000,000)
ADM, North Dakota, Canola, 85 MMgy

10. Appleseed Processor “open-source” design – improved upon by community
Build-it yourself, $200-$500
Kits: Range from $200 for hardware less tank/vents, $700 w/tank, $2000 built on-site.

11. Other small processors

12. Small System Costs/Sources
Where/How to get Vegetable Oil – restaurants, Prefilter WVO Water settles to bottom of waste oil, scoop from top or press oil from seeds: Methanol/Ethanol – racing fuel Sunoco Racing Alcohol = Methanol $ for 55 gallons Sodium/Potassium Hydroxide Red Devil Lye = NaOH KOH $2-$3/lb at 50lbs for
What to do with Glycerine… Making soap: Compost? – but probably not if NaOH, only KOH

13. Small System Regulations
Zoning considerations. For example, City of Melbourne incorporates Florida Fire Prevention Code
Limits on storage of material, methanol is one of most concern. Recommend talking to nearest fire station captain before starting to review your plans and configuration.
Taxes Federal excise tax: analysis of excise tax re: biodiesel: FL State excise tax: ???

14. Larger Processing

17. Installed Cost Estimates
Roughly $1 per gallon – e.g. 10 Mmgy plant costs about $10,000,000
Links to feasibility studies:

19. Government Incentives
Jobs Creation Act of 2004 – Up to $1.00 per gallon tax credit (to blender of biodiesel)
Energy Policy Act Credits for using Biodiesel in fleets (EPAct)
Minnesota requires 2% of diesel in state be biodiesel (2005+)
More:

20. Looking Ahead…
Biodiesel can be a piece of a comprehensive renewable energy solution.
Feedstock selection can impact economic, environmental, and chemical processes.
Traditional vegetable oil alone is very unlikely to source the transportation fuel needs of the world.
Algae might prove an order of magnitude more important in coming years. “15,000 square miles of algae ponds would be needed to replace all petroleum transportation fuels with biodiesel. “ “$46.2 billion per year for all the algae farms, to yield all the oil feedstock necessary for the entire country. Compare that to the $ billion the US spends each year just on purchasing crude oil from foreign countries, with all of that money leaving the US economy.”