For the past several months, students in the Fort Jennings Environmental Science class have been studying alternative energy sources. They have been researching and experimenting with wind power, solar power, and hydrogen fuel cell power. In the last few weeks they have turned their attention to fuels produced from biomass. Two such fuels include biodiesel and ethanol. The students have been able to actually produce these fuels in the lab, collaborating with the chemistry class at Fort Jennings to do so.
According to Environmental Science teacher Jeff Jostpille, much of the equipment needed to produce these labs was obtained through a grant awarded last fall from the Ohio Corn Marketing Program. Jostpille was a participant last summer in a workshop that the Program sponsored called Feeding the World where topics such as ethanol production, increasing corn yields, water quality testing, and soil nutrient testing were discussed and explained. As part of the program, participants were given the chance to apply for a grant that would make use of the knowledge and ideas from the workshop. The $1000 grant was then used to purchase the supplies and equipment required for the lab experiments.
Working with Chemistry teacher Heather Harmon, the two classes combined their knowledge of the topics to successfully create ethanol and biodiesel. Ethanol is a part of gasoline in almost all the fuel at our filling stations. It is less polluting when burned. About 40% of the corn crop in the United States is used to produce ethanol. Modern ethanol production can produce approximately 2.8 gallons of fuel ethanol per bushel of corn. The ethanol production process uses only the starch portion of the corn, which is about 70% of the kernel. All the remaining nutrients—protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins—are concentrated into distillers grain, a valuable feed for livestock.
The Fort Jennings students prepared 2 different setups for their experiment. One used cracked corn while the other used corn meal. In the process, different enzymes are added to break down the starch into simple sugars. Then yeast is added to take those sugars and convert them to alcohol. The corn mash is then filtered and the liquid is added to the distiller. A very slow heating process is applied and the ethanol evaporates to a gas where it is forced into a cooling tube where it condenses back to liquid and is captured in a flask. This must happen at temperatures between 173212 degrees F. If the temperature gets above 212F, then water will evaporate and contaminate the ethanol.
The students found that the corn meal produced more alcohol due to the larger surface area available for the enzymes and the yeast. The two classes also worked on producing biodiesel. Typically, biodiesel is made from soybeans or used oils such as fryer oil from a restaurant. Biodiesel burns cleaner than diesel made from fossil fuels and is renewable since the carbon produced in burning it goes back to the next generation of soybean plants who use it in photosynthesis to produce more oil. The Fort Jennings students used virgin vegetable oil. When the alcohol, methanol, is mixed with the catalyst, sodium hydroxide, and vegetable oil is added, the oil is broken down into the byproduct glycerin and biodiesel.
The students then tested their biodiesel for soap content. Unwashed biodiesel contains a certain amount of soap. The amount depends on several factors, including the free fatty acid content of the original oil and the amount of moisture present during the production process. If too much soap remains, the fuel cannot be used safely without the risk of engine damage or fuel filter clogging.
Having the ability in a lab situation to produce these kinds of real world applications is a great learning tool, Jostpille and Harmon said. And being able to work together, in a
cross-curricular way, was beneficial to both classes of students.
See the energy and ethanol lessons here.
(Thanks to Jeff Jostpille for this article!)