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Dickinson Biodiesel Project
Students or faculty who are interested in learning more about the biodiesel project are encouraged to contact us for a tour, demonstration, work-study position, or internship. The plant is not open to the off-campus public at this time. However, we encourage you to read over the information on this web page, and to follow the links listed below for more information.
Panoramic Shot of Biodiesel Shop at Dickinson College Mission
Dickinson College has invested in the Biodiesel Project in order to help the campus approach sustainability in operations. The primary intention of the Biodiesel Project is to provide students with hands-on learning experiences in renewable energy technology, provide the campus with an environmentally sustainable alternative to diesel fuel, and allow the school to use a foodservice waste product to reduce air polluting emissions and its Carbon footprint. The project prides itself on promoting biodiesel production that is responsible, safe, energy efficient, and compliant with regulations.
History
The Beginning
The Dickinson Biodiesel shop was founded in the spring of 2006 when students Jennie Bernstein, ’06 and Kim Ogren, ’08 began researching biofuels and the involved reaction processes. The first batches of fuel were made by Jennie and Greg Ellerman II, ’07. The Facilities Management staff was essential to the early success and development of the project.
Today
The Biodiesel Project is a fundamental part of Dickinson 's commitment to environmental sustainability. The project makes use of a waste product, while reducing the campus demand for non-renewable petroleum fuel. Biodiesel fuel is significantly cleaner burning than petroleum, and its use thereby helps to reduce air quality problems in the Cumberland Valley (The US EPA has found that Biodiesel drastically reduces soot, diesel particulate matter, carbon monoxide, oxides of sulfur, and carcinogenic hydrocarbons when compared with petroleum diesel). Production and use of biodiesel results in an 80% lifecycle reduction of carbon dioxide emissions when compared with fossil fuels, which aids in our campus goal of reducing our impact on global climate change. And lastly, biodiesel production on site from waste fryer oil is very energy efficient: we gain over 6 units of energy in fuel for every one unit of non-renewable energy invested in the process.
Student Research
Research opportunities are abundant in the shop and in the classroom. The chemistry department has used samples of the biodiesel to give students experience in titration methods and quality testing. Interns investigated the issues of methanol recovery, energy balancing, composting with glycerin, soap production, and anaerobic (biogas) digestion.
Grant Award
The Biodiesel Project is a recipient of a grant from the Keystone Innovation Zone initiative. This funding allows the shop to research economical and sustainable means of using the glycerin byproduct.
Operations
Located in the Facilities Management building near main campus, the biodiesel plant provides an excellent hands-on educational resource for students and campus personnel. By combining concepts from Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Environmental Science, and Biology, the biodiesel plant gives students real-world experience as they learn. The support of the project by staff experts from the campus plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and vehicle maintenance shops ensures that systems are state-of-the-art, efficient, and safe to operate. The Biodiesel Project is an example of how academic disciplines can collaborate with campus operations to meet physical needs of the College, while providing a valuable educational experience. The plant is operated completely by trained students, with supervision by dedicated staff members.
The Dickinson College Biodiesel Project collects used fryer oil from several food service establishments located around Carlisle , PA. Each week, between 50 and 150 gallons of used fryer oil are converted to biodiesel for use in the College garbage truck, lawn mowers, farm equipment, and other diesel engines. Surplus fuel is also sometimes used in campus heating appliances.
Current Initatives
he image above shows the settling tank (top right), the wash tank (top center), the dry tank (top left), and the fuel storage tank (bottom).Glycerol Research
In order to reduce waste, the Dickinson College Biodiesel Project has been in the process of researching and testing ways to use the crude glycerol (glycerin) byproduct sustainably. See the Biodiesel Information page for detailed information about our glycerol research .
Soap Production
In recent years, students began experimenting with soap production. Today, the shop can produce as much as nine gallons of soap for each 54 gallons of waste vegetable oil processed into biodiesel.
The difference between solid bar soap and liquid hand soap lies in the lye. KOH based glycerin will produce liquid hand soap. Our liquid soap recipe has proven to be an excellent cleanser. The hard bar soap is produced using NaOH based glycerin. Both soaps are great grease cutters, and they also remove the oils from poison ivy. Students are determining whether biodiesel soap can be used as a viable alternative to commercial laundry and dishwashing detergents.
Composting
Another potential way to make use of the glycerin byproduct is to add it to compost piles. Interns at the biodiesel shop are researching the affects of adding different amounts glycerin to compost at the Dickinson College Farm. Their goal is to determine whether glycerin provides any benefit to the composting process. They hope that their findings will aid in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s approval of adding glycerin to compost.