A. On average, biodiesel is the lowest cost strategy that complies with state and federal regulations. In terms of efficiency, distribution facilities use the same mechanics, same storage tanks, and same delivery methods as existing fuel type.
Q. Can I use biodiesel in my standard diesel powered vehicle?
A. Biodiesel fuel can be introduced to any existing diesel powered engine with minimal to no modification to the engine system. However, it is advisable to note that biodiesel reacts with accumulated deposits that may exist in fuel storage tanks and distribution lines, so older engines may need maintenance on the fuel filter.
Q. What are the byproducts of biodiesel production?
A. After the production reaction is complete, Glycerol is produced. Glycerol is a combination of alcohol and glycerin. In standard atmospheric conditions, the alcohol is naturally evaporated. The glycerin, a viscous liquid, can be used to produced soap.
Q. What are some hidden advantages to utilizing biodiesel as a primary fuel source?
A. Based on the nature of the resources needed for production, biodiesel can be fully synthesized in any country growing feed stock. This will greatly reduce the oil dependency on other countries. It will also lead to the creation of job opportunities in countries producing it.
Q. Has the group begun the construction of either calorimeter design? If so, which design will most likely be used and why? -Group p3
A.The group has begun basic construction of both calorimeters, and plan on completing both in lab this week. Many components of both designs have been based off of trial and error efforts of the group. The goal of lab this week is to not only construct working calorimeters, but also to improve their designs by testing their effectiveness prior to quantifying the experimental samples of biodiesel.
The group plans on experimenting with both designs in order to compare their effectiveness and accuracy of energy quantification. If both prove similarly effective, then other means of comparison (i.e. cost, ease of assembly, etc.) will be taken into consideration before determining the most cost effective and preferable calorimeter design. - Alexa
Q.Isn't it impossible to have a 100% conversion of energy? The variables are too uncontrollable. Do you plan to have a control machine to compare results with? -Group 2
A.Group 2, of course it isn't possible to get a 100% conversion of energy, especially with cheap materials, but the goal here is to make the most efficient calorimeter that is also cost-efficient. A control would be using one of the more expensive calorimeters at Drexel just to compare the results so we know we might be in the ball park for our energy amounts.
Also, we are attempting to control these uncontrollable variables as best we can. We are using medium sized Styrofoam buckets to insulate the whole process of burning the fuel and heating up the water. Hopefully these sealed buckets will keep in as much heat as possible, which we'll be testing in the next week or so. -Nikolai, Group 4
Q.Although it may be minimal, do you plan to account for heat lost to the surroundings? -Alex, Group 5
A.Alex, we have pondered over the idea of heat loss during the reaction process of the calorimeter. To counteract, we will be using two different types of devices. Our bomb calorimeter provides an almost airtight seal that will theoretically eliminate any possible loss of heat.
Our second calorimeter is naturally less efficient comparable to the bomb calorimeter. So to assist in the loss of energy, we will contain the system within a styro-foam enclosure. This will eradicate energy loss to the atmosphere. -Jake
Q.What are the main differences in results between the two calorimeters? -Group1
A.Our designs are based off of two designs for calorimeters. The first one is a simple and cheap design often used to demonstrate calorimetry to students. The second is much more expensive and is known as a "bomb calorimeter." This is used in labs to most accurately determine accurate energy content of materials. Comparing the original designs, the bomb calorimeter yields much more accurate results.
However, since our designs are modified versions of the original designs using extremely cheap materials, it is expected that neither design will be nearly as accurate as a real bomb calorimeter. In this case, our project also seeks to determine which of our designs will yield better results. We predict that the second design will yield slightly better results because it involves more insulation than the first. -Golam
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