What We Did Last week was a whole week of pre-trials. It was a stressful yet interesting time and we learned a lot about what we need to do. We first planned out what we were going to do the whole week since our experiment is so time-sensitive. On Monday, we made our methoxide solution and mixed it with the soybean oil. We then let it sit overnight so it could turn into biodiesel fuel. The next day, we had to separate the glycerin layer from the fuel layer. We had to use a centrifuge since the samples were so small. When it was just the fuel by itself, we then washed it and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. On Wednesday, we ran the filtration test and collected our data. We also started another sample and did the whole process again for the rest of the week. What Worked and Did Not - Improvements One thing that frustrated us was the fluctuating temperature of the oil. The oil has to be in between a certain range and if it goes over 65 degrees, the experiment can be ruined. The first sample went over that range just for a few seconds, so we still decided to continue with it. It still did work, it was just less fuel. Overall though, the transesterification process did work and did turn the soybean oil into fuel. The washing process went well, but at the end, it was difficult to get the last bit of left-over water out. That could affect the data because water should not be in the fuel. We have found that if we tilt the beaker, the layers separate better and it becomes easier to get the water out. The filtration test also worked, but the problem is that every time we do a trial, there is less fuel being used because not all of it comes back out of the flask. To solve this, we are just going to look at each individual trial and use descriptive statistics to look at data closely. The second sample went well until the washing. The mixing of it caused it to change differently and the water and fuel did not separate, We believe that it was mixed too hard, so next time we will have to be careful of that. Above are the main materials used to conduct the experiment. The first image is the centrifuge that is used to separate the biodiesel layer and the glycerol layer. The second image is Buchner funnel set-up that is used to conduct the filtration test. The fuel is put into the top and it is timed on how fast in can all go into the flask. The third image is the flask that the methoxide is made in. The methanol is poured in first, then the sodium hydroxide, and then it is mixed.
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How did we decide on our project?
Our project was passed on by a previous senior. Him and his partner did research on making bioethanol fuel with corn and algae. When they found that algae has a high oil content, we thought that it would be perfect to test it in making biodiesel. We both knew that doing this research could help spark a bigger change in the world with biofuels. How has other research shaped our idea? Other research has provided us with sample experimental designs and answers to many questions. Many peer-reviewed sources have helped give us some knowledge on how biodiesel is made and about the process that it goes through. Our best source? The best source we found was a book written all about biofuel. We found it on Google Scholar, so we can say that it is credible. The author has a PhD in Chemistry and has also collaborated on many other research papers about the topic. He will also be a professional contact for any questions we happen to come across. Our upcoming plans? The first step is ordering all of our materials. Once they come in, we can start pre-trials to get any errors out of the experimental design, and also so we can do it perfectly for real data. We are still in the process of contacting the author to get his thoughts on our ideas and design. |
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