National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Biodiesel: Today’s Agricultural Fuel

K. Shaine Tyson

BioEnergy: The Future of Rural AmericaNovember 6, 2003

NREL/PR-510-35259Operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by Midwest Research Institute • Battelle • Bechtel

What is BiodieselA clean burning

renewable fuel made from agricultural products

Soy bean oilSunflower oilCanola and rapeseed oilAnimal fatsRecycled cooking oil

100 lbs oil + 10 lbs methanol + catalyst = 100 lbs biodiesel + 10 lbs glycerol

Biodiesel: Mono alkyl fatty acid esters made from renewable vegetable oils, recycled cooking greases, or animal fats that meets ASTM standards

Benefits of BiodieselIt does not cost American lives to produce

Produced by US FARMERSRECYCLERS

It is not dirty to produceUSA Today 11-3-03

Benefits of Biodiesel

Keeps dollars in the US

Not exporting dollars to foreign countries

Provides new crop and production opportunities to agricultural industry

Benefits of BiodieselDiversifying the fuel supply

postpones shortagesstretches the petroleum fuel we have furtherincreases consumer choices

Dampen price spikesAlternatives reduce market power of petroleumDampens how much price gouging can occur

STOP!$ 2 8. 9

Biodiesel Terminology

Pure biodiesel or 100% Biodiesel (B100)Also called NEAT BiodieselNot recommended for common use

Biodiesel BlendBXX for XX% biodieselB20 is 20% biodiesel and 80% petro diesel fuel

Most common blend in commercial use

B5 is 5% biodiesel and 95% petro diesel fueloffers largest petroleum displacement potential

Benefits of B20

BTU content similar to diesel No. 2Similar power and fuel efficiencyUsed in existing diesel equipment with NO modificationsSafer than diesel fuel (higher flash point)High lubricity – off the scaleEnhances biodegradabilityReduces CO, PM, NMHC, and Air toxic exhaust emissions

Griffin IndustriesGriffin

Industries

EPA Emission Analysis

RELATIVE EMISSION RATE (MG/HP-HR)

0 2 4 6 8 10

tetramethyl butaneethyl benzene

xylene (dimethyl benzene)C9 n-nonane

ethyl methyl benzeneHeptanol

C10 n-decaneHeptenoic acid, methyl ester

ethyl hexanoldiethyl benzene

methyl propyl benzeneC4-Benzene or C2-benzene

phenyl ethanonemethylisopropylbenzene

C11 n-undecanebenzoic acid

ethyl dimethyl benzeneoctanoic acid (caprylic acid)

nonanolbutoxyethoxy ethanol

1-dodeceneC12 n-dodecane

dimethyl undecanehexyl cyclohexane

nonanoic acidmethyl tridecane

tetrahydro dimethyl naphthaleneC13 n-tridecane

methyl naphthaleneundecanol

trimethyl dodecaneC14 n-tetradecane

ethyl naphthalenedimethyl naphthalene

hexanedioic acid, bis methylethyltetramethyl hexadecane

2,5-cyclohexadiene-1,4-dioneC15 n-pentadecane

1,1'-ethylidenebis-benzene1.1'-biphenyl, 3-methyl-

methyl ethyl naphthalenetrimethyl naphthalene

C16 n-hexadecanetrimethyl pentadecane

diphenyl methanoneC17 n-heptadecane

C18 n-octadecanehexadecanoic acid methyl ester

octadecadienoic acid methyl esteroctadecenoic acid methyl ester

0 2 4 6 8 10

B100 B20

0 2 4 6 8 10

2D

HEAVY HC SPECIATION - CUMMINS N14 ENGINE

Tier I Health Effects Data supplied by SWRI, 1997-8

Biodiesel emits 78.5% less CO2 than petroleum diesel

Soybean Production

Soybean Crushing

Biodiesel Production

Biodiesel End Use

169.34 g carbon in fat and oil

1.24 kg soybeans

-0.81 g C in wastewater

-7.73 g C in meal residual oil

160.81 g carbon in soy oil

-8.31 g C in glycerine, soapstock

-2.36 g C in wastewater

-1.74 g C in solid waste

148.05 g C in CO2

0.34 g of C in THC, CO and TPM

Transport Transport

148.39 g Cin biodiesel

Transport

21.29 g C from CO2

1 bhp-hwork

Energy Efficient

Biodiesel yields 3.2 units of fuel energy for every unit of fossil fuel consumed in its life cycle.

Petroleum diesel yields 0.83 units of fuel energy per unit of fossil energy consumed.

00.20.40.60.8

11.2

PetroleumDiesel

Biodiesel

MJ Fossil Used per MJ Fuel

Biodiesel Challenges

Expensive to produce because of expensive feedstocks

$1.30 to $2.50/gal of B100B20 can cost 20 cents/gal more than diesel fuel

By product glycerol is flooding the marketStorage stability and cold weather performance affected by type of feedstocksGreases and some animal fats need pretreatment technologyFeedstock supply is limited to 10% of diesel needs (or less)Solutions for supply need to include byproduct oilseed meals

NREL Research Projects

Developing new products from glycerolEvaluating technology to change feedstock chemistry

Improve stability and cold flowDeveloping biorefinery modelsTesting various pretreatment configurationsAdvanced emission testing on new diesel engines

A Biodiesel Biorefinery

Oil CropsRenderingProducts

Com

mon

con

vers

ion

and

sepa

ratio

n st

eps

Fatty Acids

Glycerol

Biodiesel

Chemicals/Products

Chemical/Products

Protein MealChemicals/Products

Animal Feed

OilFuel, Refinery Feed

Chemical/Products

For More Info

National Biodiesel Boardwww.biodiesel.org1-800-841-5849

K. Shaine Tyson and Robert McCormickwww.ott.doe.gov/biofuels303-275-4616 Tyson202-275-4432 McCormick