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2008
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Oliver Meade, Chicago graduate student, pumps excess oil from Mrs. E's into a heating-seperation barrel. "It cleans the oil and gets the food chunks out," Meade said. The three-day process turns 40 gallons of used oil into biodiesel that buses can run off of.
oped with itya lasakso, a doctoral student in environmental engineering, converts used ing, to the project.
Williams said student involvement was an important aspect of the project.
Students working on the project run 40 gallons of cooking oil per week through a reactor in Burt Hall to make the biodiesel.
SUSAN WILLIAMS Associate professor of chemical engineering
"We're always looking for volunteers. If you've got a block of time to come in, we can train you."
environmental engine cooking oil from Mrs. E's into a fuel that can power almost any diesel vehicle.
Neil Steiner, Tulsa, Okla. junior, was one of the project's first trained volunteers last semester. He said an interest in sustainable living based on minimizing negative environmental impacts drove his decision to volunteer.
"We're always looking for volunteers," she said. "If you've got a block of time to come in, we can train you."
Steiner's responsibilities in the lab involved heating the used cooking oil to remove any particulates or impurities. He then converted the cooking oil into biodiesel in the lab's reactor by mixing it with methanol and potassium hydroxide.
Williams said the project produced over 400 gallons of biodiesel, much of which was used to fuel the snow removal and landscaping tractors on campus.
Steiner said the resulting biodiesel ran clearer and produced fewer harmful emissions than petroleum-based diesel fuels.
Kyle Owens, Wichita senior, is another Biodiesel Initiative's student volunteers.
"The big advantage is that you can get the vegetable oil from home," Meade said. "You aren't involving yourself in foreign politics and foreign oil."
Ultimately, Williams and Tabakh said they would like to see every diesel vehicle on campus, including buses, run at least partially on biodiesel.
"We've shown there's an outlet for it," Williams said. "And wed like to scale the operation up"
To reach this goal, the project needs a steady stream of motivated student volunteers.
"It doesn't matter where you're from," Williams said. "If you have time to help, we're happy to have you."
Students can apply for a volunteer position by contacting Susan Williams or Ilya Tabakh at swilliams@ku.edu and ilya@ku.edu.
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—Edited by Samuel Lamb
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