Making Biodiesel from Algae at Home

Making biodiesel from algae at home is more efficient than making biodiesel from corn. Algae’s are also being used as a base matter. It is very interesting that the gross stuff found on the top of ponds and still water can actually be used effectively. But recently algae have been used in the alternate fuel industry of biodiesel. Converting biodiesel from algae will help to provide an environmentally friendly. The important benefit is that, the algae found in sewage have also been used for biodiesel conversion. There is definitely no shortage of sewage and using sewage in this way can also help the environment. Green fuels Technologies seems to be the best known company that is converting algae to biodiesel fuel.

It is only through research and testing that we will learn if biodiesel from algae is a viable option. Few species of algae contain very high oil content and these families of algae are perfectly capable for biodiesel production. Not only they have high oil content, they grow quite rapidly. Some algae have more than 50% oil. There are few methods on the web to prepare biodiesel from algae at home. But only after doing we can say how effective it is. And also only certain methods are effective.

Biodiesel Home Making - Forget Any Expensive Biodiesel Producer

Biodiesel is a free energy source that can be produced almost anywhere. Many farms in the United States of America make biodiesel by using leftovers from corn cutting. Biodiesel is favored because you can run a car on it without needing any special engine, a regular diesel can use biodiesel. The cost is very low for production, it costs only a fraction of what gasoline would cost. Biodiesel is made from methanol, oil and sodium hydroxide, the preparation of this mixture is very hazardous because of the inflammable quality of the mixture.

Many writers also touch upon this topic, books such as “From Fryer to Fuel Tank” by Joshua Tikell are best sellers of this field, they contain in depth information about this subject.

The main reason biodiesel is made at home is because of the availability of all the materials in the house and the easy preparation of the substance. Biodiesel making also needs a few external components such as pumps and a tank.

The process of home making biodiesel is easy but long.

The first step is to collect the materials you will need a mixing vessel (generally an old one), containers (1000ml, 100ml and 10ml), a scale, gloves and a thermometer. Next you heat the oil to 120F or 50 C. Measure the oil into half liter increments. Measure out the amount of methanol to be used (20% of oil). Pour lye into the container which already has methanol and hot oil. Use a blender or a mixing vessel and mix the mixture violently. Allow the biodiesel to settle for a few minutes. You will see a dark layer of glycerin at the bottom, drain the glycerin out and leave the biodiesel to rest for a few days. This biodiesel is not useable.

Bio diesel is a quick way to make fuel with minimal ingredients and in a few days. This biodiesel can be used to run cars, make soaps and many other uses.

In conclusion the making of biodiesel at home is the answer to our future fuel problems.

Making Biodiesel at Home is Not Impossible

Making biodiesel at home is not impossible, its not complicated either. In fact it is a simple and fun process. Anyone can do it. You can do it in your kitchen if you want. Using used cooking oil has extra benefits. It will be very cost effective. By recycling that used oil, which would otherwise end up in the sewers, you are doing something good for the environment. On top of everything, biodiesel is the most environment friendly fuel. The only argument that can go against Making biodiesel at home is that it can be difficult to maintain the standards set by the regulatory agencies while you make it at home.

In this article you are going to briefly learn the process of making biodiesel at home.

At first, you have to filter the oil to get rid of anything that might floating in it, like leftover food etc.

Then hit up the oil to remove the water in it. With the help of a settling tank you can remove the water from it.

Now you have to measure the oil precisely. Measurement has to be precise so that the ingredients mixed in the next steps are in right proportions.

Next step is to mix pure methanol.

Then mix pure sulfuric acid.

Stir the mixture while heating it. Let it cool off afterwards.

If any part of this mixture seems to turn solid during the cooling off period, reheat that part. Then add methoxide mixture and stir it again.

It is wise to start at a smaller scale. Once you know the process, you can then scale it up.

The tips on Making biodiesel at home above only a simple process which I could share to you. for the complete and easy steps to make biodiesel at home, please read the series of Simple Process to Make Biodiesel Fuel - Foolproof Method from Aleks Kac - 1

Simple Process to Make Biodiesel Fuel - Foolproof Method from Aleks Kac - 2

This is the second series of the simple making biodiesel from Aleks Kac. Before you read this section please read the introduction part of this simple biodiesel process.

This second foolproof biodiesel process will talk about equipment which need for the making biodiesel. And here are the partial series of the method focused on Equipment:

You don't need a special processor for the Foolproof method. Generally, a bottom-drained reactor vessel is best, closed on top. Tall, narrow containers work better than wide, shallow ones. Use a circulating pump for mixing rather than a mechanical stirrer. The pump should take the mixture from near the bottom of the reactor and return it via the top, to splash down on the surface. For a 35-litre reactor, a 100-W washing-machine pump will do, along with a 1.5kW washing-machine immersion heater to heat the mixture (get a heater that's coated with stainless steel). You could use a thermostat to control the temperature, but they're expensive: just use a thermometer and switch on the heater as required.

Ordinary iron and steel implements and containers will eventually corrode because of the acid used in this process. However, you can still use the usual 55-gal (200-litre) drum. The proportion of acid used in this process is very low -- you should be able to use an uncoated drum for a year or more before the rust gets out of control. I use a polypropylene plastic reaction vessel. Any plastic that won't deform at 100 deg C (212 deg F) or a bit more is fine. Stainless steel is also fine. Use an immersion heater with plastic containers. With steel containers you can use propane heaters to heat the oil, then switch to an immersion heater before adding the methanol.

And I  Will continue to the next step on making biodiesel at home using foolproof method of Aleks Kac.

Reference:http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_aleksnew.html
Note:I have got a permission from the owner of this article to copy and published here for educational purpose.

Simple Process to Make Biodiesel Fuel - Foolproof Method from Aleks Kac - 1

Here I will give you some series of foolproof method to make biodiesel fuel which originally written by Aleks Kac. This guy from Slovenija will share you a basic to advance method to make biodiesel fuel at home. You could make your own biodiesel fuel in your living room!.

In this first series of the making biodiesel at home method will share you with the introduction.

This is a FOOLPROOF way to make biodiesel. No titration is required, and no extra equipment or special equipment -- a thermometer's handy, but NO pH meter!

This is a two-stage procedure, acid first-stage, base second-stage. It is based on the highest free fatty acid (FFA) content found in used cooking oil, but it can be used with any waste vegetable/animal oil or fat, whether or not it has a high FFA content. The process increases yields dramatically. Use it as your standard method.
Introduction

To make biodiesel fuel efficiently from used vegetable oils and animal fats we have to avoid one major problem: soap formation. Soap is formed during base-catalyzed transesterification (using lye) when sodium ions combine with free fatty acids present in used (and some virgin) vegetable oils and animal fats. The soaps diminish the yield because they bond the methyl esters to water. The bonded esters get washed out at the washing stage but make water separation more difficult and increase water consumption. This process takes care of the free fatty acids.

In one early test I used a mixture of 50% heavily used cooking oil and 50% pork lard. The result was a pure product with absolutely no trace of soap! The biodiesel looked nice, and smelt nice, as if made from virgin oil.

Aleks (background) and friend Matevz making biodiesel in Matevz's living room.
This is a simple procedure. The first-stage process is not transesterification, but pure and simple ESTERIFICATION. Esterification is followed by transesterification, but under acid conditions it's much slower than under caustic conditions and it won't do a complete oil-to-methyl ester conversion as the reaction is much more equilibrium-sensitive. Without methanol recovery, the alcohol overdose required would make the price of your fuel jump, and even with recovery it would still be much more expensive. Hence the second base-stage.

For the first stage you'll form a compound out of an acid and an alcohol. The alcohol is still methanol, but instead of using lye (sodium hydroxide), the CATALYST in this reaction is sulphuric acid ("battery acid"). It needs 95% sulphuric acid (battery acid is around 50%). Sulphuric acid is one of the commonest chemicals on Earth, just like lye. More concentrated sulphuric acid -- 98% and above -- costs more, but 95% works just fine if you follow these directions. Other acids won't work: it must be sulphuric acid. The second stage uses lye, as usual -- but it only uses about half as much as other methods.

The sulfate ion in the sulphuric acid combines with the sodium ion in the lye during the second-stage reaction to form sodium sulphate, which is a water-soluble salt and is removed in the wash. No sulphur remains in the biodiesel fuel product.

Will continue to the next step on making biodiesel at home using foolproof method of Aleks Kac.

Update: Please read the second step of making biodiesel process here.

Reference:http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_aleksnew.html
Note:I have got a permission from the owner of this article to copy and published here for educational purpose.