Joan's courses at Vermont Tech
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  • AD Apprentice
    • 1. Welcome!
    • 2. Introduction to AD
    • 3. Factors affecting AD
    • 4. Types of AD
    • 5. Start up & operations
    • 6. AD feedstock
    • 7. AD & farm operations
    • 8. Energy generation
    • 9. Nutrients & NMP
    • 10. Regulation of AD
    • 11. Economics of AD
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    • 13. Latest developments in AD
    • A. VTCAD Technical Info
    • B. Operational data summaries
    • C. Feedstock data
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  • CHE 1031
    • 1 Introduction
    • 2 Atoms, molecules & ions
    • 3 Composition substances sol'ns
    • 4 Stoichiometry chemical rxns
    • 5 Electrochemistry
    • 6 Electronic structure
    • 7 Chemical bonding
    • 8 Thermochemistry
    • 9 Gas laws
    • 10 KInetics
    • 11 Equilibrium
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  • CHE 2060
    • 1. Intro I
    • 2. Intro II
    • 3. Conformation
    • 4. Overview reactivity
    • 5. Acid-base rxns
    • 6. Nu:- substitution rxn
    • Library of labs
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  • MEC 3040
    • 1. Introduction to bioenergy
    • 2. Woody, grass resources
    • 3. Processing, combustion
    • 4. C accounting, capture
    • 6. Intro biodiesel
    • 7. Biodiesel production
    • 8. Biodiesel use
    • 9. Intro AD basics
    • 10. AD factors types
    • 11. AD Feedstock
    • 12. AD implementation
    • 13. Biorefinery
    • 14. Bioenergy oppotunities
    • 4. Types of AD
    • 5. Start up & operations
    • 10. Grass biomass
    • A. Vermont Tech bioenergy info
    • MEC3040 Keys
  • SSC 2030
    • 1. Intro Sustainable Energy
    • 2. GCC
    • 3. Energy forms and uses
    • 4. Coal
    • 5. Oil & gas
    • 6. Nuclear power
    • 7. Baseload RE tech
    • 8. Solar energy
    • 9. Wind power
    • 10. Remedies
    • Final day & survey
    • Additional topics
    • Energy sources & evaluation
    • SSC2030 Keys

6

Introduction to bio-oil and biodiesel

Module 6 covers the history, feedstock sources, conversion, uses and future of biodiesel, a renewable transportation and heating fuel.

Topics:
11.1: Brief overview of biodiesel
11.2: Biodiesel feedstock: oil & oil seed crops
11.3: Cultivation, harvesting & oil extraction in NE
11.4: Making biodiesel: transesterification
11.5: Comparing biodiesel to petro-diesel
11.6: Running diesel engines on biodiesel
11.7: Heating with biodiesel
11.8: Life-cycle analysis: biodiesel EROI
11.9: Future: Europe’s lead & the promise of algae

*Biodiesel lab

Organizations:
  • Vermont Biofuels Initiative, a program of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund that aims to supply farm inputs and reduce fossil fuel consumption using local renewable resources.
  • ​Piedmont Biofuels, commercial biodiesel coop in North Carolina with great educational materials
  • White Mountain Biodiesel, North Haverhill, NH   [See the video posted on the first page.]
  • Black Bear Biodiesel, Plainfield VT
  • Alternative Fuels Data Center
  • National Biodiesel Board
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Resources & readings:
> On-farm biodiesel processing (Nickel, Successful Farming, 28 Mar 2019)
Biodiesel: growing a new bioenergy economy (2005) Greg Pahl, Chelsea Green Publishing, VT   [Hartness Library has a copy.]
Small-scale oilseed presses: an evaluation of six commercially-available designs (2014) Callahan et al., Pennsylvania State University
Vermont on-farm oilseed enterprises: production capacity and breakeven economics (2013) Callahan & White, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Project report: State Line Biofuels safety review and engineering study of an on-farm small-scale biodiesel production facility (2009) Callahan & Williamson, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
The energy return on invested of biodiesel in Vermont (2011) Gaza, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
From the fryer to the fuel tank: the complete guide to using vegetable oil as an alternative fuel, Joshua Ticke
​Biodiesel homebrew guide 2004, Maria Alovert
Palm Oil Plantations Are Blamed For Many Evils. But Change Is Coming (2015) Daily Life, National Public Radio
How palm oil cultivation in Borneo is threatening the ecosystem everywhere (2015) The Washington Post  [photographic essay]
Endangered orangutans gain from eco-friendly shifts in palm oil market (2014) National Geographic
Spread of palm oil production into Africa threatens great apes (2014) The Salt, National Public Radio

 Video resources:
  • Comparing six small oil-seed presses, UVM Extension & VSJF (2013)
  • Transesterification process for bodiesel​
  • Biodiesel lab at Loyala University, Chicago
  • How to make biodiesel, Loyala University, Chicago
  • Microalgae bioprospecting at NREL, National Renewable Energy Lab (2001)
  • Algal Turf Scrubber: Proven Large Scale Algae Production and Water Treatment Systems, HMI Water Treatment Technologies (2009)
  • ASU Laboratory for Algae Research (LARB), Arizona State University (2010)
  • Vermont Scientists test a new wave of cow power, WCAX (2015)

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