Western Kentucky University
Green Energy Consulting
Institution
Western Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Kevin Schmaltz
Abstract
Green Energy Consulting, a senior design team from Western Kentucky University, was given the task of completing a project which included designing and building a system to produce bio-diesel that meets ASTM specifications (ASTM D6751-07a) from waste vegetable oil from dining facilities on Western's campus for use by the Western Kentucky University Agriculture Department. The dining facilities at Western Kentucky University produce approximately 1000 gallons of waste vegetable oil each month while school is in session, and the consumption rate of the Agriculture Department is expected to be around 9000 gallons per year. Major goals of the design included having enough bio-diesel production to satisfy the consumption needs of the agriculture department as well as having the capability to consume all of the used vegetable oil from Western Kentucky Universities dining services. By using waste vegetable oil to produce biodiesel, there would be a reduction in the operating cost of the Agriculture department's diesel fleet, while at the same time the cost associated with disposal of used vegetable oil would be eliminated or greatly reduced. However, the major long-term outcome of this project was initiation of the transition at Western Kentucky University from fossil fuels to renewable sources for its energy needs.
Green Energy Consulting
Green Energy Consulting, a senior design team from Western Kentucky University, was given the task of completing a project which included designing and building a system to produce bio-diesel that meets ASTM specifications (ASTM D6751-07a) from waste vegetable oil from dining facilities on Western's campus for use by the Western Kentucky University Agriculture Department. The dining facilities at Western Kentucky University produce approximately 1000 gallons of waste vegetable oil each month while school is in session, and the consumption rate of the Agriculture Department is expected to be around 9000 gallons per year. Major goals of the design included having enough bio-diesel production to satisfy the consumption needs of the agriculture department as well as having the capability to consume all of the used vegetable oil from Western Kentucky Universities dining services. By using waste vegetable oil to produce biodiesel, there would be a reduction in the operating cost of the Agriculture department's diesel fleet, while at the same time the cost associated with disposal of used vegetable oil would be eliminated or greatly reduced. However, the major long-term outcome of this project was initiation of the transition at Western Kentucky University from fossil fuels to renewable sources for its energy needs.