Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

Biodiesel is presently gaining a great deal of interest as an alternative to petroleum diesel since it is a renewable energy source of which the combustion contributes to much less emissions of air pollutants. It can easily be used by itself or as a blend with petroleum diesel in unmodified diesel engines and in a variety of applications. Today, the production of biodiesel relies almost exclusively on the conversion of high quality and expensive feedstock, such as virgin vegetable oil, thus leading to high price of biodiesel product. The high price of biodiesel could be reduced by using low quality feedstock that has high free fatty acid contents, such as waste cooking oil and animal fat. Such feedstock is typically much less expensive and its availability is not directly affected by crop growing variables, such as drought, early frost, poor harvest and biological pests. However, processing this feedstock does present a technical challenge since the free fatty acids must be removed or preconditioned prior to the actual fuel production. The ultimate objective of this proposed research is to develop high-efficiency and cost-effective technologies for biodiesel production from low-cost feedstock with high free fatty acid contents. The proposed research will alleviate or even eliminate shortcomings of acid-catalyzed process currently used. Anticipated research outcomes are best practices for optimal design and operation, an innovative high-efficiency reactor for biodiesel conversion, a new catalyst recovery process, guidelines on material selections and corrosion control, and energy saving strategy. These would make the acid-catalyzed biodiesel process technically and economically viable for high free fatty acid feedstock. The research outcomes would benefit local community, the province of Saskatchewan and also Canada at large. They would help reduce risk to human health due to air pollution, build local expertise, increase highly qualified personnel, create jobs, raise an awareness of waste recycle & utilization and renewable energy utilization, and ultimately help Canada to become more sustainable and less dependent on fossil fuels.