Okay, we're a couple of days late with this story, but we think chuckgoolsbee would approve anyway. Finally, a high-school class with real-world implications from KPRC: the students in a chemistry class at Dobie High School in Houston, TX are spending their spare time turning donated vegetable oil into biodiesel. Sure, the students could have purchased a biodiesel reactor (processor). But as reporter Courtney Zavala points out "that wouldn't be very much fun." So, they built their own, "piece by piece." Senior Russell Zuber says it's, like, pretty cool stuff: "It's fun. It's interesting. We're working with our hands, learning a lot of advanced science and a lot of like, getting ahead." And according to junior Jennifer Linares, "you get to learn a lot and it also helps you for future careers if you're interested in engineering or the oil industry." The students' goal is to operate a diesel car for one year with the biodiesel they're making in class. Of course not everyone "gets it" when it comes to home-brewing biodiesel. Near the end of TV's station's story, one of the female news anchors turns to her colleague and says: "It strikes me a lot like the airplane, Dominique: over my head." Why are we not surprised?
I am chuckgoolsbee, and I approve this message.
about time. if VW brings the 70 mpg deisel hybrid here, i will be able to make a weeks worth of fuel from last nights fried chicken.
I keep hearing how these cars burning biodiesel made from old restaurant cooking oil have the faint smell of french fries (or the like) when they run…is that true? I’d love that.
Man… I wish my HS chemistry teacher had been half as good as this guy. What a way to engage the kids in learning!
Yes blautens, they indeed smell like french fries. The mix of BioDiesel has to exceed 20% before the smell becomes distinctive, since petroleum Diesel has a strong smell of its own. But especially over 50% mixes, the odor of cooking oil is very strong.
The thing that makes home brewing of fuel difficult is really the mess. Dealing with waste veggie oil in large quantities is really messy. Thankfully I have a barn, well away from my rural house where I can do this. I can’t imagine doing this in my garage or house.
–chuck
http://chuck.goolsbee.org
Good for them!! Real education, I love it. Keep it up.
I’ll stick to home-brewed ethanol.
Strippo :
March 20th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I’ll stick to home-brewed ethanol.
Please just don’t put it in your gas tank.
I keep telling my folks they need to invest in one of these. Power the CRD Jeep Liberty. They have great green thumbs already.