ONGOING H2 PROJECTS

This is a short clip of us running a spark ignited engine on reformed Biodiesel. You will see Nathan taking the gas line off, and then removing the carbuerator. The reformer is off-screen, but you can see a photo of it here. (You may need to click here and download the latest verion of Quicktime to view this clip)

In this photo you see our Executive Director, Garvin DeShazer, and our resident miracle worker, Nathan Merry. The reformer is the silver cylinder on the left and the camera that recorded the event is on the right.

In this photo Nathan proudly holds the carburator aloft as the engine hums along on reformed biodiesel. [back to top]

REFORMING BIODIESEL

Our Biodiesel reformer project, here at BEF, is on the cutting edge of fuels technology. The goal of this demonstration project is to supplement the grid of a rural electric cooperative in Marshalltown, Iowa for one year, using reformed biodiesel. 20% of the population in the United States receives their electrical power from rural electrical cooperatives, which are more susceptible to power outages and high, peak induced, costs. Our installation in Marshalltown, Iowa will help to supplement the grid by producing a minimum of 5kW per hour, and up to 30 kW per hour at peak efficiency. While this is a fairly small amount to produce our 5-30kW per hour project will demonstrate the ability of our technology to cover peak usage and will provide a substantial economic benefit. What is so exciting about this cutting edge project is that it will run a generator from a spark-ignited engine which is fueled by hydrogen-rich gas made by reforming Biodiesel. In other words we will run a spark-ignited engine, the type found in the average car today, on a diesel-based fuel. Powering a non-diesel engine with Biodiesel is a great step on the way to practical alternative fuels and their use within our current infrastructure. The National Biodiesel Board and the Iowa Soybean Growers Association fund this project.

Current News
On November 22, 2005 we ran a spark-ignited (non-diesel) engine off of reformed Biodiesel. Since then we have run the engine three more times. We cut the air supply during one of the test runs and the engine pulled a vacuum, which means that the engine will demand the air it needs, negating the need for an outside air source. We also played with the RPM values for the engine. The maximum RPM value for the engine during the test was 3500. That was the maximum flow rate of Biodiesel that our current valve set up would allow.
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REFORMING SOY OIL

A second, cutting edge, component of our reformer project is research on reforming soy oil. The Kansas Soy Bean Council has contracted a study on the performance of raw soy oil as a reformer fuel. While our main focus has so far been on reforming Biodiesel, we have made some significant advances in reforming soy oil, as well.

Current News
On November 28, 2005 we successfully ran an engine on reformed soy oil! To our knowledge this is the first time that has been done. Although the temperatures were about 100°C hotter than they were when we ran Biodiesel in our reformer they were still within our desired limits.
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GASIFICATION IN BRAZIL

BEF is currently in the beginning stages of putting an electrical generation plant in a small village near Manacapuru, Brazil, in the Amazon. One of the main sources of agricultural waste in the region comes from the harvesting and processing of a cherry-like fruit called açai. The açai pits that are left over when their juice is processed are numerous and their size and shape make them ideal for gasification. Açai pits look very much like cherry pits. They are about the same size and color, but they are hairy like coconuts.

The final apparatus that will be sent to Brazil will have an automatic feed system to feed the waste pits into the gasifier, two large scale modular gasifiers, a system for cooling and cleaning the output gas, and two engine generator sets. The projected power output will be about 75kW per hour. In the United States a generation plant such as this would power about 15 to 20 homes. While it may not seem like much to those in industrial countries, in a region where there is currently no electrical power, 75kW per hour makes a big difference. We anticipate that the plant will provide power to roughly 70 homes as well as a processing plant which will allow the açai fruit to be processed in-house instead of being sent away.

The biomass gasification system that we are developing will help to provide a self sustaining industry to the indigenous people near Manacapuru which will support the economic growth of the village while at the same time protecting and preserving the existing culture and surrounding rainforests. Brazil has developed an initiative to bring electrical power to all of its inhabitants by 2008. We are proud to contribute to this goal in a way that preserves the lifestyle, culture and environment of the people of Brazil.

Current News
We have currently been gasifying cherry pits, which are similar to the açai pits, which will be the final fuel in Brazil. Cherry pits make an excellent fuel for our gasifier and we are continuing our research using cherry pits as a fuel for the United States.
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