Biodiesel production
Am in search of ideas in the area of mini or small scale production of bio diesel from saw dust?
Any tips?
4 Answers
From Joel Chaney - Creativenergie
You can make methanol from sawdust (e.g. see https://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_l...), which is then a key ingredient in biodiesel. You would also need oil and lye (NaOH). So theoretically this could be done!
You normally make biodiesel from methanol, which you can direcly make from sawdust. However, it also possible to do with ethanol. Have a read of this to get a general idea: https://www.biodieselmagazine.com/arti...
It is also possible to pyrolysis the sawdust giving you char, pyrolysis gas and bio oil, all of which can be upgraded (e.g. the pyrolysis gas can by synthesised to produce ammonia or methanol). The pyrolysis process could be done on a small scale (I've had a go at building), but the upgrading processes are complex on a small scale. That is not to say they are impossible, but it would need a lot of thought and work to do!
From Gray Maguire - Project 90x2030
I can suggest talking to these guys who I know do this (https://www.bnlce.com/). It is obviously meant to be done at scale though.
From: Rosina Norton - lightyearfoundation
I'm not an expert of gasifier cook stoves myself but Id like to put you in contact with Alfred from Kenya who is manufacturing small gasifiers using rice and coffee husks although I'm sure that it would also work with sawdust.
His email is : alfred[at]caffedelduca.com
I saw the stoves in action and they really are quite impressive!
Thanks Neil for the inputs i will readand then contact
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