Original+Proposal

This is the original proposal that I submitted for my Senior Year Project. Obviously, the scope has changed from my original idea. Senior Year Project Proposal 1) Focus: a. My area of interest is in engineering and green technology. I am interested in finding alternative fuel sources. The field of green energy is very appealing to me; it involves many different concepts that I am interested in like engineering, business, economics, chemistry. I have a decent amount of background knowledge in the biodiesel industry and am going to focus on that type of green energy for my senior year project. I know people who have made their own biodiesel refineries and want to build my own. b. I want to focus on greengineering; that is, I want to build my own Appleseed, a homemade biodiesel processor, and produce biodiesel fuel from it that can meet ASTM standards and pass a 27/3 test. This involves securing oil, filtering and refining it, washing it, and testing it to ensure it meets the standards set by the government.

2). Background and Prior Knowledge a. Mr. Chinosi inspired me to do this project. He first introduced me to biodiesel fuel in his English class last year. Also, I am taking the greengineering class and find it incredibly interesting. The alternative energy field is getting ready to explode and I want to get in on the ground floor. Biodiesel is one of the best possible answers to the fuel crisis and I am very interested in it as well as the entire green fuel industry. This project will give me a solid base towards becoming an expert in greengineering. b. My prior knowledge is that I am taking the biodiesel class and by the time Senior Year project starts will have made multiple batches of biodiesel fuel, including some from the Sunsoil’s Appleseed. So, I will have prior knowledge making fuel but I will not have any building an Appleseed. c. My decision to pick this topic is a based on my enthusiasm for biodiesel and interest in the industry. I believe that the green fuel industry will be the next big thing and I want to get involved. I find the entire industry incredibly interesting. I want to do this project because it will allow me to learn with incredible depth about the biodiesel industry and how to make fuel. My enthusiasm for biodiesel comes from taking the greengineering class. I find it to be the most interesting class I have ever taken and this project will allow me to continue learning about such in interesting topic and go into deeper depth than would have otherwise been possible.

3. Is this a continuation of a prior assignment or project done at NNHS or elsewhere? a. In greengineering we are trying to start our own biodiesel company and this does involve refining our own fuel. We are also going to try to build our own Appleseed. I am however, on the business team so although I have a basic idea on how the refining process works I am not an expert on it. b. Mr. Chinosi is the head of the greengineering think tank and is responsible for starting the company as well as motivating me to become interested. c. The scope of the original product is to start our own biodiesel business and to sell, at profit, our own ASTM quality biodiesel fuel. Additionally, we have more long term goals to branch out into all aspects of the green energy field. We are also currently marketing our own recycled bags. Basically, the original project was to start a company that produces green products, everything from fuel to bags to water bottles.

4. Methods of Inquiry a. I will find a design for an Appleseed online (they are easy to find). I will then obtain all the necessary supplies and build the processor. The supplies include basic plumbing parts, a few chemicals, and oil. I will know more specifics once I pick a design from the available ones. After that, I will get some fuel and make a batch of biodiesel. I will hopefully be able to get both the fuel and the chemicals from Sunsoil company which has both in the inventory. I will have to purchase these from them. b. I will most likely work with Mr. Chinosi and potentially the members of the fuel and production teams in the Sunsoil think tank, given their experience in building Appleseeds and refining biodiesel from them. If I have other questions though that they are unable to answer, I could also email the founder of Utahbiodieselsupply.com, Graydon Blair, who has been consulting for the greeengineers. c. I will most likely work with Mr. C and the members of the think tank as advisors, using them to help with specific problems as they arise. I will potentially use Mr. Blair as an email correspondent, asking for his help for specific problems that the local knowledge can not answer. d. This project will require a hot water heater, plumbing pipes, valves, fuel, methanol, Sulfuric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, oil, and water. I will know more specific needs once I pick a design for my Appleseed. I will be able to buy all of the necessary parts for the Appleseed from local hardware stores and will hopefully be able to buy the chemicals and oil from the Sunsoil company. c. The costs for this project will be for all of the equipment necessary to build the processor. Mr. Chinosi estimates around 500 dollars. I hope to front the money and try to sell the working biodiesel processor and the refined fuel to Sun Soil at a price that will allow me to break even. I will come up with a cost analysis once I have a chosen a design. f. The specific challenges will be building the processor by the deadline and getting the fuel to meet ASTM standards. I have never built something like this before and anticipate a lot frustration. I believe my biggest challenge will be overcoming my own frustrations which are found to arise and staying positive and productive. This will require an incredible positive attitude and also I believe making sure that I have time away from the project to analyze my mistakes and successes.

5. Evidence of Learning a. I will know that I am successful if I have built a processor that works and if it produces fuel that works in a diesel engine. Another sign of success will be if the fuel meets ASTM standards. b. The success will look like biodiesel fuel that is made from used oil and a machine that makes it. c. The tangible product will be an Appleseed that I can hopefully sell to offset the cost and the biodiesel fuel it will be capable of producing which I can also sell to offset the costs of the project.

Attached is a link to the utahbiodieselsupply.com kit for an appleseed

[]

Their price is $465.00 plus $45.00 for shipping and includes everything necessary to make a homemade appleseed.