UA receives grant to research biofuels on utility vehicles

Agriculture

By: Rachel Williams

Posted: 8/20/07

While rock stars hold mega-concerts around the world to raise environmental awareness, the UA Division of Agriculture, UA Facilities Management and the City of Fayetteville are collaborating on a more academic approach: research to determine the efficiency and emissions of biodiesel.

Donald M. Johnson and George W. Wardlow, professors of agricultural systems technology, received an $18,000 grant from the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board to fund the first year of a two-year study.

Graduate student Garris Hudson plans to write his master's thesis on the data collected and the professors plan to involve undergraduate students in the project once classes begin, Johnson said.

The study consists of monitoring 17 Kubota RTV 900 diesel utility-vehicles used by the campus grounds crew, eight of which operate on petroleum diesel and nine of which use B20 - a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel.

"At present, there is no 100 percent bio-fuel for diesel engines that produces the same power output and fuel efficiency as petroleum diesel. The most productive present use for biodiesel is in a blend with petroleum-diesel," Johnson said.

Ground crew drivers will keep a log of driving hours, fuel use and routine maintenance.

This data will compare costs to determine the fuel efficiency of biodiesel versus petroleum.

Samples of engine oil will be taken at six-month intervals and analyzed to determine engine wear.

Hudson will use a portable exhaust analyzer to measure the vehicles' emissions.

"Emissions tests are made immediately before scheduled maintenance, immediately after scheduled maintenance and again after three months of operation," said Johnson.

It has been documented that biodiesel burns cleaner than petroleum diesel, but there are gaps in the research, Johnson said.

"We believe this study will make a significant contribution to the body of data on oxides of nitrogen and other emissions, as well as the understanding of how biodiesel impacts engine wear and fuel efficiency," Johnson said.

Biofuels are a priority research focus in the UA Division of Agriculture. The division has a very active Bio-fuels Working Group that is conducting a variety of research and development projects in this area, Johnson said.

The grant from the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board covers the research and education components of the project while UA facilities management is providing the infrastructure such as fuel shortage and distribution from its normal operating budget.

The City of Fayetteville will provide the B20 fuel for the project.

The soybean board is funding the study because it believes the results will further demonstrate the benefits of biodiesel. About 90 percent of biodiesel is made from soybean oil, said Robert Stobaugh, a Conway County farmer and member of the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and National Biodiesel Board.

"I know from running B20 in 30-year-old engines and brand new engines that it is good fuel and burns cleaner. This project will help document those facts," Stobaugh said.

Biodiesel is available in about one-fourth of the counties in Arkansas at prices comparable to petroleum diesel, said Stobaugh.

Biodiesel is produced in Arkansas by Patriot Biofuels at Stuttgart and FutureFuel Chemical Co. at Batesville with a combined capacity of some 27 million gallons a year.

"Facilities Management is assessing and developing plans and goals to support progress in all areas to reduce energy consumption and our impact on the environment," said Mike Johnson, associate vice chancellor for facilities. The department has implemented changes affecting capital construction to meet high industry standards for energy efficient and environmentally friendly design in projects greater than $1 million, Johnson said.