2008 Woodie Awards
UA receives grant to research biofuels on utility vehicles
Agriculture
Rachel Williams
Issue date: 8/20/07 Section: News
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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.
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.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
lee jackson
lee
posted 8/21/07 @ 8:35 AM EST
Someone should look at raising jatropa or algae on the roadsides, they have to be maintained anyway, why not turn them into biofuel growing arees!
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