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University of Delaware's Bus Runs on Recycled Cooking Oil

Students are now able to produce up to 100 gallons of biofuel from recycled cooking oil

Oct 26, 2011 08:54 GMT  ·  By
University of DElaware has a bus that runs on recycled cooking oil
   University of DElaware has a bus that runs on recycled cooking oil

The University of Delaware proves that scientific improvements can be developed while manifesting a great concern towards environmental preservation.

This is a huge step towards reducing the institution's carbon footprint and also a great way of saving a significant amount of money which otherwise had to be spent on regular diesel.

Even though the innovative method can't take credit for covering the university's entire fuel demand, it is a great way of keeping under control the university's budget.

With the help of its undergraduate students, the institution wants to make its bus run on biofuel obtained from recycled cooking oil, a 100% biodegradable, earth-friendly compound.

The advantages of biodiesel usage are obvious, since officials from Udaily say that the substance appears to be less toxic than table salt.

Also, after measuring its impact upon the environment, it is safe to declare that the new kind of fuel is a much more earth-friendly option, compared to petroleum, if we think about the amount of C02 emissions which both types of fuels emit.

Also, another beneficial factor represent the fact that the engine of a bus that runs on traditional fuel doesn't have to suffer great transformations in order to use the recycled cooking oil-based biofuel.

This achievement wouldn't be possible without James Seferis' contribution. Seferis is a chemical engineer who has donated a biodiesel processor which is able to provide up to 100 gallons of biodiesel, after transforming up to 150 gallons of no-longer-useful cooking oil.

Using this device, the students from University of Delaware are now capable of obtaining throughout this method 42 gallons of fuel and 11 gallons of glycerin. The glycerin is a very important compound used in the pharmaceutical industry and also in agriculture.

“Right now, we can produce biodiesel from recycled cooking oil with minimal loss or cost. Each gallon of biodiesel used means one less gallon of diesel fuel burned, which means fewer gallons of imported oil,” declared UD senior Matthew Wehrman for Udaily.