Summer 2007

Professors, Students Examine Development Of “Green” Biodiesel Oil

Professors Michael Mueller and Patrick Cunningham joined four students this summer in assisting the Hoosier Biodiesel Company to evaluate the development of a “green” two-cycle engine oil based on biodiesel that is to be mixed with fuel. The research may lead to making the college a center for research and development of alternative renewable energy resources.

Mueller, head of the Department of Chemistry, and Cunningham, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, have contracted with Imperial Petroleum Inc. to test oil via ASTM standards and engine tests based on National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) standards. More than 100 hours of engine tests will be conducted to investigate the wear and deposits associated with the new oil. The ASTM tests examine the chemical and physical properties of the oil, including viscosity and lubricity.

“The project is at the cutting edge of fuel technology in that it is using a biodiesel as a two-cycle engine oil additive,” Mueller said.

The “green” two-cycle engine oil project is significant because it supports renewable oil development as an alternative to fossil fuel oils, according to Cunningham.

Further work may involve fuel design such as an E85 containing biodiesel instead of gasoline, an ethanol-biodiesel blend, and the new two-cycle engine fuel. Two-cycle engines are used in grass trimmers, chain saws and outboard motors.

Students play an integral role to the project and will gain valuable hands-on experience through operating engine tests, tracking key engine performance and operating parameters, and completing engine tear-down and inspections. The research group includes junior mechanical engineering majors Matt Colchin, Doug Hale and Chad Whitaker, and Ben Collins, a junior chemical engineering and mechanical engineering major.