group projects
STEP: BIODIESEL PROJECTS - Fall 2007
STEP: Biodiesel Projects - Spring 2008
STEP: Biodiesel Projects - Fall 2008
A significant portion of the STEP course focuses on small group projects. The groups will work with faculty to create a final product to be displayed in a public forum at the end of the semester.
Business Plan
The business group is creating a road map for a sustainable biodiesel venture at LUC. The group is conducting a financial analysis and designing a business model that will direct the operations, dissemination and marketing of the biodiesel product.
The business plan is central to turning the idea of renewable energy into a realistic, successful enterprise. The plan will contain the following:
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A strategic vision
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Analysis of the current operation
- Examination of costs
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Identification of the external environment
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Potential distribution options
Communications
The communication and marketing group is spreading the word about STEP and the biodiesel lab and gathering support throughout Loyola and its community.
Main projects include:
- Creating a documentary of the biodiesel production initiative at Loyola
- Designing and updating STEP: Biodiesel web site
- Producing and displaying posters, banners and bumper stickers to increase campus awareness
- Organizing meetings with Loyola and Chicago newspapers and other news outlets
- Promoting STEP class at fairs and events
Algae Research 
It is recognized that the supplies of waste and virgin vegetable oil are limited and their conversion to biodiesel is only a partial solution to energy conservation. Loyola's STEP course is actively researching alternative feedstock sources.
Algae are a promising renewable source of oil. Algae are microorganisms that reproduce rapidly, requiring minimal resources to grow. Certain species are known to have high lipid content; oil can be extracted as a potential source to for biofuels.
Using a greenhouse on top of Damen Hall, the algae group is conducting experiments on various algal species to better understand this prospective energy source. The group is also conducting experiments on extraction methods of obtaining the oil from the cultured algae. The ultimate goal is to provide the STEP class with a consistent, renewable feedstock to use in conjunction with WVO.
Education and Outreach 
Several members of the class are mentoring Highland Park High School (HPHS) students in lab set-up and biodiesel production. Along with providing a scaled-down version of Loyola's biodiesel curriculum, they will teach the HPHS students:
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How to set up a safe biodiesel lab
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How to build the reactor
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How to convert their school's WVO into biodiesel
The group's experience at HPHS will help them develop a model curriculum for other teachers to use in the classroom.
Comparative Emissions Analysis
The emissions group is collecting exhaust samples from vehicle tailpipes to make comparisons between emissions of diesel and blends of biodiesel (B50, 50% biodiesel and B85, 85% biodiesel).
The group is collecting exhaust and particulate samples with a student-made instrument. The samples will be analyzed by a gas chromatograph for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The samples are then analyzed using infrared technology.
The group's analysis can be used to estimate decreases in emissions and impacts on human health if biodiesel were used in all Loyola vehicles.
Public Policy
The public policy group is researching the laws and tax codes concerning biofuels production and use. They are compiling a guide for future STEP classes and other universities or small producers to use when starting their own biodiesel venture.
The group is also conducting a policy analysis on current regulatory requirements and governmental support for alternative fuels in Chicago and greater Illinois.
Using their findings, the public policy group will draft a bill for the Illinois legislature to increase biodiesel production and make the biofuels industry more sustainable.
Production Groups
Each week the students share the task of making biodiesel. Though the chemical process of converting waste vegetable oil into biodiesel is not complex, there are many steps involved in its production. Groups of students rotate on a weekly basis in order to learn all the necessary hands-on procedures.
The students carefully log and calculate the following tasks:
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Retrieving the WVO from Loyola's dining facilities
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Straining the oil to remove unwanted particles
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Titration
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Adding and mixing calculated amounts methanol and Lye (catalyst)
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Washing the oil with water to remove waste products
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Draining the wash water
The process yields 15 gallons a week, which is then tested to provide analytical scientific evidence of its quality.
The production groups are also responsible for the following lab projects:
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Pretreatment of waste vegetable oil
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Methanol recovery system
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Glycerin utilization
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Wash water management
Each project is interdisciplinary, combining students and skills from all majors to improve the lab through research and student-led construction.
