I would use at least three fields to grow the crops. The fields could be as small as 1 meter square. The first field crop would be rapeseed or castor bean. The second field would have sugar beet. The third field would have soy bean. Field one crops would be used to make the oil for bio-diesel. Field crops two would be used to create the sugar for ethanol production, which is a reactant in the bio-diesel creation reaction. Field three crops would be tilled back in to provide nutrients to the soil. The crops would be rotated among the fields. The vegetable oil and alcohol created would be used in the cooking process to create the bio-diesel as well as the reactants. Any excess to the processing would be the fuel used for other purposes. To determine how efficient the process was we would count the final excess bio-diesel per field size of the three fields. Some points to ponder are below.
The choice of rapeseed or castor bean relies on how much Monsanto the seed maker is involved. They are very proprietary and should be avoided. Also the castor been has some poisonous effects and that is why in history it’s oil was used as a purgative.
Ethanol is chosen over methanol because it is easier to naturally produce. Ethanol might be used as thinner for the bio-diesel.
Using products grown and made in the process to run the process lets us determine the efficiency of the whole system. Otherwise, we would have to factor in the cost of items used in making the final product.
The cost of procuring sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide should be addressed. Should we make our own from salt or another cheap substance? What cheap sources for potassium are there? Should we use a solar panel for electrolysis of salt water and what would we then use the chlorine?
Any item not used up in the process would not be part of the cost of the operation. These would only be counted as fixed startup cost and not efficiency costs, since they can be reused over and over.
Comments?
See previous post on bio-diesel in this forum for links on this topic.
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