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Cost Efficiency: Alternative Fuels and Their Financial Counterparts

CSEF · 2006 Physics & Astronomy

Hanna E. Hurr · St. Margaret's Episcopal School, San Juan Capistrano

Overview

Objectives/Goals The question to be answered is which common gasoline alternative fuel is the most efficient in cost and caloric content including wood, vegetable oil, animal fats, and natural gas. Methods/Materials Calorimeter-homemade apparatus 20 cm cubed balsa wood, 20 cm cubed redwood chips, 20 ml cane sugar, 20 ml lard oil, 20 ml soybean oil, 20 ml canola oil, 20 ml paraffin, thermometer, 9-volt, batteries, snap connectors, rubber insulated wire Procedure: Place fuel in central chamber of calorimeter Place water in external chamber of calorimeter Be sure that the central chamber is selaed off Make sure that the battery coil is hot Wait ten minutes for each fuel to burn Record change in temperature Repeat twice with each fuel Results Fuels Starting Temperature(Celsius) Caloric Content 1 degree/ml water Cost Amount Canola Oil 20 degrees 88 degrees .68 $0.11 20 ml Soybean Oil 20 degrees 75 degrees .55 $0.12 20 ml Lard Oil 20 degrees 68 degrees .48 $0.06 20 ml Sugar 20 degrees 48 degrees .28 $0.16 20 grams Paraffin 20 degrees 84 degrees .64 $0.18 20 ml Balsa wood 20 degrees 31 degrees .11 $0.08 20 cm cubed Redwood Chips 20 degrees 42 degrees .22 $0.13 20 cm cubed Conclusions/Discussion This experiment proved that animal fats and plant oils could very potentially replace gasolin and other fossil fuels as the powerhouse energy sources of the centruy. The most efficient oils were canola oil and sorbean oil being the most efficient. This experiment showed that there are many alternative fuels that can be more enviromentally friendly, safe, and much more cost efficient, while being renewable as well as plentiful. This experiment also showed that these new and used oils can be used to blend biodiesels, various mixtures of small amounts of petroleum and the plant oils to create a new fuel, burnable in car and truck engines.

Summary statement

Testing fuels as alternatives for gas and biodiesel development

Help received

Mother drove me to store to buy materials

Competition history

  • CSEF 2006 Physics & Astronomy · Entry J1514

Resources

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