Unit 5 Renewable Energy –
Biodiesel Lab
Unit 5 Renewable Energy/Biodiesel Lab Unit 5 Renewable Energy –
Biodiesel Lab
LESSON OUTLINE:
I. “Everything depends on energy
– How you use it changes the
world.”/Notes
a. Energy transformation and
fuels
b. What are fossil fuels
c. Fuels and electricity
d. Renewable energy sources
i. Solar
ii. Geothermal
iii. Nuclear
e. Carbon Cycle
f. Energy Conservation
II.
NOVA Power Surge
III.
Biodiesel Lab
IV.
“Car Fieldtrip”
KEY CONCEPTS:
Everything depends on energy. How
you use it changes the world. How can
you reduce your energy footprint? As a
society, energy conservation can
reduce part of our dependence on
fossil fuels, however, to solve the
climate change issues brought up in
Unit 4 – Acid Rain, renewable energy
sources are needed to combat climate
change. The sun, being the indirect
source of all fossil fuel energy, could
be directly accessed through
photosynthesis and stored in plant
seeds. If we convert these seeds to oil,
it can be converted to a usable fuel for
our current automobiles.
OUTCOMES:
Upon completion of this lesson,
students will be able to:
1. describe how electricity is
made from fossil fuels.
2. describe how crude oil can
be made into different types
of products for different uses.
3. explain the difference
between renewable energy
sources and fossil fuels.
4. make biodiesel from seed oil.
5. measure and compare the
energy value of biodiesels
made from the different types
of oil.
6. identify different types of
conservation efforts already
done by automobile makers.
GRADUATION
STANDARDS:
The following MN graduation
standards apply:
8.3.4.1.1 Describe how mineral and fossil
fuel resources have formed over millions of
years, and explain why these resources are
finite and non-renewable over human time
frames.
9.1.3.3.1 Describe how values and
constraints affect science and engineering.
For example : Economic, environmental,
social, political, ethical, health, safety
and sustainability issues.
9.1.3.3.3 Describe how scientific
investigations and engineering processes
require multi-disciplinary contributions and
efforts.
9.2.4.1.1 Compare local and global
environmental and economic advantages
and disadvantages of generating electricity
using various sources or energy.
Unit 5 Renewable Energy –
Biodiesel Lab
Learning Activities:
I.
Everything depends on energy. How you use it changes the
world. Notes: (2 hours)
a. When fuels are burned, the chemical energy that is released can
be used to generate another form of energy, such as heat, light,
motion, or electricity.
b. Coal is a solid fossil fuel formed from plant remains.
c. Crude oil is first pumped out of the ground and then refined. In
the refining process, crude oil is heated and separated to make
different products.
d. Passive and active solar systems convert solar energy into heat
and electricity in a solar house.
e. A geothermal power plant uses heat from Earth’s interior as an
energy source to produce electricity.
f. In a nuclear power plant, the heat released from fission reactions
is used to change water into steam. The steam then turns the
blades of a turbine to generate electricity.
g. In nuclear fusion, two hydrogen nuclei combine to create a helium
nucleus, which has slightly less mass than the two hydrogen nuclei.
The lost mass is converted to energy.
II.
III.
Carbon Cycle: (1 hour) Have students take notes on the key terms
during the playing of this animation.
a. carbon exchange
b. photosynthesis
c. cellular respiration
d. decomposers
e. terrestrial ecosystems
f. human activities
g. carbon sinks
h. deforestation
i. fossil fuel use
j. CO2 graph and global warming
k. greenhouse gasses
l. greenhouse effect
Nova Power Surge: (2 hours) “Can emerging technology defeat
global warming? The United States has invested tens of billions of dollars
Unit 5 Renewable Energy –
Biodiesel Lab
IV.
in clean energy projects as our leaders try to save our crumbling
economy and our poisoned planet in one bold, green stroke. Are we
finally on the brink of a green-energy "power surge," or is it all a case of
too little, too late?”
a. Have the students watch the NOVA episode “Power Surge” to
understand the factors involved in global warming and our
energy needs as a country.
Biodiesel Lab
a. Experimental Question: (1 hour) “How does oil type
(corn oil, sunflower seed, vegetable oil,…) affect
biodiesel energy output?”
i. Have students write these parts of the lab report in their
notebook. Start with the experimental question above, and
the following purpose statement. “The purpose of this
experiment is to measure the heating value of a fuel
(calories) (MJ/kg).” The biodiesel generated in the class
will be compared to fossil fuel diesel.
Unit 5 Renewable Energy –
Biodiesel Lab
b. Make biodiesel: (8 Hours) Biodiesel is a mixture of methyl
esters of fatty acids (commonly found in plants & animals). It can
be made easily from vegetable cooking oil. Enough fuel can be
produced from this lab to burn although it is not pure enough to
actually be used as a fuel in a car or truck. The synthesis is a
simple chemical reaction that produces biodiesel and glycerol.
Have the students choose one of the oils available (Flax, Corn,
Vegetable, Sunflower, Safflower, Canola, Sesame,…) and make
a biodiesel sample to test in the calorimeter.
i. Materials
1. Lab balance
2. 1 250ml Erlenmeyer flask
3. 1 100ml beakers
4. 1 25ml graduated cylinder
5. 2 100ml graduated cylinder
6. Distilled water
7. 100ml vegetable oil
8. 20ml methanol
9. 0.5g potassium hydroxide (KOH) pellets
ii. Safety
1. You MUST wear goggles and gloves
2. Methanol is flammable and poisonous
3. KOH is corrosive; will cause severe burns to skin
and eyes
iii. Procedure
1. Measure 20ml of methanol using the small
graduated cylinder.
2. Pour the methanol into the 250ml Erlenmeyer flask
using a funnel.
3. Carefully add 0.5g of KOH to the methanol and cap
quickly with the stopper.
4. Swirl the mixture for 10 minutes to form methoxide
(CAUTION – this reaction is exothermic i.e. GETS
HOT)
5. Measure 100ml of warmed (55oC) vegetable oil
using the graduated cylinder.
6. Pour this into the methoxide, replace the stopper
and swirl occasionally over the next 20 minutes
keeping the mixture on the warming plate.
7. Allow the mixture to sit and separate for 20 minutes.
Unit 5 Renewable Energy –
Biodiesel Lab
8. Carefully decant the top layer using a into a 100ml
beaker.
9. Wash the product with 10ml of distilled water. Mix.
10.
Allow the mixture to sit and separate.
11.
Carefully decant the top layer into a
clean100ml graduated cylinder.
12.
Measure the amount of biodiesel you have
collected using a graduated cylinder and compare it
to the amount of oil you started with.
c. Calorimeter Testing of Biodiesel: Use the following
apparatus in a well-ventilated area to test the energy content of
your biodiesel.
i. Materials
ii. Safety
1. Put your safety goggles on and tie back any long
hair.
iii. Procedure
1. Record your fuel type in the Data Table.
2. Assemble the calorimeter (see the figure below).
3. Use approximately 20mL of your fuel into the
bottom half of the soda can calorimeter. It should be
about .5 to 1 inch deep.
4. Roll the cotton gauze wick and insert through
drinking hole in can top. Drip a few drops of fuel
onto the top of the wick to make sure
there is fuel to burn at the top.
5. Assemble the calorimeter carefully
(edges are sharp).
Unit 5 Renewable Energy –
Biodiesel Lab
d. Measuring the energy content of the biodiesel: The
energy that is used to raise the temperature of the water can be
calculated based on the specific heat of water. Use the following
formula to calculate the calories of energy in each biodiesel
sample.
i. Q = m*c*ΔT
1. Where: Q is the heat flow (calories)
2. m is the mass of the water (grams)
3. c is the specific heat of water (c = 1 calorie/gram)
4. ΔT is the temperature change (°C)
ii. Example data table:
b. Lab Report Criteria List or Conclusion Letter: Have the
students write a lab report or a conclusion letter depending on the
time available and teacher preference.
i. Conclusion Letter: Each student should write a threeparagraph letter by finishing these sentences with enough
detail to explain to the reader what they did, how they
did it, and what they found out.
Unit 5 Renewable Energy –
Biodiesel Lab
ii. In our experiment we found that …(explain how each of
the different biodiesels performed)
iii. We thought that ______ oil would produce the most heat.
We determined this by … (summarize the procedure in
sentence form)
iv. If we were to do this experiment again, my partner and I
would…(explain sources of error) because…
b. Biodiesel Lab Grading Sheet (See Appendix 1)
IX. Car Fieldtrip: (1 hour) Students will go to the parking lot or front
of school where they will look at, hear abit about and ask questions of
their owners about the three different types of cars present. The cars
are all current models from major manufacturers who have engineered
some way to reduce auto emission reduction.
a. Toyota Prius (hybrid)
b. Chevrolet Volt (hybrid)
c. Nissan Leaf (electric)
d. Subaru Outback (partial zero emissions)
Unit 5 Renewable Energy –
Biodiesel Lab
RESOURCES:
Prentice Hall Science Explorer
©2009 Earth Science
http://www.sumanasinc.com/webc
ontent/animations/content/globalca
rboncycle.html
NOVA Power Surge
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/te
ch/power-surge.html
Biodiesel Lab Procedure –
Calorimeter set up
http://www.clarkson.edu/highscho
ol/k12/project/documents/energys
ystems/LP_4%20biofuels%20complete.pdf
EQUIPMENT:
Lab balance
250ml Erlenmeyer flask
100ml beakers
graduated cylinder
graduated cylinder
Distilled water
vegetable oil
canola oil
sunflower seed oil
safflower seed oil
sesame seed oil
corn oil
flax seed oil
methanol
potassium hydroxide (KOH) pellets
GLOSSARY:
Carbon Cycle: the series of
processes by which carbon
compounds are interconverted in
the environment, chiefly involving
the incorporation of carbon dioxide
into living tissue by photosynthesis
and its return to the atmosphere
through respiration, the decay of
dead organisms, and the burning of
fossil fuels.
Fossil Fuels: a natural fuel such as
coal or gas, formed in the
geological past from the remains of
living organisms.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2): a colorless,
odorless gas produced by burning
carbon and organic compounds
and by respiration. It is naturally
present in air (about 0.03 percent)
and is absorbed by plants in
photosynthesis.
Greenhouse Effect: the trapping of
the sun's warmth in a planet's lower
atmosphere due to the greater
transparency of the atmosphere to
visible radiation from the sun than
to infrared radiation emitted from
the planet's surface.
Biodiesel: a biofuel intended as a
substitute for diesel.
Unit 5 Renewable Energy –
Biodiesel Lab
Appendix 1: Biodiesel Lab Report Grading Sheet
Points
Possible
Introduction (Biofuels are… Biodiesel is made from…
Biodiesel properties… )
5
Experimental Question& Purpose Statement
(clear and concise sentence describing
dependent and independent variables)
List of M aterials
- include brand names & scientific names
- include detailed descriptions
Self
Grading
Teacher
Grading
_______
_______
5
_______
_______
5
_______
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Unit 5 Renewable Energy –
Biodiesel Lab
Procedure
10
_______
descriptive step by step list of instructions
repeatable based on information given
design of experiment clear
sample size stated
brand names & scientific names included
explain how and what you measured as your results
_______
Results/Data Table
include units
Label columns & rows
- title & label
_______
5
_______
Discussion
10
_______
_______
- How do your results compare to the heating values of diesel, and biodiesel?
- How does the experiment we performed differ from an ideal controlled experiment?
- Where do you think the biggest errors came from?
- Why is the heating value of biodiesel reported as a range?
- Which fuel (diesel, biodiesel, or vegetable oil) is most “efficient” in a vehicle?
Explain your answer?
Conclusion
5
_______
_______
- at least one page of analysis of data and
explanation of the outcome of your experiment
- statement comparing your data to your hypothesis
- sources of experimental error
- how could you improve on the project if you did it again (try harder is not an answer)
TOTAL
40
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