(Notícia em Inglês)
When a devastating earthquake rocked Haiti on Jan. 12, the McAuley students found an even more important reason to complete their work. Roz Iasillo, who heads up the school's science department, says the disaster pushed back the ship date for the processor, but the work took on a new sense of meaning.
Most Americans probably think of soybeans when they hear biodiesel. However, the Iasillo explains the McAuley processor will use jatropha to produce fuel. Jatropha, which grows wild and abundantly in Haiti, is a sort of shrub. Iasillo says residents will be able to harvest the seeds and use a hand-crank crushing device to extract the oil.
Once the oil is extracted, it is placed in the processor. Using solar panels for power, the processor cooks the oil. Here, the oil breaks down into biodiesel and glycerin. Iasillo says the glycerin can be used for a variety of products, including soap.
The biodiesel that results from the processing is 96% pure, which is plenty good for running an engine. However, Iasillo says it makes more sense to use it for cooking and lighting lanterns. "There's no reason to put it in a generator to create electricity," she notes. "There is no infrastructure for electricity." With this processor, residents should be able to manufacture up to 40 gallons of biodiesel every three days.
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When a devastating earthquake rocked Haiti on Jan. 12, the McAuley students found an even more important reason to complete their work. Roz Iasillo, who heads up the school's science department, says the disaster pushed back the ship date for the processor, but the work took on a new sense of meaning.
Most Americans probably think of soybeans when they hear biodiesel. However, the Iasillo explains the McAuley processor will use jatropha to produce fuel. Jatropha, which grows wild and abundantly in Haiti, is a sort of shrub. Iasillo says residents will be able to harvest the seeds and use a hand-crank crushing device to extract the oil.
Once the oil is extracted, it is placed in the processor. Using solar panels for power, the processor cooks the oil. Here, the oil breaks down into biodiesel and glycerin. Iasillo says the glycerin can be used for a variety of products, including soap.
The biodiesel that results from the processing is 96% pure, which is plenty good for running an engine. However, Iasillo says it makes more sense to use it for cooking and lighting lanterns. "There's no reason to put it in a generator to create electricity," she notes. "There is no infrastructure for electricity." With this processor, residents should be able to manufacture up to 40 gallons of biodiesel every three days.
mobile.prairiefarmer.com»