www.uscg.mil/hq/uscga/newsstoriesread3462.htm
CADETS LAUNCH OPERATION SOY BOAT IN AN EFFORT TO TURN THE COAST GUARD GREEN COAST GUARD ACADEMY, New London, Conn. A team of Coast Guard cadets are w orking on the second phase of a project studying the feasibility of Coas t Guard vessels to operate on biodiesel fuel, in an effort by the servic e to be part of solving environmental crisesunabated fossil fuel consump tion and harmful emissions. A 41-foot utility boat, nicknamed soy boat, was outfitted with twin engin es fed by separate fuel tanks that cadets will use to run a side-by-side comparison of biodiesel to regular diesel. One of the engines now runs on a B20 blend of biodiesel fuelconsisting of 20 percent soy oil to 80 p ercent traditional diesel. Researchers have found that soy-based oil, a renewable resource, generally behaves better in cold weather when compar ed to most other forms of biodiesel fuels and is therefore the preferred choice of a non-petroleum based product for all-weather use. This is prob ably the first full-scale study of biodiesel in a marine environment, sa id Dr. Down in a lab at MacAllister Hall, home of the Academys Engineering department, are eight marked glass jar s Cadet Szoka says each jar will contain a biodiesel sample that will b e observed to determine if samples will cloud and get, determine the rat e of any microbial growth, check the condensation rate and water content when left outside for a while. The cadets project is a joint collaboration between Coast Guard Office of Naval Engineering Environmental Division, Coast Guard Academy Mechanica l Engineering section and the Coast Guard Academy waterfront division, a ll of who are actively participating in evaluating biodiesel as a viable fuel source for the Coast Guard. Were looking forward to working with c adets in this cutting-edge project, said Petty Officer Second Class Mich ael McLeod, Academy waterfront coxswain. Weve got the oldest 41 in the f leet and its pretty exciting to use this as the prototype. The project a lso receives funding and support from the Coast Guards Office of Resourc e Management Financial Analysis Division, and the Coast Guards Engineeri ng Logistics Center. Last year, during the first phase of the project, cadets at the Academy b egan the process to determine if biodiesel could be an alternative fuel source by using an old generator from a decommissioned 82-ft. This year, cadets are moving into the second of three phases of the biodiesel project. An impo rtant aspect of phase 2 is the experimental test plan that will include autonomous monitoring of such things as fuel pressure, fuel filter diffe rential, horsepower, and engine rpms. To collect his information, a data acquisition system and sensors will be installed onboard the soy boat. The third, and final phase will include a limited and controlled use of biodiesel by select Coast Guard working units. The Coast Guard started looking into the viability of biodiesel as an alt ernative fuel source in 2000. In fact, an in-depth paper study conducted by the Coast Guard Engineering Logistics Center was presented by enviro nmental engineer, Hari Bindal, at the 2003 Marine Environmental Engineer ing Technology Symposium in Arlington, Va. The paper confirmed that, wit h further research and testing, biodiesel might be a suitable alternativ e fuel for the Coast Guard fleet. Conduct that fur ther research is necessary to determine whether biodiesel could be used by the service.
projects were not quite as concrete, and the ball was already rolling here, Adams said. Now that the projects underway, Ive learned more ab out the real need for alternative fuel sources, said Adams. Biodiesel is the trade name for any common diesel fuel tha t has been blended with a catalyzed vegetable or animal oil. These oils can range from feedstocks such as soybean, corn, rapeseed, cottonseed, s unflowers, beef tallow, pork lard, or used cooking oilmost of which are renewable resources. jg Andy Goshe n, environmental division task leader at the Coast Guard Office of Naval Engineering. Specifically, the service is interested in vegetable-based feedstocks that conform to American Society of Testing (ASTM) specifica tions. Biodiesel comes in a variety of blends, determined by the percent age of biomass that is blended with traditional petroleum based products . While biodiesel can be used in concentrations up to 100 percent, which is also referred to as B100, the Coast Guard is currently focusing on t he standard bio variety known as B20, a 20 percent blend.
significantly reduces the amount of carbon monoxide, hyd rocarbon and sulfur emissions that enter the atmosphere, said Lt. Eric Ford, another mechanical engineer instructor here who has a keen in terest in the project. In addition, it has a higher amount of lubricity compared to petroleum diesel, so the time between engine overhauls shoul d decrease. Biodiesels an attractive green solution because its clean burning and req uires no engine modifications, said Cadet Szoka. From a technical aspect, there are possible show stoppers that are specifically being monitored during the cadets projec t, said Lt. Theres concern that biodiesel may not perform during the extreme cold conditions of the winter, that the marine enviro nment may negatively impact the fuels stability, or that the fuel may in teract in a negative manner with the utility boats gasket material. However, a recent cold snap in New England posed the perfect opportunity for cadets to address the issue of biodiesels effectiveness in cold weat her. This is the first of two sets of data well be gathering for this ex periment, said Dr. The cadets only started the second week of January, and were continuing until the same time next year. Consequently, the low-tech glass jar samples serve to verify two key issu es, according to Dr. While its out in the cold, it will indicate any reaction in cold weather, and secondly, it will demonstrate whether the organic and synthetic combination might separate. Biodiesels cold-weather viability is a critical benchmark toward a propos ed agency-wide application, said Lt. Cadets may design a hea ting system to place next to the fuel tanks to avoid problems in low tem peratures. If this project is successful the Coast Guard will have an immediately av ailable alternative fuel source, said Lt. Coasties who use the fuel will find that the engine exhaust is less noxious (often h aving the odor of French fries), that the fuel itself is less hazardous to personnel and the environment (the biomass of biodiesel breaks down i n water), and that the fuel has an increased lubricity on the internal c omponents of their engines. Additionally, if biodiesel is unavailable, r egular diesel can be used interchangeably. All the cadets hope their project will make an impact on the maritime ind ustry and in their personal lives. Its an intermediate step in that dire ction, said Cadet Lenberg. She believes the project will develop standar ds to make biodiesel more commonplace in the industry. She asserted, The res already strong climate of using biodiesel in the Midwest. Cadet Van Derlaske feels their project could carry over directly in many ways. In one way, if it goes well, you could see the Coast Guard implement this i n the fleet through a gradual phase, he said. Also, I could buy a diesel car or truck and run it off this greener gas, which would be pretty int eresting. jg Goshorn believes there is a place for biodiesel in the C oast Guard fleet. If the outcome of the Academy and fleet testing is pos itive, the only remaining hurdles for implementation may be cost and inf rastructure (distribution). Were looking for certifie d suppliers for the Coast Guard and theres not a lot out there, he said. Currently, biodiesel can cost anywhere from 5 cents to 15 cents more than traditional diesel, however, that gap is shrinking every day. And its l ubrication properties may help reduce the cost of maintenance, which can offset its higher price. Infrastructure such as pump stations and fuel companies that carry biodiesel continue to grow as well. Currently, biod iesel retailers are commonly found in heavy agriculture areas (like ...
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