What if there was a clean, renewable source of fuel that would not require modifying current engines?

A Penn State team of undergraduate students in the department of chemical engineering has been working on developing this fuel and is now competing for a $75,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Biodiesel fuel is "a leading alternative fuel contender" made from vegetable oil or used cooking oils, said Cory Herlocher, one of the members of the Penn State Biodiesel Project.

There has been a major push in recent years to turn the campus "green," Herlocher (senior-chemical engineering) said.

In 2004, the College of Agricultural Sciences converted to biodiesel fuel to power its farming equipment.

"It is sustainable and has greatly reduced emissions," said Greg Cooney (senior-chemical engineering), another team member. "And compared to other new fuels, it will function in any diesel engine without modification if it is mixed in at 20 percent biodiesel."

Also, if there is a leak, there is no worry about cleanup because the fuel is vegetable oil, Herlocher said.

Herlocher said the team obtains the oil for free from on-campus dining halls and other area restaurants like Ye Olde College Diner, 126 W. College Ave., and The Corner Room, 100 W. College Ave.

The only part of the process that requires a cost at the moment is the purchase of alcohol for part of the reaction, Herlocher said.

The team's goal, if they win the grant, will be to create a plant that can run continuously and to produce biodiesel on a much larger scale, he added.

Only one gallon of biodiesel can be produced per day currently, but the continuous plant is designed for 10 gallons per hour, said team member Jim Leedy (senior-chemical engineering).

"The team will be traveling to Washington, D.C., to compete against 65 other teams that have worked on 'green'-related projects, most of which are energy-related," Herlocher said.

At the moment, Penn State purchases its biodiesel from an outside contractor, he said. With such a low production cost, the team hopes to be able to supply the College of Agricultural Sciences with the needed fuel at a much cheaper price, and possibly to install a plant at the facilities, Tacy Napolillo (senior-chemical engineering) said.

Biodiesel is good for the economy, besides being a great source of renewable energy, Napolillo added.

"For every 10,000 gallons of biodiesel, one new job is created," she said.

Other research projects focusing on sustainability may be able to help or benefit from the biodiesel project, Cooney said.

"We may be able to use products from other experiments as reactants," Cooney said, "or other research groups may be able to use the byproducts from our work, which would lead to almost no waste."

The team was started in October 2003 with $5,000 from the department and a $10,000 grant from the EPA, as a chance to give undergraduates a chance to do hands-on work, Herlocher said. The project is a student-run business, and the members meet with advisors once a week.

Napolillo said the team has come a long way and achieved much more than was planned. They have had to revise the report that will be presented to the EPA to accommodate this information, she added.

"It's amazing what a group of undergraduate students can accomplish," Napolillo said.