Annual Progress Report 2009, Ogoshi

Annual Progress Report 2009 Customizing Biodiesel Derived from Tropical Trees Western Region SunGrant Initiative January 2010 American Samoa Community College (Co-P.I Dr Don Vargo) College of Micronesia (Co-P.I Dr W James Currie) Northern Marianas College (Co-P.I Dr Dilip Nandwani) University of Alaska – Fairbanks (Co-P.I Dr Juan Andres Soria) University of Guam (Co-P.I Dr Mari Marutani) University of Hawaii (P.I Dr Richard Ogoshi, Co-P.I Dr Brian Turano, Co-P.I Dr Goro Uehara) Executive Summary Oil from coconut, kamani, and Jatropha trees are being considered as feedstock for biodiesel production Biodiesel lowers emissions of particulate matter, sulfur, and carbon monoxide However, NOx emissions are equivalent or greater than petroleum diesel A relationship exists between the degree of unsaturation of the fatty acids in biodiesel and NOx emission from diesel engines where greater unsaturation results in greater NOx emission The relationship may offer a way to reduce NOx emission from engine fueled by biodiesel In some crops, higher air temperature during seed development decreases the degree of unsaturation in fatty acids and should lower NOx emissions Biodiesel that emits less NOx would make it a more desirable renewable fuel The objective of this project is to: 1) Establish whether a relationship exists between air temperature and degree of fatty acid unsaturation in oil of tropical tree crops coconut, kamani, and Jatropha, and 2) Whether the degree of unsaturation in the oil increases NOx emission from diesel engines If these relationships are established, air temperature, as affected by topographical elevation and season, would be an important indicator of where these trees may be grown and when seed may be harvested to minimize NOx emission The American Samoa Community College (ASCC), College of Micronesia (COM), Northern Marianas College (NMC), University of Alaska – Fairbanks (UAF), University of Guam (UOG), and University of Hawaii (UH) are collaborating to achieve project objectives ASCC has terminated its participation in the project COM, NMC, UOG, and UH are producing vegetal oils from coconut, kamani, and Jatropha from a minimum of two sites at differing elevations UAF is preparing to analyze for fatty acids, convert oil to biodiesel and analyze engine emissions Oil producing institutions have characterized sites and are harvesting seed UOG, NMC, and UH will begin extracting oil from seed in early 2010 ii Table of Contents Introduction Events in 2009 Progress in 2009 American Samoa Community College College of Micronesia Northern Marianas College University of Alaska – Fairbanks University of Guam University of Hawaii 10 Financial Statement 11 iii Introduction Oil from tropical trees is being considered as feedstock for biodiesel production These trees include coconut (Cocos nucifera), kamani (Callophyllum inophyllum), and Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) The perennial nature of trees has the advantage of minimizing soil disturbance and lowering planting costs incurred routinely for annual crops Biodiesel is a fairly clean burning fuel compared to petroleum diesel, except for one emitted gas The U.S Environmental Protection Agency regulates NO and NO2 emitted from diesel engines NO and NO2, collectively known as NOx, when released into the atmosphere can produce acid rain and ozone NOx is a greenhouse gas, 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide The EPA limits NOx emissions under the Clean Air Act Diesel engines fueled with biodiesel, derived from vegetal oil, usually emit fewer pollutants than petroleum diesel Biodiesel lowers emissions of particulate matter, sulfur, and carbon monoxide However, NOx emissions are equivalent or greater than petroleum diesel A relationship exists between the degree of unsaturation of the fatty acids in biodiesel and NOx emission from diesel engines As the degree of unsaturation in the biodiesel increases, NOx emissions increase The relation between degree of unsaturation and NOx emission may provide a way to reduce NOx emissions engines fueled with biodiesel In soybean and other oil seed crops, the degree of fatty acid unsaturation increases as air temperature during seed development decreases If this relationship holds, oil seed grown in warmer regions would produce biodiesel with lower NOx emission potential Biodiesel that emits less NOx would make it a more desirable renewable fuel The objective of this project is to: 3) Establish whether a relationship exists between air temperature and degree of fatty acid unsaturation in oil of tropical tree crops coconut, kamani, and Jatropha, and 4) Whether the degree of unsaturation in the oil increases NOx emission from diesel engines If a relationship between air temperature, fatty acid unsaturation, and NOx emission exists, this information would be important to producers and buyers of biodiesel derived from these tropical trees Air temperature, as affected by topographical elevation and season, would be an important indicator of where these trees may be grown and when seed may be harvested to minimize NOx emission Events in 2009 Five institutions in the Pacific region are collaborating to achieve the project objectives American Samoa Community College (ASCC), College of Micronesia (COM), Northern Marianas College (NMC), University of Guam (UG), and University of Hawaii (UH) are producing oils from coconut, kamani, and Jatropha University of Alaska – Fairbanks (UAF) will conduct fatty acid analysis, convert the oil into biodiesel, and analyze diesel engine emissions The contract between Oregon State University and University of Hawaii was signed January 20, 2009 The sub-contracts between UH and the ASCC, COM, NMC, UG, and UAF were established by April 21, 2009 The oil producing institutions were given a protocol composed of activities to capture fatty acid differences attributable to temperature Each institution was to identify two sites that differed in mean annual air temperature, collect soil samples, apply fertilizer, record temperature data, collect seed and extract oil, and ship oils to UAF On July 22, 2009, Dr Don Vargo regretfully requested termination of ASCC’s participation in the project ASCC faced constant personnel changes and heavy workload Dr Vargo felt that ASCC would not be able to fulfill their project objectives Termination was finalized on September 21, 2009, one week before the earthquake struck the Samoan Islands The scope of work and budget left by ASCC was split between COM and UH An amendment to the contract between UH and COM was signed January 13, 2010 COM and UH will each add one site to produce coconut oil Progress in 2009 American Samoa Community College Agreements were established between ASCC and village chiefs to collect coconuts from their trees on two sites (figures and 2) The low elevation site is at approximately sea-level and the high site is 183 m above sea-level Soil samples were collected and analyzed for chemical composition (Table 1) Figure Lowe elevation site for coconut production in American Samoa Photo by Richard Park Figure High elevation site for coconut production in American Samoa Photo by Richard Park Table Chemical composition of soil (0-15 cm depth) at two sites in American Samoa Site Low High pH 6.6 5.8 N % 0.71 0.28 Total carbon % 6.92 2.58 P ppm 21 118 K ppm 153 174 Ca ppm 2394 3159 Mg ppm 1255 1512 B ppm 0.23 0.14 Mn ppm 7.6 66 Fe ppm 155 129 Cu ppm 5.1 6.0 Zn ppm 9.6 4.4 College of Micronesia Five sites were identified and use of the coconut trees was negotiated with the landowners Three of the sites are in the state of Pohnpei: Sapwitik Island – An atoll that was a major coconut producer during World War II The elevation is to 20 m Coconut trees are approximately to 12 m tall Pehleng – A village near the College of Micronesia Elevation is 100 to 120 m Coconut trees are approximately to m tall These trees were planted in the last 18 years for family consumption (Figure 3) Salapwuk – A site on the tallest mountain in Pohnpei Elevation is approximately 300 m Coconut trees are about to 12 m tall This site is a plantation planted in the past 20 to 25 years Two sites in the state of Kosrae were identified by Currie and Kalwin Kephas in Utwe village and Malem The Malem site was replaced with a site in Tafunsak due to land issues The Utwe site is near sea-level and the Tafunsak site is upland Soil samples from Sapwitik and Pehleng were collected analyzed for chemical composition (Table 2) Additional soil collection is pending The SunGrant project is being used to teach students in the Certificate of Agriculture program topics such as soil sampling, alternate energy, and effects of fertilizer on coconut growth The students have practiced site preparation and documentation, and soil sampling Since the project coconut trees are fertilized, the students have also learned to record the effect of fertilizer application on coconut leaf color and flower production Figure Agriculture students from College of Micronesia examine coconut trees at the Pehleng site Photo by Totoa Fetalai-Currie Figure Agriculture students from College of Micronesia collect and clean coconuts at the Salapwuk site Photo by Totoa Fetalai-Currie Table Chemical composition of soil (0-15 cm depth) at two sites in Pohnpei, Micronesia Site Sapwitik Pehleng pH 5.1 5.4 N % 0.34 0.30 Total carbon % 5.64 4.85 P ppm 31 10 K ppm 66 119 Ca ppm 548 1055 Mg ppm 647 453 B ppm 0.61 0.20 Mn ppm 22 59 Fe ppm 80 65 Cu ppm 3.8 11 Zn ppm 1.3 3.1 Northern Marianas College Experimental sites on the islands of Saipan (Figure 5), Rota and Tinian (Figure 6) were selected after an initial survey was conducted (Table 3) Two sites, San Vicente and Marpi Grotto, were discarded on the island of Saipan At each site, the trees were counted (not including flowering trees) and labeled Location data were recorded for all the sites on the islands of Saipan and Rota Data on flowering were recorded, fertilizer applied and soil samples collected from each site throughout the three islands (Table 4) Soil samples sent to University of Hawaii for analysis and results were received for all the sites in September-October (Table 5) Collection of nuts began in October and December from the sites in Saipan, Rota and Tinian Data on the weight of nuts and kernels were collected (Figures and 8) The nuts manually cracked and dried either in the oven or sun Oil press and decorticator machines were ordered and received Both machines are currently under installation at NMCCREES, Saipan Sample extraction of oil was conducted on processed kamani nuts collected from Rota (Figure 9) Figure Kamani tree on experiment site at the campus of the Northern Marianas College – CREES, Island of Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands Figure Kamani trees on the Evangelist farm, Island of Tinian, Northern Marianas Islands Table Characteristics of sites for kamani and coconut production on the islands of Saipan, Rota and Tinian Island Saipan Kamani Place/ Village NMC-CREES Rota Coconut kamani As-Lito NMC-CREES kamani Rota Resort kamani Gabriel Evangelista’s farm, Marpal valley, Tinian Gabriel Evangelista’s farm, Marpal valley, Tinian Tinian Crop Coconut Coordinates Elevation (m) 40 No of Trees 14 N 14° 09.997’ E 145° 09.726’ N 14° 11.398’ E 145° 13.755’ NA 24 16 73 NA 21 NA NA N 15° 09.108’ E 145° 43.371’ Table Agronomic data and activities for experimental sites in the College of Northern Marianas Island Crop Flowering Application of Fertilizer (16:15:16) Collection Of Nuts Saipan kamani JulyAugust-09 October, 2009 November09 & January-10 coconut ongoing kamani Sept.-Oct., 2009 ongoing Rota coconut Nuts Collected from the Site (kg) 64 Weight of Kernels after shelling (kg) 17 None September 2009 December 2009 21 None 6 Soil Analysis September, 2009 September, 2009 October, 2009 October, 2009 Tinian kamani coconut Sept.-Oct., 2009 ongoing September 2009 December 2009 October, 2009 October, 2009 None Table Chemical composition of soil (0-15 cm depth) at three sites in Northern Marianas Islands Site NMCCREES Rota Rota Resort Evangelista Farm pH 7.8 N % 0.77 Total carbon % 15.98 P ppm 19 K ppm 99 Ca ppm 10516 Mg ppm 490 B ppm 0.33 Mn ppm 12 Fe ppm 26 Cu ppm 4.0 Zn ppm 66 8.0 0.40 7.93 56 76 10259 394 0.31 26 42 0.93 27 6.8 0.57 5.32 102 721 5136 920 0.43 181 78 10 13 Figure Kamani fruit collected from Northern Marianas Islands Figure Kernels of kamani after manually removing its shell Figure Extraction of oil from kamani kernels collected from Island of Rota, Northern Marianas Islands University of Alaska – Fairbanks Supplies were purchased for oil analysis, conversion of vegetal oil to biodiesel, and engine emission testing University of Guam Three sites on the Island of Guam were selected for oil production from kamani and Jatropha seed (Table 6) The sites vary in elevation from 75 m at the University of Guam campus to 180 m at Yigo village The soil type is Guam cobbly clay or Guam mixture Soil samples were collected and analyzed for chemical composition (Table 7) Seed of kamani were collected at the University of Guam at Mangilao village and Dededo village (Figure 10) The shell was removed and the kernels dried at 37 °C for two months The kernels were vacuum packed and stored at °C until pressed to extract oil Jatropha seed were collected from the experimental site at Yigo village (Figure 11) The Jatropha trees declined at the Yigo village and poor yields were obtained Additional trees were propagated from stem cuttings These are to be outplanted in early 2010 Table Characteristics of sites for kamani and Jatropha production on the islands of Guam Island Guam Crop kamani Place/ Village University of Guam, Mangilao Dededo village Jatropha Yigo village kamani Coordinates N 13° 25.99’ E 144° 48.00’ N 13° 33.04’ E 144° 50.13’ N 13° 33.83’ E 144° 54.37’ Elevation (m) 75 Soil Guam cobbly clay 120 Guam cobbly clay 180 Guam complex Table Chemical composition of soil (0-15 cm depth) at three sites on the Island of Guam Site University of Guam Dededo village Yigo village pH 7.9 N % 0.33 Total carbon % 10.77 P ppm 4.3 K ppm 58 Ca ppm 7716 Mg ppm 164 B ppm 0.43 Mn ppm 43 Fe ppm 6.8 Cu Ppm 1.7 Zn ppm 6.6 7.6 0.64 14.46 30 105 8030 301 0.71 25 23 10 69 7.9 0.47 12.47 4.6 50 8446 73 0.29 41 3.5 0.50 0.68 Figure 10 Kamani fruit collected on the Island of Guam Figure 11 Jatropha trees at Yigo village on the northern portion of the Island of Guam University of Hawaii Two sites were selected for Jatropha production located on the Islands of Oahu and Maui (Table 8) The elevations of the sites are 190 and 488 m The experimental site at Poamoho Experiment Station has three year old Jatropha trees (Figure 12) A soil sample was collected and analyzed for chemical composition and fertilizer applied (Table 9) Approximately 10 kg of seed has been collected The Kula Agricultural Park site has been prepared and will be planted in early 2010 A screw-press to extract oil from seed was procured and tested Experiments are being conducted to determine optimum seed moisture for expelling oil Table Characteristics of sites for Jatropha production on the islands of Oahu and Maui Island Crop Oahu Jatropha Maui Jatropha Place/ Village Poamoho Experiment Station Kula Agricultural Park 10 Coordinates N 21° 32.5’ W 158° 5.25’ N 20° 47.63’ W 156° 21.37’ Elevation (m) 190 488 Soil type Wahiawa silty clay Keahua Figure 12 Jatropha trees at the Poamoho Experiment Station, Island of Oahu, Hawaii Table Chemical composition of soil (0-15 cm depth) at the Poamoho Experiment Station site on the Island of Oahu Site Poamoho N % 0.24 pH 6.7 Total carbon % 1.71 P ppm 555 K ppm 373 Ca ppm 1685 Mg ppm 470 B ppm 0.54 Mn ppm 304 Fe ppm 13 Cu Ppm 30 Zn ppm 18 Financial Statement Project: Customizing Biodiesel Derived from Tropical Trees (Sun Grant Project) Account: 654277 Period: 10/01/08 - 9/30/10 PI: Richard Ogoshi Line Items Cumulative Expenses Budget Salaries & Wages Fringe Benefits * Services Balance - 3,373.00 30 - 30.00 106,715 21,831.05 Materials & Supplies 3,802 1,013.43 Travel Domestic 1,920 Util & Communication Encumbrances 3,373 73,643.95 11,240.00 2,788.57 - 1,920.00 - 153.30 4,160 463.05 1,157.00 2,539.95 Total Direct Cost 120,000 23,460.83 74,800.95 21,738.22 Indirect Cost @25% 30,000 5,865.22 18,700.24 5,434.54 Total Costs 150,000 29,326.05 93,501.19 27,172.76 Others 11 (153.30) *Services - Subcontract breakdown Award Cumulative Expenses Encumbrances U of Alaska 61,755 11,711.97 50,043.03 - U of Micronesia 11,240 11,240.00 - - Balance Invoice Period thru 9/30/2009 U of Guam 11,240 4,595.56 6,644.44 - thru 8/31/2009 Northern Marianas 11,240 5,523.52 5,716.48 - thru 9/30/2009 *Samoa Com College 11,240 Total 106,715 21,831.05 - 11,240.00 73,643.95 11,240.00 Cancelled * Expenses don't reflect invoices of $2,667.09 by U of Guam and $3,255.84 by U of Micronesia as they are in process of payment * Subcontract cancellation by Samoa Community College will be re-allocated by U of Hawaii and Micronesia Cost Share Status: Required Met U of Hawaii 8,700 U of Alaska 12,395 U of Micronesia 2,248 - 2,248.00 U of Guam 2,248 - 2,248.00 - 2,248.00 Northern Marianas 2,248 Samoa Com College 2,248 Total 30,087 - Balance 2,515.50 8,700.00 9,879.50 2,248.00 2,516 12 Period covered 27,571.50 thru 9/30/09 cancelled ... that differed in mean annual air temperature, collect soil samples, apply fertilizer, record temperature data, collect seed and extract oil, and ship oils to UAF On July 22, 2009, Dr Don Vargo regretfully... the advantage of minimizing soil disturbance and lowering planting costs incurred routinely for annual crops Biodiesel is a fairly clean burning fuel compared to petroleum diesel, except for one... Contents Introduction Events in 2009 Progress in 2009 American Samoa Community College College of Micronesia Northern