Oil Extraction & Biodiesel

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Oil Extraction & Biodiesel
Oil & Meal Extraction
Oil & Meal Extraction
A brief but detailed look at cleaning and pressing oilseed crops
Making On-Farm Biodiesel
Making On-Farm Biodiesel
John Williamson and Chris Callahan make on-farm biodiesel

Oilseeds are expeller pressed using commercially-available equipment that is rated on a ton-per-hour basis. Oil and meal are extracted from the cleaned seeds under pressure. The oil runs off of the press into settling tanks before it is made into biodiesel, or it can be filtered or further refined for food-grade oil. The meal is used as animal feed or a fertilizer treatment.

Through a process called transesterification, the oil is converted to methyl esters with the addition of an alcohol and catalyst, producing biodiesel and glycerol. Final steps remove the glycerol, leaving biodiesel that’s ready for use as a tractor fuel or for heating buildings.

The profiles, publications, and links to the right and image gallery below provide more information on extracting oil from oilseeds and making biodiesel.

On the forefront of oilseed crop growing in a northeastern climate, State Line Biofuels is Vermont’s first on-farm facility making biodiesel made from oilseed crops grown on-site and from neighboring farms. The Williamson family has owned State Line Farm in southwest Vermont alongside the border of New York since 1936. For many years, State Line was run as a traditional dairy farm, but falling milk prices caused them to sell the herd and look towards diversifying the farm's operations. John and his family currently produce maple syrup, honey, sorghum syrup and hay for sale in local markets. Since 2004, State Line Farm has also experimented with sunflower, canola, mustard, and flax varieties in an effort to fuel their farm with biodiesel.
Larry Scott and Peggy Hewes operate Ekolott Farm—a diversified farm raising emus, Herefords, and hogs, and growing crops such as shell corn, sunflowers, and soybeans on 200 acres of Connecticut River valley land. Ekolott produces a portion of their own fuel, all of their own heat and an increasing amount of the feed ingredients they feed their animals, including grains and sunflower seed meal. The farm has a double-press Täby Model 70 similar to the one at State Line Farm (0.5-ton per 24-hour day). At the moment, they do not have a biodiesel processor at the farm, but contract with a neighbor who owns a BioPro190.
Having sold his dairy herd several years ago and thinking he was heading into semi-retirement, Roger Rainville began experimenting with farm-scale biodiesel production on his family farm in northern Vermont, which literally hugs the Canadian border. The University of Vermont (UVM) now leases a number of acres from the Rainvilles as Borderview Farm has become one of the best-known applied research facilities in Vermont. Roger, along with Dr. Heather Darby, a UVM Extension agronomist, and her team have helped transform the former dairy farm, conducting leading research in the Northeast on oilseed crops, perennial grasses, hops, small grains and other crops suitable for small-scale and value-added farming.

Oilseed Processing

University of Vermont Fact Sheets: Oilseed Presses, Oilseed Cleaning and Storage, and Oil Filtering

University of Vermont, Press Evaluations (Performance Comparison of Six Commercial Presses)

Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, Oilseed Processing Flowchart.

University of Vermont Poster Presentation, Small Scale Processing of Locally Produced Edible Oils

Al Kurki et al, Oilseed Processing For Small-Scale Producers. 2008.

Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, Oilseed Processing Flowchart. 2008.

Gary Brester et al, Growing a Career on a Small Family Farm: Supplying Biodiesel Producers in Montana’s Flathead Valley.November 2008.

Making Biodiesel

Penn State Extension, Using Biodiesel Fuel in Your Engine. 2013.

National Renewable Energy Lab, Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidebook.January 2009.

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Biodiesel Safety and Best Management Practices for Small-Scale Noncommercial Use and Production. 2008. 

National Renewable Energy Lab, Biodiesel Production Technology. July 2004.

Waste Management and Research Center,Feasibility Report Small Scale Biodiesel Production.

Economics

Chris Callahan, Oilseed Cost and Profit Calculator. (A downloadable modeling tool)

Chris Callahan and Netaka White, Vermont On-Farm Oilseed Enterprises: Production Capacity and Break-even Economics. July 2013.

Emily Stebbins, The Market Potential of Farm-Scale Oilseed Crop Products in Vermont. February 2008. (See also the Executive Summary)

Seed and Meal Analysis

Gary Cromwell, Soybean Meal: The Gold Standard.November 1999.

Meal Data for Conservation and Innovation Grant | Report to Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, 2006

Oilseed Meal Analysis – nutritional | University of Vermont Ag testing Lab

Oilseed Meal Results – NPK | Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Sunflower Meal Analysis (from cleaned seed) | Dairy One Lab / Using Kern Kraft Oil Press

Sunflower Meal Analysis (from un-cleaned seed) | Dairy One Lab / Using Kern Kraft Oil Press

Sunflower Seed Analysis  | Rock River Lab

Sunflower Meal Analysis  | Rock River Lab / Using Kern Kraft Oil Press

Sunflower Seed Analysis  | Prior To Milling In Kern Kraft Oil Press

Sunflower Seed Analysis | Using Kern Kraft Oil Press

General Information

Biofuel Factsheets, Projects and Resources, Penn State

National Biodiesel Industry

Biodiesel (Wikipedia)

Biofuel Basics, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Presses and Equipment

Small-scale Oilseed Presses (Video), University of Vermont

Oilseed Equipment Suppliers

Kern Kraft Oil Press (Germany), Circle Energy

Taby Oil Press (Sweden)

Oil Press (formerly AgOil Press, United States)

Komet Oil Press (Germany)

Gemco Oil Press (China)

Oil Presses, Turner Biodiesel

Oil Presses, National Center for Appropriate Technology

Conferences and Events

Oilseed Producers Workshop Proceedings, University of Vermont

Solar Drying

Solar Drying

Solar collector for warming grain dryer, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Chris Callahan

Solar Drying & Storage

Solar Drying & Storage

Solar collector and grain drying & storage bin, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Chris Callahan

Solar-heated Storage

Solar-heated Storage

Detail showing hook-up of hot water (from solar collector), to heat transfer (old truck radiator and blower), State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Chris Callahan

Seed Cleaner

Seed Cleaner

Clipper seed cleaner, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

At the Cleaner

At the Cleaner

John Williamson, clipper seed cleaner, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Feeding the Oilpress

Feeding the Oilpress

Detail showing auger carrying sunflowers from bin to basin and into auger that feeds oilpress, Ekolott Farm, Newbury Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Oilpress

Oilpress

Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Oil Settling System

Oil Settling System

Two-drum oil settling system from Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil from Taby press, flowing to first settling barrel, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Sunflower Meal

Sunflower Meal

Catching meal from Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Chris Callahan

Sunflower Meal

Sunflower Meal

Sunflower meal, Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Soybean Meal

Soybean Meal

Soybean meal, Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Soybean Meal

Soybean Meal

Soybean meal, Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Borderview Farm Cow

Borderview Farm Cow

Meal customer, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Anyang Oilpress

Anyang Oilpress

Anyang oilpress, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2010. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Anyang Oilpress

Anyang Oilpress

Anyang oil press, Shoreham, Vermont, 2008. Photo credit: Netaka White

Mobile Anyang Oilpress

Mobile Anyang Oilpress

Anyang oil press, trailer mounted, Shoreham, Vermont, 2008. Photo credit: Netaka White

Anyang Double Press

Anyang Double Press

Mark and Bill Mordasky with an Anyang double press, Shoreham, Vermont, 2010. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Kern Kraft Oilpress

Kern Kraft Oilpress

Kern Kraft, model KK40, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

State Line Biofuels

State Line Biofuels

John Williamson inside his State Line Biofuels “Biobarn”, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Titration

Titration

John Williamson doing biodiesel titration, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Transferring Methanol

Transferring Methanol

John Williamson transferring methanol during biodiesel production, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Biofuels Barn

Biofuels Barn

The “Biobarn” at State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

State Line Biofuels

State Line Biofuels

On-farm biodiesel processing system, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Biofuel Barn

Biofuel Barn

Inside the Biofuel Barn at State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, VT.

Making Biodiesel

Making Biodiesel

Making biodiesel at State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Biodiesel Towers

Biodiesel Towers

Dry wash columns and B100 biodiesel storage, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Tractor Fuel

Tractor Fuel

B100, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Biofuel Pickup

Biofuel Pickup

Local heating oil company picking up a load of B100, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Biofuel Production

Biofuel Production

Mark Mordasky, Rainbow Valley Farm biodiesel processing system, Orwell, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Chris Callahan

Biofuel Producers

Biofuel Producers

Bill and Mark Mordasky and their first 1000 liter batch of biodiesel, Rainbow Valley Farm, Orwell, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Chris Callahan

Biofuel Producer

Biofuel Producer

Roger Rainville with new BioPro 190, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2010. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Grain Bin and Biobarn

Grain Bin and Biobarn

Borderview Farm “Biobarn”, Alburgh, Vermont, 2010. Photo credit: Chris Callahan

Fuel Quality

Fuel Quality

Fuel quality testing using the pHlip test, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Chris Callahan

Biodiesel Class

Biodiesel Class

On-farm biodiesel class, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Seeds, Oils, and Biodiesel

Seeds, Oils, and Biodiesel

Seeds, oils, and biodiesel, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

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