Veggie Car: Student Project Leads to New Research
Meg Driscoll
Issue date: 12/6/06 Section: Features
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Eric Spargiminio, an environmental engineering student converted a diesel fuel powered 1974 Mercedes 240D to a car powered by used Sodexho vegetable oil.
The project also compared the miles per gallon on vegetable oil to diesel and gasoline. It also researched and measured the emission levels and energy output of vegetable oil versus other alternative fuels.
Spargiminio heard that the process was easy and was interested in trying to make his own.
"I had to beg my professor [Dr, Rob Sharpe] to let me do it," said Spargiminio.
Beginning last year, he and Manhattan alum Graham Sharkey sent a letter to two hundred people and companies to fundraise enough money to buy a car. He received approximately thirty responses and was able to raise five thousand dollars in exchange for advertisement space on the car.
Spargiminio then created a deal with Sodexho. Normally, Sodexho would need to pay a service to dispose of the oil. He now pumps the oil out of the dumpster and charges Sodexho much less than another service.
"Pumping the oil out of the dumpster is the most disgusting part of the process," said Spargiminio.
It is beneficial nonetheless. Tests show that vegetable oil produces less air pollution than diesel or gasoline. It gets fewer miles to gallon, but is much cheaper because many places will pay to give the waste oil.
From the dumpster, the used oil is pumped into a large drum which holds 55 gallons. It is then filtered once again to eliminate any solid matter from getting into the car and damaging the engine.
The system in the car is much less elaborate than one would expect. There is a tank in the trunk of the car filled with the used oil and through a network of wires the car runs off the oil. The car is able to switch between diesel and vegetable oil fuel.
All the apparatus needed for the conversion within the car costs approximately eight hundred dollars. This cost will decrease over time.
While the car started as a three-credit project toward his environmental engineering major, it has expanded into a much larger endeavor. With the help of Dr. Sharpe and Dr. Jervis the findings of this project are spreading to surrounding schools.
The project also compared the miles per gallon on vegetable oil to diesel and gasoline. It also researched and measured the emission levels and energy output of vegetable oil versus other alternative fuels.
Spargiminio heard that the process was easy and was interested in trying to make his own.
"I had to beg my professor [Dr, Rob Sharpe] to let me do it," said Spargiminio.
Beginning last year, he and Manhattan alum Graham Sharkey sent a letter to two hundred people and companies to fundraise enough money to buy a car. He received approximately thirty responses and was able to raise five thousand dollars in exchange for advertisement space on the car.
Spargiminio then created a deal with Sodexho. Normally, Sodexho would need to pay a service to dispose of the oil. He now pumps the oil out of the dumpster and charges Sodexho much less than another service.
"Pumping the oil out of the dumpster is the most disgusting part of the process," said Spargiminio.
It is beneficial nonetheless. Tests show that vegetable oil produces less air pollution than diesel or gasoline. It gets fewer miles to gallon, but is much cheaper because many places will pay to give the waste oil.
From the dumpster, the used oil is pumped into a large drum which holds 55 gallons. It is then filtered once again to eliminate any solid matter from getting into the car and damaging the engine.
The system in the car is much less elaborate than one would expect. There is a tank in the trunk of the car filled with the used oil and through a network of wires the car runs off the oil. The car is able to switch between diesel and vegetable oil fuel.
All the apparatus needed for the conversion within the car costs approximately eight hundred dollars. This cost will decrease over time.
While the car started as a three-credit project toward his environmental engineering major, it has expanded into a much larger endeavor. With the help of Dr. Sharpe and Dr. Jervis the findings of this project are spreading to surrounding schools.