ISA Supports Road Testing of Soy Biodiesel in Alaska |
|
Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) is taking 250 gallons of cold climate biodiesel produced through a process developed by Purdue University researchers through soybean checkoff funding to the Arctic Circle to document how it performs in some of the harshest winter conditions.
ISA is partnering with University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), the Alaska Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (AFES) and Purdue University to road test Permaflo Biodiesel, which is a unique formulation of biodiesel that is processed using a simple, novel process that significantly reduces the traditional problems of biodiesel performance in cold-weather conditions.
The entire trip will be documented by a film crew and real-time reports with photos - will be posted on ISA's website during the trip. ISA has been funding the work on Permaflo Biodiesel for the last five years to help address the critical need for consistent product quality in the growing biodiesel industry. The fuel is capable of working at temperatures below -67˚F without gelling.
Researchers at UAF and AFES will be joined by ISA farmer-directors and Dr. Bernie Tao, agricultural engineering professor and the ISA Professor in Soybean Utilization at Purdue University, on March 4-9 to road test the Permaflo Biodiesel in two different ways. The fuel will be tested in transportation and stationary power generation.
The group will drive two vehicles running on 100 percent Permaflo Biodiesel (B100) from Anchorage to Fairbanks, which is a trip of more than 300 miles on the Parks Highway crossing Denali National Park. One of the Permaflo Biodiesel-powered vehicles will then carry the group an additional 200 miles to the Arctic Circle where they will camp overnight using a generator powered by the Permaflo Biodiesel. -30-
|