Perspective
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Driving a carbon-free future Faculty and students at Mohawk College are developing and testing new biofuels
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ohawk College is finding solutions to real-world problems for its automotive industry partners thanks to cutting-edge investments, expert faculty and the work of students, who will be the future talent desperately needed in the industry. Mohawk’s chemical engineering technology program, the largest by enrolment in Ontario, is uniquely positioned to prepare students for a career in clean technology, says George Miltenburg, Associate Dean of the School of Engineering Technology. A key aspect of the clean-tech future in automotive is biofuels, which is a focus in the college’s three-year chemical engineering technology program. “There are a lot of internal combustion engines in all kinds of vehicles, equipment and industrial systems and it’s unrealistic to think that they all be converted to electric in any reasonable timeframe that will help address climate change,” said Miltenburg. “But what we can do is replace fossil fuels with much better options.” While battery-powered electric has garnered the most attention in next-generation automotive, there is growing recognition among some automakers that the future also includes vehicles fuelled by biofuels and hydrogen. “Anyone that uses fuel is ready to cut their carbon emissions and can benefit from exploring biofuels. They are natural products, less energy intensive, are biodegradable and can even incorporate materials that are otherwise waste,” said Miltenburg.
Producing next-generation biofuels Beginning five years ago, senior Mohawk chemical engineering technology students have produced bio-ethanol in one-litre, bench-scale fermentations in glass reactors, says chemical engineering professor Greg Matzke. The resulting liquid is separated from any solids and then goes through a distillation process to produce ethanol. The college has now made an investment in a standalone biofuel pilot plant in the chemical engineering lab at Mohawk’s main campus. It requires a batch production process that will be managed by paid students, producing formulations in 30 litre quantities using the ethanol produced at the college. Matzke says the goal is to find materials from which to produce biofuels that doesn’t come from products that are food for people, but rather from waste materials such as cellulose or starches that are going to landfill. “Sustainability is important to our students and it’s going to be important throughout their careers in whatever industry they work in,” said Matzke. In the pilot plant, students will combine the ethanol they produce with the waste oil from campus restaurants to produce biodiesel, says chemical engineering professor Pouria Baghaei. Faculty and staff will also explore using algae grown at the college as a source material. “That’s a new technology being pursued in industry right now. It can grow anywhere and doesn’t need fertile land, so there is no competition with land used to produce food,” said Baghaei. As well, Mohawk will research using enzymes in the production of biofuels in order to reduce the energy needed and lower carbon dioxide emissions.
“We are giving students the hands-on experience in using real equipment in pilot-scale production and they are learning how to adjust the process or the materials to maximize optimization of the biofuel,” said Baghaei. “They will have roles in commissioning the equipment and running the processes. By the time they graduate they will have knowledge of biofuel production from start to finish,” said Matzke.
Working with industry The pilot plant will create biofuels that will be tested by motive power students using advanced equipment located at the college’s Stoney Creek Campus for Skilled Trades that measures engine performance, fuel economy, engine wear, and emissions. Mohawk’s Vehicle Technology Centre has deep capabilities in the measurement of the performance of biofuels. That includes: systems to measure emissions (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, total hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides); particulate analysis; fuel economy; and chassis and engine dynamometers that calculate performance in terms of the conversion of combustion into power. The college is also undertaking applied research projects with industry partners, including large petrochemical producers, that are exploring new opportunities with biofuels. “They want independent testing and verification of performance and emissions. This will be the first step in the testing of a potential new product,” said Miltenburg.
The talent difference Mohawk’s mechanical, electrical and mechatronics engineering graduates are working in automotive assembly and components plants, with particular skills in production design and automation. The automotive industry is rapidly changing, says Wayne Ostermaier, Dean of the Marshall School of Trades and Apprenticeship. “We work with our program advisory committees, industry and government to ensure we are always staying ahead. Our faculty have great expertise and are very invested in what is happening in industry,” he said. “Our graduates are always in demand.”
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