Money will be used to buy a large processor to produce biodiesel fuel. 

West Ranch students look on as the fuel is being tested.

Ben Scott, a chemistry teacher at West Ranch High School, has recently received a $10,000 grant from the SCV Chamber Education Foundation to expand his biodiesel experiment.  Scott launched the project in order to test alternative fuels that may release cleaner burning emissions in diesel engines. Utilizing used frying oil from a nearby Burger King, Scott’s students turn the grease into biodiesel that can be used in any diesel engine.

To conclude the experiment, the district’s Transportation Department brought a riding lawn mower with a diesel engine to West Ranch so students could test their fuels.  In hopes of finding the cleanest fuel, a representative from DieselAir tested the emissions using an opacity meter.

Scott’s classes produced fuel which burned cleaner than standard petroleum diesel used in the test. Scott will use the grant to purchase a large processor to produce biodiesel on a larger scale, and some students will research the issues and costs of providing biodiesel fuel for the school district vehicles.