U.S. farmers harvest approximately 70 million acres of soybeans averaging around

Question

U.S. farmers harvest approximately 70 million acres of soybeans averaging around 1,200 kg of beans per acre. The soy beans are approximately 20% vegetable oil by weight.

1. How much biodiesel could be produced from one year’s crop, assuming that 85% of the oil is converted to biodiesel in the transesterification process (based on mass)?

2. The density of biodiesel is 0.90 g/ml. Based on your answer to question a), how many gallons of biodiesel could be produced from one year’s crop? (1 gallon = 3.79 L)

3. U.S. drivers consume around 60 billion gallons of diesel fuel per year. Based on your answer to question 2), what is the maximum percentage that could come from soybean biodiesel?

4. In order to supply the entire country’s need for diesel fuel, how many acres of soy beans would need to be harvested? The U.S. has approximately 922,000,000 acres of farmland. What percentage would need to grow soy beans in order to supply the countries diesel needs.

Explanation / Answer

For biodiesel production

1. 20% of 1,200 kg beans per acre = 240 kg vegetable content

85% of 240 kg = 204 kg oil is produced from per acre crop of beans

For beans coming from 70 x 10^6 acres = 204 x 70 x 10^6 = 1.428 x 10^10 kg oil produced

2. Volume of oil produced = 204 kg/0.90 g/ml = 226.67 L

1 gallon = 3.79 L

226.67 L = 226.67 L/3.79 = 59.81 gallon oil will be produced from per year crop per acre of beans

1.428 x 10^10 kg oil = 3.77 x 10^9 gallon oil produced

3. US drivers consumption of oil = 60 x 10^6 gallon of diesel fuel per year

Based on the answer to 2) we could say that all of the fuel may come from soybean oil.

4. Total oil produced from 922 x 10^6 acres of land

= 922 x 10^6 x 204 kg/0.9 g/ml x 3.79 = 5.514 x 10^10 gallons

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