Thanks for taking the time to update us.

Martin 

Bill,

 I've read this thread and I appreciate your science backed posts. I'm a research engineer with an interest in biodiesel. Am I understanding correctly that you are now converting the glycerin, from the biodiesel conversion process, into diesel fuel? If this is the case then how is it made and what is the energy density of this new fuel?

 Also, you mention that you know of three projects devoted to conversion of existing agricultural harvesters and that two of them look very promising. How can I obtain information on these developments or are they industry funded and thus being kept secret?

 I want to be very clear that I'm asking for information that is in the public domain - I do not want confidential or proprietary information.

Berniezee

I'd like to find about 25-50 gallons of Stillingia oil. Can anyone tell me where I might find some?

 Berniezee

 If I might add my request to that of Berniezee - how might I learn more about the projects you mentioned, Bill?

 I have some acreage in SE Texas covered in CTT and have wondered for years how to take advantage of the fruit. My wife actually trims the branches when the berries are white and sells them for ridiculous prices to women at the local farmers' market. Nice profit, but I'd like to focus on the energy yield.

 I will confess that I'm a biodiesel rookie, but with the recent completion of my 'stewardship' home (ICF and SIP construction), I've begun to focus on how to make my lifestyle more sustainable through the land I have. Any insights would be most appreciated.

May I add, speaking to PHD Paul Olivier and reading his research of a few years, Monsanto has a patent on killogene technology that renders the seeds sterile from the tree planted. If a demand for the sterile tree increases, I am sure Monsanto will produce the seeds that the technology already exist for. Please do a search on Chinese tallow tree Paul Olivier and see what he has to say. He has planted a 36 acre trial tallow tree farm. Existing combines can be modified to harvest as long as the trees are pruned to remain bushes with small limbs.

 We could harvest existing tree's and poison the invasive ones replanting sterile plants where wanted and needed. Timed right, there is enough wild growing tree's in the Southern United States that it will allow time for the planted sterile trees to mature long before we clear out the wild invasive ones.

Sincerely Dannyznice

If enough people get together seriously and harvesting is developed and state environmental backs the control of the infestation, planting, farming and making fuel off of this plant is highly likely. Also technology with algae and hydrogen combined can make the operation of machinery almost cost free.

Sincerely Dannyznice

In the research I have covered, the hull is removed and the inner seed crushed for biodiesel. If a tree is planted every 6 feet, the yield per acre has been estimated at 650 gals of bidiesel, and as stated, 40% oil yield and higher using a chemical catalyst seperation technique. The biomass left over can be use to make ethanol. The wood mass left over could possibly yield 2000 gals of methanol per acre. Reference material was from various searches on the internet with tallow tree production and farming, and Paul Olivier PHD.

Sincerely Dannyznice

Proper pruning Texas boy, a second hand combine, some modifications, and your in the seed harvesting business. Research on dry out and hull removal would have to be done. There is machines that mechanically remove hulls and crushers that will remove the oil. If you want more oil, there is a chemical catalyst procedure you can use to extract more oil out than simple crushing.

Gentlemen,

 I have been more interested in the self sufficiency  angle of producer gas and methanol. Being in Brazoria County

Texas and having about 27 acres of mostly tallow trees I feel I have a good place to start working on this. The

County doesn't seem to interested in the project but that might change later.  

I'm ready to begin making the equipment to make the methanol. The main issues I have are

not using Oil/Propane etc to distill the wood.  I suppose a Gasifier could supply gas to a

burner? I'm having trouble seeing this scaled up to viable commercial level, any ideas what

the equipment layout would look like or do I have to invent the wheel. 

Canyoueatthat:

Gentlemen,

 I have been more interested in the self sufficiency  angle of producer gas and methanol.

I'm ready to begin making the equipment to make the methanol. The main issues I have are

not using Oil/Propane etc to distill the wood.  I suppose a Gasifier could supply gas to a

burner? I'm having trouble seeing this scaled up to viable commercial level, any ideas what

the equipment layout would look like or do I have to invent the wheel. 

The destructive distillation of wood yields a only a small amount of methanol & wouldn't be $ making in & of itself. 

Commercial methanol production is done by passing syngas thru a catalyst. 

For what the equipment would look like depends on how big(ton or lbs biomass per day) you want to do. Continuous or batch? How energy eff? Etc.

Until the 1980 or so there was a destructive distillation plant in Black River Falls WI that used little huts - 20' x 40' about - that they pushed small rail cars that held maybe a ton of wood into. 

There have been some that use a cement kiln for continuous production.

For a small one, it is hard to beat microwaves for energy eff heat. Use silicon carbide containers - the cheapest would be casting crucibles. The silicon carbide is the microwave heat sink. Cheap to build.

Are you on the repp org mailing list? There are very active members on that list that are experts in producer gas, producer gas equipment & methanol production. Hard to beat people who have 30 plus years of experience & are willing to share their knowledge for free. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Martin 

 I love the idea of growing/using CTT, however, I have yet to see an article or a picture or anything showing how to actually harvest this stuff.  I have seen a lot of articles where reference is made to modifiying various machies to harvest this stuff, but I am beging to think that is all just wishful thinking, that any sort of actual harvesting machine does not exist at all.  I have CTT growing on my property, and would love to find a way to harvest them, heck I would even plant them like grapes if I could figure out a way to harvest them, and doing it by hand is out of the question.  The next isue that I have yet to see addressed on this topic, is how to extract the oil out of the seeds once they are magically harvested.  I agree that there are a lot of different ways it could possibly be done, but I have yet to see or hear of it actually being done.  I have no doubt that it can be done, but done economically is the key.

 If anyone has information to help on this, please share, I would love to learn more about this, and love even more to find a practicle, not hypothectical way, to use this tree.

CTT does look great. but its not second. at best its third, Jatropha curcas can produce 47% oil while CTT is 40. JC has a LOT less overhead in obtaining the oil. and can be put straight into the tank, no modification, no transfer, no wax to remove, nothing else.  Press >>Filter>> fill tank.\

but CTT is a LOT more hardy too. doesnt die off if the temp drops below freezing...

just a couple of thoughts.

Clint.

Well those things are like weeds around this part of Texas.   I have many of them on my property and can see no way to harvest them.  It would be nice to do having at least 6-7 acres of them growing wild to be able to use the oil from the seeds but i just can't imagine how you could get the seeds from the trees with out distroying the tree. Wonder if a tree shaker could work like harvesting pecans?      

I know they fall off after a certain time, but i dont know if the oil content has changed any by the time they do fall. we used to pick them and have fights with the neighbor kids with them all the time. its kind of hard to strip off a few handfulls, leave the remaining twigs or what have you.

I doubt a pecan shaker would work, though they are developing (developed?) one for the Jatropha. I'll still with the Jatropha, if I can find the darned land to grow it on. who knew prices were so bleedin steep on land thats just pure sand and mesquite and windswept oak?

ccheek:

  who knew prices were so bleedin steep on land thats just pure sand and mesquite and windswept oak?

Samuel Clemens, when in 1892 he said, 'Buy land young man, they're not making anymore of it'.  

Sorry for my absence and neglect of late. It has been been busy around here. Below is a section of a report I sent to my contact at the LSU AgCenter about the possible length of the harvesting season and possible degredation of the produced crop from CTTs. It is only in part of more information, but I found it, and the included reply, interesting:

Wee Willy,

 I have some acreage in SE Texas that is covered with CTT and I am very interested in trying to make biodiesel from them.  Are you using the seeds while they are still in berry form (for lack of better terms) and have the waxy coating or are you waiting until the coating falls off and just the seed is left on the tree?

 Thanks

I process the whole "berry" along with any attached stems and etc. I get a mixture of about 22-28% C6-C13 (Gasoline) and the rest C14-C28-30 (Diesel). A fraction of a percent will be C28-30+.

The "Gasoline" is paraffinic in nature and quite "oily" ... high lubricity. It will run well in a spark-ignition or a compression-ignition engine. The C14+ or the complete mixture runs well as a Diesel substitute.

Bill

PS: As for there being no viable mechanical harvester for CTTs, please do a Google on "Straddle-Row Harvester". These are used to harvest Blueberries, Olives, Cherries and etc. and have worked quite well on CTTs IF they are planted in rows. Recovery is usually in excess of 85% with no damage. There is one called "Goliath" that will clear 12' tall trees. Mods are necessary. A friend in Mississippi owns a blueberry farm and he has allowed me test with his machine for the past four (4) years. All that is still lacking is a sterile species and we are in business.

Berniezee Wrote:

 I would like to draw your attention to this paper on the Chinese Tallow tree: