Abolghasem Shahbazi, the director of A&T's biological engineering program, directs a project that focuses on production of biodiesel and biopower from waste materials.

The program concentrates on two areas: the demonstration of used oil from the cafeteria at Fort Bragg military base, and the use of wood residue from wood lots and construction on the base. “The waste that is produced at Fort Bragg is also generated here in our city, and in cities around the world,” says Shahbazi. “Much of the solid waste that is created and goes into the landfills can be separated, extracted and used.” 

The oil can be converted into biodiesel and used as transportation fuel in many diesel vehicles. The wood residue is a good candidate for use as biomass in various power generation facilities. Shahbazi plans to illustrate those points by conducting analysis to show the economic and environmental impact of producing biopower from waste material and how recycling waste materials will reduce waste and generate useful products.

Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville, in North Carolina, is the largest army installation in the world, providing a home to almost 10 percent of the US Army’s active forces. Approximately 43,000 military and 8,000 civilian personnel work at Fort Bragg.

The three-year project funded by the Department of Defense is a joint venture between Shahbazi, whose research interests include biofuels, bioproducts, biomass, and renewable energy, and A&T faculty from bio- and architectural engineering, with a goal to improve energy security and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

Learn how HBCU engineering schools are going green at: http://www.viewda.com/webpaper/ccg/usbedeans2008/