Used Cooking Oil as a Source of Non-Toxic Energy

Introduction

Improper disposal of used cooking oil was one of the factors that create pollution

in the Philippines. Researchers from Muntinlupa National High School – Tunasan Annex

Senior High School Department have conducted research and experiments regarding the

alternative ways or other usage of used cooking oil. Improper disposal of used cooking

oil affect the sewerage system. The oil that was poured down in sinks carry grease, bits

of food, and other substances that cause clogging of sewers and result to floods. The

researchers tried to prove that electricity or energy can be harvested in the use of used

cooking oil as an electrolyte by making a circuit to carry the flow of electrons due to

reduction and oxidation, resulting to the flow of electric charge.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to know if used cooking oil can be a source of non - toxic

energy.

It aims to answer these following questions:

1. Can used cooking oil be an effective source of non-toxic energy?

2. Can used cooking oil light the bulb brighter?

 Hypothesis

Upon arriving with the topic, the researchers came up with a null hypothesis. They

believed that using used cooking oil as a source of energy did not provide enough voltage

to power the load in the circuit.

A circuit that would control the charges have cathode (positive charge) and anode

(negative charge) in form of Copper and Aluminum. The chemical reaction in the two

sides cathode and anode cause the electrons to build up in the Aluminum which is the

anode (negative charge) that cause the unbalance of electrons which triggers the

electrons to work. The Redox cycle happen inside the circuit as the Aluminum lose its

electrons in the process of oxidation, the Aluminum (anode) loses its electrons because

of the demand of electrons in the Copper (cathode), the cooking oil as electrolyte prevent

the electrons to travel directly from the Aluminum to Copper causing the electrons to find

path and travel through the wire. The Copper then receives the electrons from the

Aluminum then it stores its gained electrons in the solution. The unbalanced electrons

from the Aluminum (anode) and Copper (cathode) forcing the electrons charge to flow

through the wire and stored in the solution is the source of electricity. The researchers

then found out that the solution of used-cooking oil is not as strong enough to prevent

some of the electrons to flow directly to the Copper (cathode), they then rejected the

research with the results they found out.

 Methodology

The researchers conducted an experimental research on how they can harness

electricity replacing the batteries with the used cooking oil to store the charges of the

electricity in the circuit.

The researchers built a circuit capable of harnessing electricity from any source of

energy including batteries and electrical outlets, they also designed their circuit to easily

put the poles of negative and positive charges into the used cooking oil storage.

The researchers then tried to power the circuit by connecting it into three AA

batteries with the voltage of 1.5 each to see if the circuit is actually working and there is

no mistakes in making the circuit for it to control the flow of electricity. The circuit worked

and it allows electrons to travel through the wires and lit the light bulb as the load.

The researchers tried to connect the circuit in the water with salt because the water

alone can be a conductor meaning it allow the electrons travel directly from the Aluminum

to the Copper, the Salt in the water prevent it from traveling directly to the other side. The

researchers tested it for water to gather data if the experiment is safe because the oil is

a form of liquid which can be a cause electrical failure. The water and salt solution worked

with the help of battery.

The researchers then tried putting the Aluminum (anode) and Copper (cathode) in

the used cooking oil to see if it is capable of preventing the electrons to travel directly

from the anode to the cathode. Small amount of electron travelled through the wire

because the power of used cooking oil to prevent it from flowing directly is not enough.
The low amount of electrons that travelled through the wire cause the voltage to be low

and it is not enough to power a single light bulb.