From Feedstock to Fuel: BETA Lab Delivers Applied Biodiesel Training

In October 2025, the BETA Lab hosted a hands-on Biodiesel Training Program in collaboration with an international trainee from Velath Engineering (UAE). The week-long program was designed to bridge theory and practice, guiding the trainee through the full biodiesel production value chain – from feedstock selection to fuel quality and engine performance. Training activities combined lectures, computations, and laboratory exercises covering the chemistry of vegetable oils and fats, oil crops and algal feedstocks, mechanical, chemical, and biological oil extraction, refining processes (neutralization, dewaxing, bleaching, and deodorization), transesterification, and ASTM biodiesel standards. Participants engaged in yield prediction, process sizing, equipment design concepts, and economic analyses for small- to medium-scale biofuel plants, complemented by hands-on labs in oil extraction, refining, biodiesel synthesis, ASTM fuel analysis, and engine performance and emissions testing. The program concluded with a field visit to a commercial biodiesel facility in Dayton, Texas, followed by certificate awarding – highlighting BETA Lab’s commitment to applied, industry-relevant training and global collaboration in sustainable biofuels.

BETA Lab Supports Experiential Learning Through the REEU & FRESH Internship Program

The BioEnergy Testing and Analysis (BETA) Laboratory was proud to participate in the Food/Feed Safety and Renewable Energy Summer Hands-On Research (REEU) Internship Program at Texas A&M University. This 10-week, USDA-supported program brought together undergraduate students from across the country to engage in immersive, interdisciplinary research focused on food safety and renewable energy systems.

At BETA Lab, students received hands-on training in feedstock characterization, thermal conversion technologies, and laboratory-scale bioenergy systems, while learning to safely operate advanced analytical testing equipment used in real-world research environments. Students worked with Dr. Capareda and the lab staff in BioEnergy and Bioprocessing Engineering, gaining practical exposure to material preparation, data collection, and interpretation – skills critical for careers in energy, sustainability, and process engineering.

2024 Students:

1. Mari Wilcock
2. Nickolos Hall