A Special Thank You!

Well hello again Biodiesel followers!
As our mid-terms have come to a close and our new semester has jump-started, we are starting to divert into the wonderful world of alternative energy again. Oh the excitement! However, before we get into all the JUICY details of all our new projects, we have a special shout out to make.
Rose Jones and Michael McCloud made a very generous donation to the Key West High School Biodiesel Program on December 31st, 2010. The students did not hear about the donation until they returned to school the following week, but it was a great way to kick off the return. In response to the letter we recieved, it is very comforting to know that there are people who would take the time to read the blog and about the changes we reach for to help our environment. We appreciate all the support and would love to see more followers on that blog! To Ms. Jones and Mr. McCloud, here is a small token of our appreciation:

Thanks again to Rose Jones and Michael McCloud for their admireable donation. It was a great feeling knowing that our efforts to discover new and efficient energy alternatives had been recognized.
The Key West Biodiesel Program encourages anyone who has an interest in our efforts of finding energy alternatives, or anyone who would like to make a donation, to contact Josh Clearman at josh.clearman@keysschools.com
Thanks!

Have you ever seen such a thing?

 

Our very own Jordan Pfost in an engineer in the making. Most of you when you see a picture like the one above, your not to sure what to think; well Jordan looks and sees beauty. Jordan's plan? Turning a normal AC window unit to an "Ice Bear" when the energy usage is at its peak. Now whats an "Ice Bear?" An "Ice Bear", well in Jordan's terms, is a contraption that takes a normal window unit (or any AC unit) which is hooked up to a chest freezer so that at those peaks of high energy usage the AC switches from using a compressor/ condenser to moving the refrigerant through a large block of ice to cool the air.

While Jordan is still in phase one of this project (research and planning) she has completed a very important portion. The picture above is the basic layout of Jordan's "Ice Bear", which was drawn after weeks of studying the workings of a basic AC unit. Next she will be working on a prototype, testing only the air cooling properties of ice.

A diagram drawn out by Jordan showing the way energy  moves inside an AC

Nothing like a finished product!

As all of our various projects finally get completed, you can't help but sit back and admire the hardwork that we have all put in. With blood, sweat, and biodiesel, we have done our part at making the island we call home a better place.

While Mary and Logan finish up their locksmithing skills, our class room becomes a safer place. All of our chemicals now have a home. Their goal now is to get locks on all of the chemical drawers and cabinets.

Shenasae, Jack, Joanne and Brandon work on a new planter box to use the drippage from the school air conditioning system to water our plants. Pouring concrete takes some serious muscle and elbow grease, but hey, somebody has to do it.

Eva and I have finally completed our ever so lovely mural on the side of our biodiesel room. It's not Di'Vinchi status, but we think it's pretty good!

Lauryn and Reid continue to work on finding our class grants so we can continue to do what were doing. Applying for these grants is not easy, it takes a lot of time to find grants that we qualify for, and then we have to compete to get them.

The car crew has done an amazing job on our biodiesel powered Mercedes. Fresh paint job, fresh inside. The crew has big plans for this vehicle, and we're all so excited to see what they have planned.

Big thanks to John Key at NAPA and Phil at Home Depot for their help and support!

The Unsung Hero - Joey Mercurio

All the projects here in Biodisesel 2 are not only worthwhile and energy efficient, they are also messy. The left over paint from the Painter Girls, the shovels and concrete from the Hole Diggers, and the debris from the Engine Spliters all collect over time during our work. But who will be the one responsible for helping each and every team with their clean-up methods? That would be Joey Mercurio, our one-man waste management team! He is the man behind the mess, the guru of garbage, and the titan of trash! He is not afraid to confront ANY messy situation! He dives into the disgusting world of chemicals and dirt for the good of our class and this blog is the ultimate shout-out of appreciation!
Throughout the course of working on our Biodiesel projects, Joey has encountered and tackled many cleaning projects that most would turn their nose away from; this includes cleaning oil from buckets, de-clogging a sink, and getting on his hands and knees to clean the floor. How many people do you know that would do that for NO pay? In this day and age, probably not many. That is the reason why Joey is getting such recognition. He is a brave man and we thank him for everything he does. Thank you Joey!

When Micheal Angelo meets Destiny's Child!

Now that our biodiesel projects for this semester are coming to a close and we are soon to return to stinky physics, groups are starting to dive deeper into the abyss of biodiesel projects of delight.

This is the tale of three painters:

Once upon a time, in the biodiesel class

Three painters were singing and shaking their ...

Among them was Taylor, Alexis, and also JT

Painting the mural of biodiesel bulshizz including

solar panels, beakers, and a tree.

What was once hard to look at will soon be a treat,

Of 42' by 31 1/2' feet.

What would seem like work, has turned into a game

While singing 90s hits like, "Say My Name".

It took them a week to draw up their plans,

The following duties left them callused hands.

While scraping by hand has made their arms rather sore

When the final projects reveals itself its sure to be a SCORE!

We are so excited to see,

What will be,

From Taylor, Alexis and JT.



It's all about togas.

Okay, so let’s talk about togas. Last Monday was the long awaited senior toga day at our school and we’re all getting in the toga spirit. This “toga” was a simple drape of material that was worn diagonally across the body and held in place on one shoulder by some type of broach. Some form of toga was always worn in public during the early republic days. As the imperial period progressed, togas became strictly for important ceremonies and events. Attempts were made to simplify the toga so it was more comfortable to wear on more social occasions. Because the toga was not worn by soldiers, it was regarded as a sign of peace, as well as social status in the Roman times. A civilian was sometimes called togatus, or “toga-wearer”. Looking around our campus today the senior class as a whole can be classified as “togatus”, sporting our togas and showing our Conch Pride.

And The Fun Continues !

We are sorry about such a late posting! Blog Spot hasn't cooperated with us lately.
Anyways! Here is a quick update:
On Wednesday, November 10, 2010, the Transformer's had a meeting with a company willing to meet with them regarding their robot project. J-Tech Computer Repairs has agreed to be the middleman for the biodiesel robot project. "The meeting went very well," accroding to John Leonard, "a bit of an obstacle because they want a deposit before an order while the school wants the product before they make a payment." While the school sorts out the details regarding the product-deposit situation, the Transformers will be creating a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet will consist of 10% work and 90% planning. Otto Irwin stated, "our next step is to the find our parts. This must be done all at once due to the schools demands." Since the guys have such high standards for their robot they are under extreme pressure trying to make this perfect with their budget of one-thousand dollars; two-thirds of which will go to electronic equipment.

Our golf cart team is also making some progress in their attempt to convert a golf cart to solar power. As of right now they are making a model of a solar panel portreying light energy to mechanical energy. The team has talked to Frugal Dougel's Solar Accessories about possibly purchasing a solar panel kit for the golf cart. Most kits specify what type of golf cart it can be used on; but the type of kit the "Golf Cart Girls" are looking at is flexible for any type of golf cart, including our E-2 36V golf cart that our administrators use.

The companies that cooperate with our biodiesel project-teams all know about our limited budget; however, for their cooperation we not only sponser them but we give them publicity! So if you are a green-friendly company reading this blog right now, who would like to help bring some earth-friendly dreams to life in return for some company realted publicity, you should contact Josh Clearman at bio-diesel@keysschools.com. :) Thank you!