GREEN BAY - A Wisconsin fuel expert can't wait to re-introduce fuel users to a very old idea.
Robert Brylski will show farmers and other small operators how to produce their own fuel simply, often using inexpensive or waste materials. Brylski will teach a biofuels seminar on Dec. 3 during which the class can watch Brylski produce usable fuel.
Brylski is Director of the Wisconsin Small-Scale Biofuels Producer Program and an adjunct instructor at NWTC. He jokes that the four-hour Biofuels Seminar should be called, "How farmers and co-ops are taking the control of their energy needs away from the 'big guys'."
But he is very serious about the benefits and practicality of producing fuel with materials that are plentiful close to home, using equipment that is commonly available.
"Many small-scale producers are now growing their own," he said. "On-farm and small-scale production of both biodiesel and ethanol are on the rise--often using low-cost or no-cost materials."
"The ability to produce your own fuel can protect your operations and provide peace of mind when market forces outside your control take a turn for the worse," he says.
The seminar will include a demonstration of oil seed pressing; crops, equipment, and co-products; fuel quality; engine performance; regulatory requirements; and resources and assistance available to small-scale producers.
Biofuels Seminar
Thursday Dec. 3, 2009, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
NWTC Center for Business and Industry, Room CB145
Class number 87491
Cost $25
Register: Go to www.nwtc.edu and click "Sign Up" or call (920) 498-5444. Registration by Monday, Nov. 30 is recommended. For questions about the course, call (920) 289-0166.