A Very Unique Partnership
- Donald Heck
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
The Iowa Central Fuel Testing Laboratory, an independent business on the campus of Iowa Central Community College, leveraged the school’s resources to establish itself years ago and recently expand into a brand-new facility.
I came to Iowa Central Community College in 2005 to start a biofuels-technology degree program to prepare students for careers in the biofuels industry, which was a good fit owing to the many biodiesel and ethanol plants operating in Iowa. The capstone of the program was a sizeable grant that allowed us to outfit a teaching laboratory filled with some high-tech instruments that our students could use to learn about ASTM methods for testing biofuels. Looking for a room to house all this new equipment, we took up residence in the old greenhouse adjoining the science building, which we spruced up with a little fresh paint and new curtains. This was a cozy home for the time being, but we couldn’t do much to stop the rain from leaking through the ceiling. So, when it did rain, we just arranged the instruments to keep them dry.
Shortly after setting up our teaching laboratory, we were approached by a local tucking firm looking for a partnership to study the effects of using biodiesel in its over-the-road fleet. This would be a robust study looking at a total of 20 units—10 trucks running B20 and 10 matched diesel controls—collectively running more than 2 million miles over a two-year period. Dubbed the “2 Million Mile Haul,” the study provided data that was pleasantly unremarkable, showing a seamless transition to B20, even in harsh midwestern winters. The study also provided the beginnings of a very unique partnership.
Other than bookstores or cafeterias, community colleges typically don’t run independent businesses. Several interested parties from the 2 Million Mile Haul collaboration determined we should do just that. They concluded that since we already had several pieces of fuel-testing equipment for the teaching laboratory, they should work together to secure funding to establish an independent fuel-testing laboratory with an emphasis on renewable fuels. Initial funding was secured through a state appropriation to purchase laboratory casework and a round of new instruments. A curious result of this process was that we were to become the official fuel-testing laboratory for Iowa’s Bureau of Weights and Measures. Additional funding was provided through a U.S. DOE grant that allowed for more instrument purchases, salary support and training equipment for the diesel-technology program on campus.
Working with Iowa Central Community College certainly has its advantages. For example, we can leverage the college’s power and talent to achieve big funding projects. In 2008, the college solicited a bond issue that allowed for the construction of the Bioscience and Health Sciences Building where we were given laboratory and office space for our operation. This got us out of the greenhouse and into a modern academic building, which served us well for 15 years. Due to our growth, we soon outgrew this space and we were able to secure partial funds for our new facility through the college’s 2018 bond issue. This new, state-of-the-art facility was just completed in late 2024 and was designed and built from the ground up as an industrial laboratory. Finally, a proper space to call home.
With this new facility comes newly expanded capabilities. Our current BQ-9000 and ISO 9001 accreditations cover all aspects of liquid fuels including biodiesel, diesel, ethanol, gasoline and home-heating oils. We also work with various biodiesel feedstocks, glycerin and atypical samples like plugged fuel filters. Leveraging the college’s talent and resources once more we were able to secure additional state funding for our latest round of instrument purchases. These newest acquisitions include one cetane- and two octane-rating engines, the only such engines available for fuel testing in Iowa. We also purchased instruments that will allow us to do the basic ASTM D1655 test panel for aviation turbine fuels. In addition to jet-fuel testing, this will allow us to move forward into testing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). We are in the process of acquiring ISO 17025 certification for our jet-fuel testing capabilities.
Looking back over 20 years it’s a little crazy to think that I came here to teach science and ended up running a self-sustaining, independent fuel-testing laboratory. I am amazed at the amount of support that went into creating this enterprise and the continued support that keeps it nourished. This includes all our clients, elected officials, numerous industry advocates, and many college leaders through the years. But most importantly, none of this could happen without the day-to-day dedication of our employees, several of whom are alumni of the college. They make sure the facility is staffed—rain, shine or blizzard—and that our clients are getting personal service, rapid turnaround and the lowest cost possible.
Author: Donald Heck
Director
Iowa Central Fuel
Testing Laboratory
800-362-2793
