A class of about 30 engineers and one biology major worked this past semester to turn coconuts into biodiesel to help decrease fuel costs and improve the agricultural economy of Tonga. They recently returned from a trip during which they tested the technology and showed it to government officials.

The class began when a group of students formed the club Engineers without Borders to help integrate engineering with humanitarian work.

Club co-founders Jacob Jones and Allyson Frankman wanted to do a project, but figured the best way to get students dedicated to it was to let them earn class credit, Jones said. They approached the administration and a class called "Global Projects in Engineering and Technology" emerged.

"When I was doing engineering, I did it because I was smart and it paid well, but I was also interested in making some sort of social impact," said club co-founder Allyson Frankman, who just completed her second year of doctoral work. "What I didn't realize was the need for humanitarian work in engineering, and this was a way to do that."

The class didn't have a specific project until the Tongan Havea family approached BYU, saying they were interested in biodiesel but needed technical and business help.

The administration responded by proposing the project to the students, and helped fund the project and travel to Tonga. Students each paid $1,000 for their two-week trip.

The class worked on open-ended questions to find a way to turn the overabundance of coconuts, sales of which have lagged since soybean oil took over the market in the late 1980s, into an economical, clean-burning fuel.

"The students started out frustrated because they were given questions that didn't have answers in the back of their textbooks," Frankman said.

But after they began making breakthroughs on their own, students found creative ways to extract oil and create a fuel reactor for about $700.

The students created a formula that takes 10 coconuts mixed with methanol and sodium hydroxide to produce a liter of diesel fuel with a byproduct of glycerin, which can be made into soap or compost.

Four students in the class joined another student not in the class and created a start-up company called Motu BioFuels. They won first prize and $4,000 for their business plan in BYU's Social Venture Competition.

Even with the chemical and business help, it will be up to the Tongan government to implement the new technology and make it widespread.

"This project on a large scale will have to come from the government," Jones said. "We just hope to be the spark to revitalize the nation's agricultural industry and help create successful coconut farms like they used to have and create cleaner, cheaper fuel."

While Jones was thrilled with the engineering and business work happening, he also said he was happy to see the students understand their ability to help others.

"They realized they have skills that can help people," said Jones, who just graduated with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. "It was cool to see them expanding their horizons."

Both hope to see more students apply their engineering skills for humanitarian work as the club and the class work on a yet-to-be announced project in Peru.

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* SHEENA MCFARLAND can be contacted at smcfarland@sltrib.com or 801-257-8619.