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More Efficient Biodiesel Production Adam Harvey Process Intensification Group [PIG] School of Chemical Engineering & Advanced Materials Newcastle University What is Biodiesel?? Methyl ester produced by reacting vegetable oils (triglycerides) with methanol. This requires a basic catalyst (usually NaOH). Triglyceride (vegetable oil) HO CH2 HO CH HO CH2 Glycerol COO CH2 COO CH COO CH2 + 3 MeOH Catalyst + COOCH3 Biodiesel (FAME) x3 Lower Viscosity Cleaner Burning Why should/will biodiesel be used? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. RENEWABLE REDUCED LIFECYCLE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSION REDUCED POLLUTION: 1. Particulates!! 2. Carbon monoxide 3. Hydrocarbons 4. Sulphur compounds Immediate effect: distribution network and engines are already in place As a use for waste oils Security of supply Increased lubricity: increases engine lifetime Non-toxic Biodegradable Project 1: Design of Intensified Biodiesel Plants Based on an “intensified” continuous reactor, known as the oscillatory flow reactor [OFR] Commercial project: development of a portable biodiesel plant: • Use in developing countries where supply of transport fuels can be unreliable: • Farmers producing their own transport fuel: an example of “distributed production” Demonstrator currently being fabricated. Further development of OFR for biodiesel to start soon. Intensified, Portable Biodiesel Plant Methanol + Catalyst Vegetable Oil Portable Unit REACTOR SETTLER DRY POLISH glycerol Flash Glycerol Tank BIODIESEL TANK Process Intensification: The Oscillatory Flow Reactor 15 minutes < 2h Niche Application of the OFR Conversion of long residence time batch processes to continuous processes • length/diameter ratio much smaller than equivalent conventional PFR • plug flow RTD • effective two phase mixing of liquids Net flow Initial Dispersion Injection point Reaction’s Progress along Reactor Net Flow In Net Flow Out Commercial Demonstration Plant Project 2: Solid Catalysts for Biodiesel 1. Reduce capital costs of biodiesel plants 2. Reduced running costs 3. Reduced waste (soap) 4. Reduce glycerol purification costs waste water, soap water washing, dry, polish etc Oil Methanol Catalyst Reactor Flash biodiesel Neutralisation glycerol & methanol Current Process Methanol recycle salt glycerol Biodiesel Process using Solid Catalyst Oil Methanol biodiesel Reactor Flash glycerol Methanol recycle Separation of catalyst from product via simple - filter Solid Catalysts (requirements) Robust (long lifetime) Active (2h reaction time or less) Inexpensive Available in bulk quantities Easy to manufacture Stable Solid Catalysts Alkaline earth metal oxide substrates, doped with alkali metals, e.g.: – LiCaO – LiMgO – KCaO – KMgO Problem 1 i. Solubility of substrate ii. Leaching of catalyst Project 3: Biodiesel Directly from Seed: “Combined Extraction and Reaction” Alcohols + Catalyst Oilseeds solvent extraction + reaction • Would facilitate distributed production • Successful demonstration for rapeseed Biodiesel Glycerol Meal Conventional Biodiesel Production 1. Farm Oilseed Growing 2. Oil Extraction Meal Oilseeds Hexane Solvent Extraction Crushing Meal Vegetable Oil 3. Conversion to Biodiesel Biodiesel Downstream Processing Glycerol Reactor Methanol + Catalyst Distributed Biodiesel Production 1. Farm Oilseed Growing Oilseed Cracking Methanol + Catalyst Reactor Downstream Processing Biodiesel Meal Glycerol Reactive Extraction Successfully produced biodiesel directly from rapeseeds and jatropha nuts Now optimising the process Downstream separation studies have begun Other Biodiesel Projects 1. 2. 3. 4. Biodiesel from Algae: design of photobioreactors and whole process Triglyceride cracking to produce biodiesel Biodiesel from jatropha (reactive extraction using solid catalysts) Study of cold flow properties Acknowledgments Dr Jonathan Lee, CEAM, Newcastle PhD Students Research exchange students Masters research students What about the Glycerol? ~15% (volume) of the total output of a biodiesel reaction is (impure) glycerol. What should be done with it? • • • Cosmetics industry? Energy? “Renewable chemicals”: Propylene glycol, methanol, lactic acid, propane-1,3-diol, epichlorohydrin etc “Glycerochemistry” Why not burn the fats/oils directly? 1. Flow 2. Burning characteristics: 1. Trumpet Formation 2. Lacquer Formation 3. Pollution: acrolein formation (a.k.a. 2-propenal) “Acrolein is such a severe pulmonary irritant and lacrimating agent that it has been used as a chemical weapon during World War I.” & “suspected human carcinogen.”