Design of biodiesel production processes by base-catalyzed transesterification

A lot of efforts have been carried out to develop an alternative fuel for the current energy and environment questions. Biodiesel which is synthesized by transesterification of plant oils and animal fat is a real alternative fuel for its renewable and lower emissions. Currently, biodiesel production by the base-catalyzed transesterification of the vegetable oil and methanol is widely utilized in the world. This paper studies the design of biodiesel production with the glycerol phase separation processes, through installing a decanter between reactors and adding methanol and NaOH batch optimization operation to improve the biodiesel yield and the conversion rate of reactants. Simulation results show that biodiesel yield increased by 9.79% and triglyceride conversion rate increased by 6.99%. © (2012) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland