Multistage methanolysis of crude palm oil for biodiesel production in a pilot plant
Crude palm oil (CPO), which is available in abundant in Malaysia, is used as the feedstock in this research work. The work starts with the analysis of the physical and chemical properties of the feedstock and the associated product to obtain the major fatty acid compositions of triglyceride appli...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
2014
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/1221/1/24p%20WINARDI%20SANI.pdf http://eprints.uthm.edu.my/1221/2/WINARDI%20SANI%20WATERMARK.pdf |
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| Summary: | Crude palm oil (CPO), which is available in abundant in Malaysia, is used as
the feedstock in this research work. The work starts with the analysis of the
physical and chemical properties of the feedstock and the associated product to
obtain the major fatty acid compositions of triglyceride applicable in the crude
palm oil. The kinetic models describing the change in the concentrations of the
triglycerides, intermediates, alcohol, and the products during the reaction course
are formulated through the corresponding kinetic mechanism. By looking at the
kinetic mechanisms of the reaction, the chemical reaction is better understood.
The ultimately proposed kinetic models of the biodiesel production from crude
palm oil and methanol under the presence of a base catalyst follow the second
order differential equations without a shunt reaction. The emphasis of this re�search work is on the study of the methanolysis of the crude palm oil under a base
catalyst (transesterification) to produce biodiesel at high quality and maximum
yield. The concentration profiles of the reactants and the products employed in
the transesterification are obtained by solving numerically the associated differ�ential equations with introducing the published reaction rate constants applied in
a laboratory scale. The effect of the reversible transesterification reaction shows
that each concentration profile of the reactants and the products tends to achieve
an equilibrium after certain reaction time.
The simulation results of the kinetic models are implemented in the pilot plant to
produce biodiesel from CPO. Due to impurities such as unwanted gums and pig�ment, the feedstock must first undergo a physical treatment including degumming
and bleaching processes. The high content of water and free fatty acid containing
in CPO requires an esterification process. The main objective of this process is
to lower that value to a minimum level to avoid the undesired effects such as
saponification and inefficiency of the catalyst. Methanolysis of triglyceride under
an alkaline catalyst, transesterification, can be subsequently carried out. Produc�tion of biodiesel in a larger scale needs a particular material handling compared
to that in laboratory scale. Uncertainty of isothermal state during the reaction
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course, uniform mixing in the catalyst preparation, and the effect of the inert
gas as the process safety agent will affect adversely the conversion and also the
yield. Consequently, the transesterification process must be carried out in stages
to achieve a high conversion of palm oil to biodiesel. To attain this objective,
the molar ratio of palm oil to methanol for each stage can be adjusted to mini�mize the methanol usage and the steam consumption. In a batch–mode operated
plant, the conversion can vary from a batch to a another batch process. With
this approach, it is expected that the high conversion above 96.5 % by weight,
as requested by EN 14214 standard, as well as a high yield of biodiesel can be
achieved.
Gas chromatography (GC) analysis method was used to determine the methyl
ester contents during the reaction progress. Based on these accurate experiment
data along with the simulation results, a validation was done. Technical im�provements in the plant operation can therefore be deduced towards the best
plant performance and a high quality of biodiesel product. |
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