Design, Fabrication, and Assessment of a Hydrodynamic Reactor for Biodiesel Production

Subject Areas :

Kimia Taki ¹ , Bahram Hosseinzadeh Samani ²

1 - Department of Mechanical Engineering of Biosystem, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
2 - Department of Mechanical Engineering of Biosystem, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran

Received: 2022-04-16 Accepted : 2022-06-23 Published : 2022-02-01

Keywords: Biodiesel, Cavitation, Hydrodynamic Reactor, Reactor Fabrication,

Abstract :

Biodiesel is a bio-renewable fuel derived from vegetable oils and animal fats with less environmental pollution than fossil fuels. This research aims to design, fabricate, and evaluate a hydrodynamic reactor for biodiesel production. According to the fluid characteristic, the rotor and stator were designed and the electric engine was chosen. The cavities of the rotor were designed for optimal cavitation. The effect of reaction time and rotational speed were examined to assess the reactor. Speed rotor rotational speed of hydrodynamic cavitation reactors can intensify the transesterification reaction by increasing the occurrence of cavitation in the space between the rotor and the stator. Therefore, to investigate the effect of this variable on biodiesel production efficiency, three levels were selected (2000, 2500, and 3000 rpm). As the rotational speed of the hydrodynamic reactor increases, the cavitation operation increases, and as a result, the conversion percentage rises too. This experiment indicated that the rise of residence time from 30 s to 60 s increases methyl esters yield, but following the time up to 60 s, the methyl esters yield has no significant changes. The results showed that the biodiesel produced from waste oil in the hydrodynamic reactor could be a suitable alternative to diesel.

References:

[1] Manojkumar, N., Muthukumaran, C. and Sharmila, G. 2022. A comprehensive review on the application of response surface methodology for optimization of biodiesel production using different oil sources.  Journal of King Saud University-Engineering Sciences. 34(3):198-208.

[2] Samani, B.H., Zareiforoush, H., Lorigooini, Z., Ghobadian, B., Rostami, S. and Fayyazi, E. 2016. Ultrasonic-assisted production of biodiesel from pistacia atlantica desf. Oil.  Fuel. 168: 22-26.

[3] Oo, Y.M., Prateepchaikul, G. and Somnuk, K. 2021. Continuous acid-catalyzed esterification using a 3d printed rotor–stator hydrodynamic cavitation reactor reduces free fatty acid content in mixed crude palm oil.  Ultrasonics Sonochemistry. 72: 105419.

[4] Nylund, N.-O., Aakko-Saksa, P. and Sipilä, K. 2008. Status and outlook for biofuels, other alternative fuels and new vehicles. Research Notes 2426, ESPOO 2008.

[5] Ghayal, D., Pandit, A.B. and Rathod, V.K. 2013. Optimization of biodiesel production in a hydrodynamic cavitation reactor using used frying oil.  Ultrasonics sonochemistry. 20(1): 322-328.

[6] Maddikeri, G.L., Gogate, P.R. and Pandit, A.B. 2014. Intensified synthesis of biodiesel using hydrodynamic cavitation reactors based on the interesterification of waste cooking oil.  Fuel. 137: 285-292.

[7] Liu, S.-H., Lin, Y.-C. and Hsu, K.-H. 2012. Emissions of regulated pollutants and pahs from waste-cooking-oil biodiesel-fuelled heavy-duty diesel engine with catalyzer.  Aerosol and Air Quality Research. 12(2): 218-227.

[8] Math, M., Kumar, S.P. and Chetty, S.V. 2010. Technologies for biodiesel production from used cooking oil—a review.  Energy for sustainable Development. 14(4): 339-345.

[9] Ogunkunle, O. and Ahmed, N. 2019. A review of global current scenario of biodiesel adoption and combustion in vehicular diesel engines. Energy rep 5: 1560–1579.

[10] Demirbas, A. 2009. Progress and recent trends in biodiesel fuels.  Energy conversion and management. 50(1): 14-34.

[11] Singh, S. and Singh, D. 2010. Biodiesel production through the use of different sources and characterization of oils and their esters as the substitute of diesel: A review.  Renewable and sustainable energy reviews. 14(1): 200-216.

[12] Fayyazi, E., Ghobadian, B., Najafi, G. and Hosseinzadeh, B. 2014. Genetic algorithm approach to optimize biodiesel production by ultrasonic system.  Chemical Product and Process Modeling. 9(1): 59-70.

[13] Vicevic, M., Jachuck, R. and Scott, K. 2001. Process intensification for green chemistry: Rearrangement of α-pinene oxide using a catalyzed spinning disc reactor. Proc. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Process Intensification for the Chemical Industry. 

[14] Cravotto, G. and Cintas, P. 2006. Power ultrasound in organic synthesis: Moving cavitational chemistry from academia to innovative and large-scale applications.  Chemical Society Reviews. 35(2): 180-196.

[15] Chitsaz, H., Omidkhah, M., Ghobadian, B. and Ardjmand, M. 2018. Optimization of hydrodynamic cavitation process of biodiesel production by response surface methodology.  Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 6(2): 2262-2268.

[16] Maddikeri, G.L., Pandit, A.B. and Gogate, P.R. 2012. Intensification approaches for biodiesel synthesis from waste cooking oil: A review.  Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 51(45): 14610-14628.

[17] Worapun, I., Pianthong, K. and Thaiyasuit, P. 2012. Optimization of biodiesel production from crude palm oil using ultrasonic irradiation assistance and response surface methodology.  Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology. 87(2): 189-197.

[18] Jian-Xun, W., Huang, Q.-D., Huang, F.-H. and Huang, Q.-j. 2007. Lipase-catalyzed production of biodiesel from high acid value waste oil using ultrasonic assistant.  Chinese Journal of Biotechnology. 23(6): 1121-1128.

[19] Chuah, L.F., Aziz, A.R.A., Yusup, S., Bokhari, A., Klemeš, J.J. and Abdullah, M.Z. 2015. Performance and emission of diesel engine fuelled by waste cooking oil methyl ester derived from palm olein using hydrodynamic cavitation.  Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy. 17(8): 2229-2241.

[20] Gole, V.L. and Gogate, P.R. 2012. A review on intensification of synthesis of biodiesel from sustainable feed stock using sonochemical reactors.  Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification. 53: 1-9.

[21] Issariyakul, T. and Dalai, A.K. 2014. Biodiesel from vegetable oils.  Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 31: 446-471.

[22] Capocelli, M., Musmarra, D., Prisciandaro, M. and Lancia, A. 2014. Chemical effect of hydrodynamic cavitation: Simulation and experimental comparison.  AIChE Journal. 60(7): 2566-2572.

[23] Samani, B.H., Behruzian, M., Najafi, G., Fayyazi, E., Ghobadian, B., Behruzian, A., Mofijur, M., Mazlan, M. and Yue, J. 2021. The rotor-stator type hydrodynamic cavitation reactor approach for enhanced biodiesel fuel production.  Fuel. 283: 118821.

[24] Kolhe, N.S., Gupta, A.R. and Rathod, V.K. 2017. Production and purification of biodiesel produced from used frying oil using hydrodynamic cavitation.  Resource-Efficient Technologies. 3(2): 198-203.