From Fryer to Fuel Tank
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Rinnova: The Team
Christian Ocier,
Ch. E.
Joshua Harbert,
M.E.
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Fred Thielke,
M.E.
Mitch Kenyon,
Ch. E.
Adebo Alao,
M.E.
Outline
•A Primer on Biodiesel
•What is Biodiesel?
•An Introduction to Biodiesel
•Why Use Biodiesel?
•A Brief Life Cycle Analysis
•Project Overview
•The System
•The Chemical Process
•The Prototype
•The Mechanics
•Conclusion
•Acknowledgements
•Questions
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What is Biodiesel?
•It is a diesel fuel processed from
natural oils.
•It is an environmentally friendly
substitute for petrodiesel.
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Why use Biodiesel?
1. We believe that:
•There is an energy crisis arising
•There is no single solution
2. We also believe that the solutions will be dependent on:
•Life style changes
•Cultural and regional resource use
•Sustainable/renewable energy
3. Education and good examples
will be very important
in solving this problem
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Where Does Biodiesel Come From?
Possible Sources for
biodiesel:
•Soy oil
•Natural Fats/Tallow
•Algae
•Oil Producing Seeds
•Jatropha Oil
•Processed Yellow
Grease
75 Million Gallons of Biodiesel
Produced from Various Sources in 2005
other
18%
edible tallow
6%
inedible tallow
11%
yellow grease
8%
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soy
57%
Biodiesel from Yellow Grease
55 million Gallons of Yellow Grease
Available for Biodiesel in 2005
cosmetics, soap
and composting
19%
biodiesel
11%
livestock feed
70%
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Biodiesel from Yellow Grease
Yellow Grease Potential
•Market Price: $1.74/gallon
•Biodiesel Feedstock class:
$2.88/gallon
Compare that with:
Soybean Oil
•Market Price: $4.31/gallon
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Biodiesel—A Brief Life Cycle Analysis
Energy
Used Oils
Biodiesel made with
Yellow Grease
Process
Chemicals
Emissions
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Emissions
Process Chemicals
Waste Vegetable Oil Collection
Biodiesel Production from Yellow Grease:
Inputs and Outputs
• NO2
accounts
for the
The Project
• Design and construct a biodiesel producing pilot plant by taking
waste vegetable oil and converting it into fuel.
• Cost-effective
• Saves energy
• Reduces pollution
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System Overview
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The Chemical Process—Part One
1. Waste vegetable oil contains free fatty acids (FFA’s)
that have to be converted for a complete reaction.
2. The first reaction converts free fatty acids into
methyl esters (biodiesel)via a process called
esterification.
WVO
Methanol
Sulfuric
Acid
Biodiesel + Triglycerides
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The Chemical Process—Part Two
1. The second reaction follows the standard reaction
procedure.
2. A base catalyst and methanol are used to convert the oil
into methyl esters.
TG
KOH
MeOH
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Biodiesel
The Chemical Process—Outputs
Biodiesel
•Transesterified
Methyl Esters
Glycerin
Excess
Methanol
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•A By-Product that
has potential for
resale if purified.
•This reactant can
be recovered with
the system’s
vacuum distillation
unit.
Glycerin
Waste glycerin can be
reprocessed and:
•An intermediate for
producing Ethylene Glycol
and Propylene Glycol.
•Other industrial
applications include soap,
toothpaste, and cosmetics.
•Yields a profit of $1.34 per
gallon of glycerin
produced.
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Mechanical Overview
• Removes
Particulate matter
from Waste
Vegetable Oil
Filter
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Reactor
• A vessel for the
chemical reactions
and the washing
process.
• Recovers methanol
for latter
reactions. Reduces
material cost for
latter reactions
Methanol
Recovery System
Polishing Column
• Removes
contaminants from
fuel and purifies
the final product.
Rinnova’s Prototype
Mechanical Components:
• Filter
• Reaction Vessel
• Methanol Recovery
System
• Polishing Unit
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Filtration Unit
Waste vegetable oil has particulates
that need to be removed for the
system.
•Rinnova’s Filter uses a 50 micron
filter to remove both coarse and fine
particulates in the oil.
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Reaction Vessel
•Keeps the reactants in a sealed
environment.
•Heats the reactants.
•Provides vigorous mixing.
•Is capable of holding a vacuum.
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Methanol Recovery System
Vacuum Distillation:
•Applies a vacuum on vessel
contents to allow liquids to boil at
lower temperatures.
•Methanol is removed and
collected for later reuse.
•Ergo, it uses much less energy
than other systems.
•Sealed system ensures no toxic
fumes leak
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Polishing Column
• The majority of biodiesel producers wash
their fuel with water to leach impurities out of
the oil.
• Rinnova’s extra step: pass the fuel through
an ion-exchange resin called Amberlite to
remove contaminants.
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The Production Price
A Comparison of Biodiesel Production Prices
Energy
$4.83
$4.83
$67.87
$67.87
-$35.18
0
WVO
$55.91
0
0 $55.91
Total Cost Per Batch
$93.42
$72.69
$37.51 $128.60
Cost/gal BD
$2.92
$2.27
$1.17
Reactants
Reactant Recovery
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$4.83
$4.83
$67.87 $67.87
-$35.18
0
$4.02
Conclusions
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Acknowledgements
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