Oil From [the] Soil
Team 9
May 9th, 2009
Outline
• Project Selection
• Tasks Accomplished
• Challenges Overcome
• Lessons Learned
• Acknowledgements
• Questions
Project Selection
• Provided global industrial perspective
• Utilized and built upon prior coursework
- Separation Processes
- Reactor Design
- Fluid Flow & Momentum Transfer Phenomena
• Received suggestions from Professor Sykes
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•
Waste vegetable oil from food operations
Biological conversion of CO2 to ethanol by sunlight
Our Design Process
1. Research
a. What is Jatropha Curcas?
b. How is biodiesel produced?
c. Why Jatropha?
What is Jatropha Curcas?
• Grown in South America, Africa, India
• Ideal for poor soil and
water conditions
• Seed’s mass is
30%- 40% oil
1 meter
How is Biodiesel Produced?
• Common process for various sources
– Soybeans
– Recycled cooking oil
• Base-catalyzed
transesterification
Why Jatropha?
Property
Conventional
Diesel
Jatropha
Biodiesel
Density (kg/m3)
850
880
Viscosity (mm2/s)
2.60
4.80
68
135
0.020
0.025
Flash point (˚C)
Water Content (%)
1000 kg Jatropha seeds = 92 gallons biodiesel
Our Design Process
1. Research
2. Develop
a. Process design with bench-scale trials
Start
Bench-Scale Design
Whole Jatropha Seeds
Crushed
Jatropha
Seeds
Hexane
Separated
evaporated
Glycerol
with
heat
Hexane-Seed
Slurry
Acid-Catalyzed
Base-Catalyzed
Purified
& Biodiesel
Transesterification
Transesterification
Biodiesel
Our Design Process
1. Research
2. Develop
a. Design overall process with bench-scale trials
b. Pilot plant simulation of chosen process
UniSim Design
• Simulated a biodiesel production pilot plant
• Produces 2 million gallons annually
The Process
Seed Oil Extraction
Treatment & Conversion
(Transesterification)
Hexane & Methanol
Recovery
Step 1: Extraction
To Step 2
Step 2: Treatment & Conversion
From Step 1
Treatment
Conversion
Step 3: Hexane and Methanol Recovery
Hexane Recovery
Methanol Recovery
Our Design Process
1. Research
2. Develop
3. Overcome
a. Address emerging challenges
b. Evaluate existing components
Challenges Overcome
• Troubleshooting UniSim design
• Unexpected & undesired
experimental outcomes
• Accounting for entire footprint
– Equipment sizing & material science
– Economic analysis
– Responsible design
Responsible Design
• Chemical safety
– Flammability
– Working conditions
– Safe handling
• Waste management
– Hexane & methanol recycling
– Seed cake incineration
– Sale of glycerol
Lessons Learned & Future Work
• Value of teamwork
– Communication
– Individual strengths/weaknesses
• Project management
– “You break it, you bought it”
• Future work: Commercialize
Thank You To…
•
•
•
•
•
Professor Sykes, Faculty Advisor
Professor Wentzheimer, UniSim
Dr. David Dornbos, Industrial Consultant
Rich Huisman, Equipment
Michigan State University, Equipment
Thank You!