MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION OF BIODIESEL REACTOR AND FEEDSTOCK

Abstract

Biodiesel is a non-toxic, biodegradable, and environmentally benign fuel that can be directly used in a diesel engine. Although it has shown promise, the higher production cost of biodiesel compared to that of petroleum-based diesel poses a major hurdle in its development with the cost of feedstock (oil) contributing approximately 60% to 80% of the total production cost. Furthermore, the quality of biodiesel is strongly affected by the choice of feedstock. Therefore, selecting an appropriate feedstock is crucial for both minimizing the cost and improving the quality of biodiesel. However, owing to a large number of feedstocks that can be used for biodiesel production, it is neither prudent nor possible to analyze all these using physical experiments. This suggests a need for the first-principle models that can help us analyze a variety of feedstocks. With this motivation, our research focuses on two main aspects viz. developing detailed kinetic models for biodiesel production and subsequently optimizing the reactor's operating conditions along with the feedstock. Overall, our work immensely contributes towards finding the best quality feedstock, thereby, reducing the total production cost and facilitating the acceptance of biodiesel by both customers and vehicle manufacturers.