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Biodiesel Generation From Waste Cooking Oil

Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil using Microwave Irradiation

Maninder Khurana

IIIrd year B.E.(Hons.) Chemical Engineering, BITS-Pilani.

Abstract - The paper outlines production of biodiesel from vegetable oil or animal fat using induction through microwaves (2.45 - 915 MHz). Transesterification is carried in a reaction cavity coupled with microwave generator. The process occurs by dissipating the microwaves’ energy using polarization mechanisms and electric conductivity generated in the reaction medium due to the high dielectric permittivity, propitiated by the catalyst. Once the reaction is complete, glycerin and biodiesel are gravity separated. Unreacted alcohol in biodiesel is flash vaporized and recycled back. Biodiesel is produced at ambient conditions.
Keywords ' microwaves, transesterification, biodiesel fuel.

INTRODUCTION

Alternative fuels for diesel engines are becoming increasingly important due to diminishing petroleum reserves and the environmental consequences of exhaust gases from petroleum- fuelled engines. A number of studies have shown that triglycerides hold promise as alternative diesel engine fuels. However, the direct use of vegetable oils and/or oil blends is generally considered to be unsatisfactory and impractical for both direct-injection and indirect type diesel engines.
Biodiesel is one viable non-petroleum-based product that can be implemented on a large scale. Biodiesel consists of long chain alkyl esters, made by transesterification of vegetable oil or animal fat, which can be used (alone, or blended with conventional petrodiesel) in unmodified diesel-engine vehicles. Biodiesel can be used in pure form (B100) or may be blended with petroleum diesel at any concentration (BX) in most modern diesel engines.
Transesterification, also called alcoholysis, is the displacement of alcohol from an ester by another alcohol in a process similar to hydrolysis, except that an alcohol is employed instead of water....