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Numerical simulation of a heterogeneous catalytic batch reactor to produce biodiesel from vegetable oil

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Abstract

Here in the results of simulation of a batch reactor in which the transesterification of triolein is carried out in presence of a heterogenous catalyst. The simulated operation conditions consisted in two levels of temperature (50 and 60 °C), concentration of catalyst (0.5 and 1.0 kg/m3) and two initial concentrations of intermediaries and final products (at 1 and 10 g), keeping the amount of triolein and methanol at 1 kg and 12 mol of alcohol per mol of triolein. For the most severe conditions and lower amount of intermediaries and product in the feedstock, the final concentration of methyl oleate was 1.45 mol/L. At similar conditions of operation of reactor, the effect of reducing the concentration of catalyst was the factor that affected mainly the production of methyl oleate (1.41 mol/L), followed by the effect of temperature (1.44 mol/L of methyl oleate), while no appreciable effect on biodiesel production was observed by increasing the concentration of intermediaries and products in the feedstock. The developed reactor model predicted accordingly the profiles of viscosity and density which are necessary to the mechanical design of reactor.

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Data availability

All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article (and its supplementary information files).

Abbreviations

\({A}_{1k}, {B}_{1k}, {C}_{1k}, {A}_{2k}, {B}_{2k}, {C}_{2k}\) :

Regression parameters of Eq. 25

\({a}_{S}\) :

Volumetric area

\({c}_{i}^{L}\) :

Molar concentration in liquid bulk

\({c}_{i}^{S}\) :

Molar concentration at solid catalyst surface

\({D}_{im}\) :

Diffusion coefficient

\(d\) :

Particle diameter of catalyst

\({f}_{0}, {f}_{1}\) :

Model parameters Eq. 25

\({k}_{LS}^{i}\) :

Interphase liquid–solid mass transfer

\(M\) :

Molecular weight used as factor to scale the perturbation term in Eq. 25

\({N}_{c}\) :

Total number of atoms of carbon contained in the molecule

\({N}_{c s}\) :

Number of carbon atoms of substituents. The values of 1, 2 and 3 are used for methyl, ethyl and propyl

\({N}_{k}\) :

Number of groups k the molecule i

\(P{M}_{MeOH}\) :

Molecular weight of methanol

\(T\) :

Temperature

\(x\) :

Mole fraction

\(\alpha , \beta , \gamma\) :

Model parameters, Eqs. 25 and 27

\(\varepsilon\) :

Power input per unis mass of fluid

\({\varepsilon }_{P}\) :

Particle porosity

\(\eta\) :

Effectiveness factor

\({\Phi }_{MeOH}\) :

Association parameter for methanol (the value taken is 1.9)

\({\mu }_{MeOH}\) :

Methanol viscosity at liquid saturation temperature

\({\xi }_{2}\) :

Parameter that accounts for the differences among isomer viscosity of esters.

\(\sigma\) :

Kinematic viscosity

\({v}_{oil}\) :

Molar volume of the oil

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the financial support provided by IPN through research project SIP-Number 20220873.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Química E Industrias Extractivas, Av. Luis Enrique Erro S/N, Gustavo A. Madero, 07738, Ciudad de México, México

    Román Ramírez-López

  2. Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Mexicano para la Producción Más Limpia. Av. Acueducto S/N, La Laguna Ticomán, Gustavo A. Madero, 07340, Ciudad de México, México

    Ignacio Elizalde

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Ramírez-López, R., Elizalde, I. Numerical simulation of a heterogeneous catalytic batch reactor to produce biodiesel from vegetable oil. Reac Kinet Mech Cat 136, 637–651 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11144-023-02369-0

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