Design and feasibility studies on solar intensified biodiesel production process

Abstract

The rise of fuel usage over the decades and the emerging fuel crisis newlineare really shifting the focus of the world towards alternative aka renewable newlineforms of energy. Using renewable sources of energy will make sure that the newlinedevelopment is sustained for a longer period. Biodiesel is one of the promising newlinealternative fuels that can be used as a renewable source of energy mainly owing newlineto the production using renewable solar energy.Over exploitation of non-renewable energy reserves will lead to anincrease in the price of petroleum fuels. Therefore, there is a need for suitableand sustainable substitutes (renewable resource) for conventional fuels. In this study, an efficient and environmentally friendly method for production of newlinebiodiesel from Pongamia (Karanja) oil has been developed using a solar newlinereactor. During the experimental study with a solar reactor, the maximum newlinetemperature attained by the Pongamia oil with catalyst as NaOH during the newlinetransesterification process was 64.1°C. The transesterification reaction was newlinestudied by varying different parameters such as reactant flow rate (5 LPH, 8 newlineLPH, 14 LPH, 17 LPH and 20 LPH), stirring speed (150 rpm, 200 rpm, 250 newlinerpm, 300 rpm, 350 rpm, 400 rpm and 450 rpm), catalyst loading (0.5 wt%, 0.75 newlinewt%, 1 wt%, 1.5 wt% and 2 wt%) and methanol to oil ratio (3:1, 6:1, 9:1, 12:1 newlineto 15:1). The maximum biodiesel yield was 83.11% at a flow rate of 5 LPH, newlinestirring speed of 350 rpm, a methanol to oil ratio of 15:1, catalyst loading of newline1wt % and reaction time of 270 min. The physical and chemical properties of newlinebiodiesel was analyzed as per American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) newlinestandards and it had density of 938 kg/m3, viscosity (28.7 cSt), acid value (9.45 newlinemg KOH/g oil) and flash point (215°C). The energy efficiency of the solar newlineheating process was determined by comparing the net energy ratio of the direct newlineheating process and the solar heating process. For solar heating the net energy newline newline