Production of biodiesel using a continuous gas-liquid spray reactor

Abstract

It is acknowledged that the world has a limited supply of fossil fuels. Crude oil is a major source of energy in our society today; oil prices continue to increase, hitting new record highs with no signs of slowing down. This dependency has encouraged numerous countries to examine alternative energy sources such as wind, nuclear, and biofuels. The New Zealand Government has also shown much interest in developing biofuels and sales of biofuel such as bio-ethanol and biodiesel. A possible scenario suggested by the government is the use of 5% biodiesel per litre of diesel fuel which is also known as B5. New Zealand is a significant producer of animal fats and other agricultural based by-products, the majority of which is currently exported, as raw material without further processing. New Zealand companies can directly benefit by investing in the production of biodiesel as oil prices are rising and the demand for alternative fuels increases. With funding provided by Technology New Zealand, in partnership with Flo-Dry Engineering limited, and the University of Auckland this research examined successfully the production of biodiesel to meet New Zealand energy requirements. The overall aim of the project was to examine the production of biodiesel from feedstock available in New Zealand such as beef tallow. The primary focus was to improve the economic viability of the biodiesel process through an improved reaction mechanism. These improvements were made possible with the use of a continuous process using gas-liquid reaction.