Continuous Process Transesterification

[Vivid Adventures Member Find all posts View Profile Close Vivid Adventures]

I'm interested in the potential for a continuous or semi-continous process for transesterifacation.

I notice that ABG are apparently using one:

http://www.abgbiodiesel.com/infosheets/our_process.pdf

although perhaps "Modular-continuous" is another way of saying "small batch" ...?

Does anyone know any more about this process?

Ciao for now
Andrew.

PS - I've just done some more exploration on their site, and their prospectus has some interesting info.

[Sauman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sauman]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

Hi ANDREW
Saw your post on a continuos plant.Well we have designed a 2~3 kl plant typically having the following parameters:
Commissioning & Trial Production : One Monthfficeffice" />>>
Quality Parameters of the finished product: As per ASTM standards (Annexure III )>>
Utilities & Chemical Consumption per KL:>>
Fuel : Fuel: 10 Liter
PoweElectricity: 10 Units
Water Water: 1 KL
Methanol : 150 Liter
Causticaustic Soda : 7 Kg
RecoRecovery : 1). Minimum 98% >>
2). Glycerin 13%
Methanol:4%

Cost of such a plant designed and fabricated FOB basis would be about $130,000 about half the cost of any such unit available worldwide.
I am looking forward to members of this forum to consider starting their own enterprise on a small scale business mode.
Any takers???

Cheers

Sauman Das Gupta B.sc,B.Tech,MIIChe
SIMPLE PLANT AND PROCESS SOLUTIONS Pvt Ltd
45/1Ajanta road
kolkata
west bengal
india-700075

P.S.:I am at the moment pursuing the huge market that India is and hence have shifted base from Aus.
If you give me your mail id I could send you a process block dia of the plants .wth

[shalinden Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close shalinden]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

Hi Sauman:
I would like to know if your design has been fully tested in pilot plant or commercial operations and the indicated prices is in Australian currency or other currency?

Regards
Adi Trikarso
Biofuel forum user i.d.: shalinden

[Terry Syd Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Terry Syd]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

There's lots of variations on making a continuous process. However, the more sophisticated ones use high pressure and high temperature in order to make the transesterification process complete in just seconds. Just try to imagine methanol at tempertures over its flash point - now imagine having a leak in your processor!

[Sauman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sauman]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

Thats so right terry.Simalteneous esterification and trans esterification takes place at 240deg C at 9000kpa.So the vessels have to designed as per pressure vessel codeAS1210 and all that.
In fact a continuous reactor design is complex.I will try and load a schematic of our reactor to give everyone an idea.How the file loads .
Cheers
Sauman

[liquidgold Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close liquidgold]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

I'm not sure if any of the following posts came close to giving a real good answer to the question in the first post

[ellas40 Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close ellas40]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

[Hi] am very interested in turning my batch process into continuous rpocess. Can you provide any process charts etc?
Graham

[Terry Syd Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Terry Syd]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

There's a difference between continuous flow processing and continuous batch processing. One of the early European systems (I think it may have been Bollareo) used a continuous batch system.

With a continuous batch system you are constantly making up low pressure and low heat batches and then sending them through centrifuges (cyclones) to seperate the glycerin, then on to the washing stages, again with centrifuges. This is a relatively safe design.

In continuous flow you are not making a batch, but are relying up very high heat, pressure and turbulence to complete the transesterification process in seconds. The biodiesel/glycerin is then sent on to the centrifuges like the above continuous batch processing system. Because of the high temperatures and pressure a continuous flow system must be very well designed and monitored with many safety precautions. Think of it as potential bomb, or a nuclear reactor.

A modular continuous design can take different feedstocks. A high FFA feedstock can be sent through a module that uses acid esterification prior to going on to the module for the caustic esterification. The entire process is monitored with sensors that constantly adjust the chemical reactions.

A continous flow process is not for the backyarders. However, it would be easy, and safer, for a small continuous batch system to be set up with centrifuges.

[ellas40 Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close ellas40]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

terry, where can I access more detailed info on the cen trifuges for both oil/glycerine and oil/waterseparation. Alpha laval are quoting $15000 each. Are there cheaper options available?

[Sauman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sauman]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

Hi Ellas
Have you considered buying second hand ones.
Lots of them I hear is floating around in Europe.
I am looking too.Cheaps ones don't work mind you.Burnt my hands a few times on them.Have you tried penwalt.I dont know wether they have a presence in Aus.
Apparently they make a smaller model.

Cheers

Sauman

[ellas40 Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close ellas40]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

Thanks..who is penwalt, and where? I have found a 400gal/hr alpha laval in the US for about AUS$6000, but am waiting to find cost of replacing 115v motor, and its condition etc. Also, I do not know enough about centriguges to know if this one will separate glycerine from fuel and water from washed fuel. If it will do both, tht would be ideal.

[Tubby Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close Tubby]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

How did you go with your search for a centrifuge ? This may help

http://www.cadence.com.au/directory/...s/Centrifuges/

[tim marshman Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close tim marshman]

Re: Continuous Process Transesterification

Hi,
im playing with a low pressuere OFR design at the moment. Also looking at supercritical methanol OFR. But the cost of SS flanges rated for 20 MPA ( approx 3000PSI) and 350deg is the killer. I have some suiatable shedule 160 316 pipe and suiatable pump but I need a QTY of Flanges. The other stumbling block is that to make things energy efficent I would need a heat exchange rated for that T&P on both the shell and tube side. And unless I get stupidly lucky im not going to find one I can aford. You are talking exotic materials for that T&P. So for the moment Im going with a low presure design for which I already have a good heat exchange and a 500L 6bar SS presure vessel for vaccume dewatering and methanol recovery

My big search at the moment is for a used centrifuge. I know of 2 that were purchased by Adelaide biodieselers ( who are you??) The only one I have found so far is too expensive at $9000 and bigger than I need.

If anyone is interested or can help me out please get in touch.

Also anyone using a centrifuge mid process to shift equalibrium?
Tim