Modeling and simulation of biodiesel synthesis in fixed bed and packed bed membrane reactors using heterogeneous...

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Catalysis
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Biodiesel production via transesterification is crucial for renewable energy.
• Heterogeneous catalysis offers advantages over homogeneous methods.
• Packed bed membrane reactors (PBMRs) present an alternative to traditional fixed bed reactors (FBRs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To model and simulate biodiesel synthesis using a PBMR with a solid catalyst.
• To compare the performance of a PBMR with an FBR for transesterification of triglyceride (TG).
• To investigate the effects of operational parameters on product yield and reactor efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Utilized kinetic data from open literature for canola oil transesterification with methanol over a solid tungstophosphoric acid catalyst.
• Developed a two-dimensional, heterogeneous model for the PBMR.
• Solved model equations using Matlab software to obtain velocity profiles and performance metrics.

Main Results:

• Identified optimal reaction conditions: 180°C, methanol to oil molar ratio of 15:1, and feed flow rate of 0.5 mL/min.
• Achieved 99.94% TG conversion in a PBMR of 86 cm length.
• An FBR requires 2.75 m length for the same conversion.
• PBMR demonstrated lower energy consumption (1313.24 kW) compared to FBR (1352.44 kW) for 8000 ton/y production.

Conclusions:

• PBMR is a more efficient reactor configuration for biodiesel synthesis compared to FBR.
• Optimized conditions and reactor design significantly enhance conversion and reduce energy requirements.
• Modeling and simulation provide valuable insights for industrial-scale biodiesel production optimization.