May 5, 2015 Team 14: GRE-cycleTeam 14: GRE-cycle

The Team Left to right: Colton Walker, Ben Guilfoyle, Hannah Albers, Melanie Thelen 1/10

Introduction Need for renewable fuels Waste product feed No ethical implications Full-scale production 9.5 million gallons/year Proof of concept Proces s Pre-Treatment Reactor Simulation Economics Introduction 2/10 Takeaways

Process Flow Diagram Proces s Pre-Treatment Reactor Simulation EconomicsIntroduction 3/10 Takeaways NaOH

Pre-Treatment ▪Restaurant grease modeled as soybean oil with 29% free fatty acids (FFA) ▪FFA esterified to biodiesel –Plug-flow reactor –3.5 m 3 –1% FFA ▪Membrane filtration ▪Methanol recovery via distillation Process Pre-Treatment Reactor Simulation EconomicsIntroduction 4/10 Takeaways

Pre-Treatment Reactor Volume Process Pre-Treatment Reactor Simulation EconomicsIntroduction 5/10 Takeaways

Distillation Tower ▪Key Specs –9 trays –1.5 reflux ratio Process Pre-Treatment Reactor Simulation EconomicsIntroduction 6/10 Takeaways

Main Reactor ▪Plug-flow via Polymath and UNISIM –NaOH catalyst –96% soybean oil conversion –1.5 m3 ▪2 membrane filters and setting tank ▪>99% methanol recovery ProcessPre-Treatment Reactor Simulation EconomicsIntroduction 7/10 Takeaways

Simulation UniSim (continuous process) SuperPro Designer (batch) Polymath (kinetics) UniSim SuperPro Designer Pretreatment Reactor Reactor Type BatchPFR % Conversion Volume (m 3 ) AgitationYesNo Cost$18,145$7,520 ProcessPre-Treatment Reactor Simulation EconomicsIntroduction 8/10 Takeaways

Economics Guthrie analysis used to estimate costs 10% rate of return Economic advantage over competitors $3.41/gallon Not profitable without gov’t subsidy ProcessPre-Treatment Reactor Simulation Economics Introduction 9/10 Takeaways Total Capital Costs $ 9,279, Total Hourly Costs $ 4, Total Hourly Income $ 6, Total Hourly Profit $ 1, Total Yearly Profit $ 8,595,353.28

Takeaways Data not always readily available Not one “right” answer Communication Simulation does not equal reality Alternative energy still needs improvement ProcessPre-Treatment Reactor Simulation EconomicsIntroduction 10/10 Takeaways

Acknowledgments Professor Jeremy VanAntwerp Randy Elenbaas Doug Elenbaas Calvin Dining Services Professor Baker Professor Looyenga

Questions

Back-Up Slides

Pre-Treatment Reactor ProcessPre-Treatment Reactor SimulationEconomics Introduction 5/7

Materials of Construction VesselMOC Feed Storage TankCarbon Steel Methanol 1 Storage TankCarbon Steel Sulfuric Acid Storage TankStainless Steel 316 NaOH Storage TankRubber lined Carbon Steel Methanol 2 Storage TankCarbon Steel Biodiesel Storage TankCarbon Steel Glycerin Storage TankCarbon Steel Mixer-100Carbon Steel Mixer-101Stainless Steel Lined Carbon Steel Mixer-102Carbon Steel Mixer-103Carbon Steel Distillation ColumnStainless Steel 316 Membrane 1Stainless Steel Lined Carbon Steel Membrane 2Carbon Steel 3-Phase SeparatorCarbon Steel Pre-Treatment ReactorStainless Steel Lined Carbon Steel Transesterification ReactorCarbon Steel

Feed Composition Fatty AcidsWCOSoybean OilSunflower oilJatrophas OilLinseed Oil Linoleic Acid43.85%43-56%44-75%19-41%17-24% Linolenic Acid4.65%5-11% % Oleic Acid33.75%22-34%14-35%37-63%12-34% Palmitic Acid13.62%7-11%3-6%12-17%4-7% Stearic Acid4.14%2-6%1-3%5-9.5%2-5%

TypeDescriptionAdvantagesDisadvantages Batch tank with agitation handles variable feed compositionslong total reaction time increased conversion with agitationcomplex control system low capital costs Simple Plug-Flow (PFR) tubular reactor with no radial dispersion high conversionhigher volume reactor is necessary compatible with liquid catalysts less complex control system Simple Packed Bed (PBR) tubular reactor with solid catalyst compatible with CaO, heterogeneous catalystsnot compatible with liquid catalyst Simplelong tube lengths long residence time required requires catalyst regeneration Continuous stirred tank (CSTR) vessel with agitation; continuous simple several reactors in series needed for high conversion Membrane membrane selectively permeable to methanol and biodiesel product eases downstream separationsmembrane must be occasionally replaced variable materials of constructionlong reaction time low operating costs handles variable FFA content Micro-reactor PFR with smaller channels made from plastic resins to mitigate corrosionlower FFA content required high conversion with shorter reaction times Microwave batch process that heats reactants through microwave radiation high conversion with shorter reaction timesdifficult to scale up to industrial size difficult kinetic modeling Type DescriptionAdvantagesDisadvantages Cavitational continuous reactors that generate cavities that grow and collapse to create emulsions lower methanol:oil ratio; easier downstream separation difficult to scale up to industrial size increased mass transfer; high conversionhigher energy requirement higher operating cost Oscillatory Baffled (OBR) PFRs with evenly spaced baffles and oscillating flow throughput compatible with homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts higher energy requirement increased mass transfer; high conversionhigher operating/maintenance costs some have built-in methanol recovery system Reactive Distillation reaction and methanol separation take place in distillation column Eases downstream separationscomplex control system average conversionhigh operating/maintenance costs high energy requirements incompatible with feedstock

Transesterification Kinetics