Thermal and Fluid Dynamic Analysis within a Batch Micro-Reactor for Biodiesel Production from Waste Vegetable Oil

Maurizio Carlini, Sonia Castellucci and Andrea Mennuni
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Maurizio Carlini: Department of Economic, Engineering, Society and Business Organization (DEIM), Tuscia University, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Sonia Castellucci: Department of Economic, Engineering, Society and Business Organization (DEIM), Tuscia University, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Andrea Mennuni: Department of Economic, Engineering, Society and Business Organization (DEIM), Tuscia University, 01100 Viterbo, Italy

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 12, 1-14

Abstract: Biofuels represent an alternative solution to petroleum-based fuels. In particular, biodiesel is very interesting, especially if it is produced from waste vegetable oil. Biodiesel can be used in diesel engines. The aim of this work is to implement a 2D numerical analysis in Comsol Multiphysics in order to verify an uniform temperature field within a non-isothermal batch mixed micro-reactor. An immersion heater system has been studied as a suitable solution to increase the temperature of WVO (Waste Vegetable Oil) before the start of the transesterification reaction. Thus, the efficiency of the immersion heating system has been investigated. The results show that the temperature field is not uniform within the fluid domain, because of the convective flux with the external environment. These conditions could lead to a low overall conversion rate.

Keywords: waste vegetable oil; biodiesel; thermal analysis; CFD analysis; mixing process FEM simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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