Continuous Flow Biodiesel Reactor F07-59CFBIODSL

1. Continuous Flow Biodiesel Reactor F07-59CFBIODSL • Saluki Engineering Company Engineers: • Brett Seagle, Project Manager, ME • Edward Kramer, ME • Jeff Rohrich, ME • Shawn Robertson, ME • Kohki Ishii, ME • Cole Sheldon, ME • Faculty Technical Adviser: Dr. Kanchan Mondal

2. Outline • Executive Summary (Brett) • Discussion • Safety and Handling of Chemicals (Brett) • Chemical Management (Ed) • Input Tanks (Jeff) • Piping, Valves, & Fittings (Shawn) • Pumps (Kohki) • Mixing Tank (Brett) • Settling Tanks (Cole) • Plan to Complete Project (Jeff) • Tasks to be Performed • Designation of Principle Responsibilities • Projected Timeline • Resources Needed (Shawn) • Summary (Cole)

3. Executive Summary • Continuous Flow Biodiesel Reactor • All other biodiesel production systems have been batch style • Better Suited for industrial applications • Deliverables • Working Prototype • Complete set of instructions • Plan to scale up design • Team Responsibilities • Brett Seagle - Project Manager, Mixing Tank • Edward Kramer - Chemical Management • Jeff Rohrich - Input Tanks • Shawn Robertson - Piping, Valves, & Fittings • Kohki Ishii - Pumps • Cole Sheldon - Settling Tank • Total Estimated Cost: $482

4. Safety and Handling of Chemicals • Concerns When Working With Methanol • Health Problems • Type of alcohol (methyl alcohol CH4O) • Inhaling fumes (toxic fumes) • May cause blindness or even death • Highly flammable • Flame is clear • Low flash point (12 °C) • Higher vapor concentration at room temp • Concerns When Working With Sodium Hydroxide • Health Problems • Lye or caustic soda (NaOH) • Prevent skin contact and inhalation • Strong base (causes harmful burns) • Slightly unstable (collects moisture from air)

5. Chemical Management • 3 Major chemicals in reaction • Methanol • Sodium Hydroxide • Vegetable Oil • Oil composition • Reaction model • Reaction coefficients

6. Chemical Management • Titration • List of deliverables • Activities already accomplished

7. Input Tanks • Material Selection for Input Tanks • High Density Polyethylene Carboy (4 Liters) • Closed container • Transparent • Resistant to chemical properties of methanol • Inexpensive • Mixing Of Chemicals • Methoxide will be added to tank • Safety equipment (gloves, goggles, fume hood) • Methoxide will be at room temperature

8. Piping, Valves, and Fittings (courtesy of usplastics.com) (courtesy of usplastics.com) • Piping • Flexible polypropylene ¼” diameter • Flexible polypropylene 1” diameter • Fittings • Threaded fittings with barb ends to connect piping to valves and tanks • Rigid polypropylene or CPVC T-fitting to connect circulation tube to settling tanks

9. Piping, Valves, and Fittings (courtesy of usplastics.com) (courtesy of usplastics.com) • Valves • 2 Needle valves made of CPVC • Needle valves can be adjusted to achieve the very small flowrates required • Used to meter vegetable oil input and crude biodiesel output • 1 Three way valve CPVC • Directs flow between two settling tanks

10. Type – Peristaltic No contact between corrosive fluid and moving parts of the pump Uses compression to move fluid Adjustable flow rate by speed of rotor and size of tubing Two pumps One for mixing/circulation One for methoxide input Relatively inexpensive Cost between $80-$100 each Calibration Low flow rate for methoxide input Large flow rate for mixing/circulation Pumps Schematic Model Rotor Tube

11. Mixing Tank • Objective • Heating the Solution • Bringing the Solution to Steady State • Heating the Solution • Electrical Tape on Column and Tank if necessary • Optimal reacting temperature of 50 °C • Quickly heating the solution reduces reaction time • Bringing the Solution to Steady State • Baffles create turbulence through static mixing • Mixing blade not suited for our design • The Tank • The size of a 20-lb propane tank • Column has to be removable • Packing material on a perforated shelf inside the tank • Packing material increases agitation • ½˝ High Density Polyethylene Balls

12. Settling Tank • Objectives • Stratify biodiesel from glycerin • Separate biodiesel from glycerin • Flush glycerin once capacity is reached • Input Mixture will contain biodiesel, glycerin with dissolved methoxide, and some unreacted vegetable oil. • Biodiesel has a lower density than glycerin and will rise to the top • Over a span of 24 hours, biodiesel will overflow off the top as the glycerin level rises. • Once full, a valve will be switched to direct the input flow to fill the other tank so that the glycerin can be flushed.

13. Tasks to be Performed* • Make large batch of Methoxide • Fabricate Mixing Tank • Cut propane tank, fabricate packing shelf, & attach fabricated baffles • Fabricate Settling Tanks • Cut tubes and install fittings & valves • Test input tank flow rates • Build stand for pumps and tanks • Calibrate Pumps • Test quality of biodiesel * tasks to be completed in first 4 weeks

14. Designation of Principle Responsibilities • Chemical Management -Edward, ME • Input Tank -Jeff, ME • Piping, Valves, and Fittings -Shawn, ME • Peristaltic Pumps -Kohki, ME • Mixing Tank -Brett, ME • Settling Tank -Cole, ME

15. Projected Timeline

16. Resources Needed • Chemicals $100 • Input Tanks $12 • Mixing Tank $30 • Settling Tanks $70 • Piping, Valves, & Fittings $70 • Pumps $200 • Total $482 • Access to Machine Shop • Labor

17. Summary • Continuous Flow Biodiesel Reactor Consists of • Chemical Management • Input Tanks • Piping, Valves, & Fittings • Mixing Tank • Settling Tanks • Plan to Complete Project • Tasks to be Performed • Designation of Principle Responsibilities • Proposed Timeline • Resources Needed • $ 482 for supplies • Access to Machine Shop