Optimal Design of an Algae Oil Transesterification Process

摘要

An optimization strategy for designing processes to convert algae oils to biodiesel is introduced. In this brief paper, just a typical oil sample is used, grown experimentally using Nannochloropsis salina algae in salt water by Solix and transesterified using the Catilin solid T-300 acid catalyst. NIST thermophysical property data in ASPEN PLUS and literature data were used to estimate the properties of the chemical species. Approximate group contribution methods were used to estimate missing properties. A transesterification process was synthesized and simulated using ASPEN PLUS. For the transesterification reactor design, three reversible reactions were assumed. Because kinetic data were unavailable, pre-exponential factors and activation energies for the transesterification of palm oil were used, adjusted using residence-time data from Catilin for transesterification of an algal oil1. A USER2 FORTRAN subroutine was written to solve the CSTR mass balances. The process was heat integrated to reduce energy consumption. Next, the Aspen Process Economic Evaluator was used to estimate equipment sizes and purchase and installation costs. In this brief paper, just the results for a single case study are presented. In a full manuscript, the optimization strategy for selecting the best algal oil is presented.