TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimization of a novel liquid-phase plasma discharge process for continuous production of biodiesel
AU - Wu, Sarah
AU - Deng, Shaobo
AU - Zhu, Jun
AU - Bashir, Muhammad Aamir
AU - Izuno, Forrest
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019
PY - 2019/8/10
Y1 - 2019/8/10
N2 - The conventional transesterification process employed in biodiesel production from vegetable oils is not only a time-consuming process but operated under raised temperatures. A novel liquid-phase plasma discharge process was developed and evaluated in this study. The process could continuously convert soybean oil to biodiesel under room temperature at a much faster rate than the conventional method. Two feeding flowrates (2.7 ml s−1 and 4.1 ml s−1) were used in the experiments. Methanol to oil molar ratio, Rmomr, and NaOH to oil weight ratio, RNaOWR, were each examined at five levels (3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 for Rmomr, and 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 wt% for RNaOWR). Central Composite Design and Response Surface Methodology to optimize the conversion rate and applied voltage was conducted. At the flowrate of 2.7 ml s−1, the optimal values of Rmomr, RNaOWR, conversion rate, and applied voltage were 5.08, 0.79 wt%, 97.2%, and 1.17 kV, respectively. While at 4.1 ml s−1, these values became 5.18, 0.70 wt%, 99.74%, and 1.27 kV. All regression models generated by the Central Composite Design and Response Surface Methodology fitted the experimental data well. The biodiesel produced by the novel liquid-phase plasma discharge process met the industrial quality standards (ASTM Standards).
AB - The conventional transesterification process employed in biodiesel production from vegetable oils is not only a time-consuming process but operated under raised temperatures. A novel liquid-phase plasma discharge process was developed and evaluated in this study. The process could continuously convert soybean oil to biodiesel under room temperature at a much faster rate than the conventional method. Two feeding flowrates (2.7 ml s−1 and 4.1 ml s−1) were used in the experiments. Methanol to oil molar ratio, Rmomr, and NaOH to oil weight ratio, RNaOWR, were each examined at five levels (3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 for Rmomr, and 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 wt% for RNaOWR). Central Composite Design and Response Surface Methodology to optimize the conversion rate and applied voltage was conducted. At the flowrate of 2.7 ml s−1, the optimal values of Rmomr, RNaOWR, conversion rate, and applied voltage were 5.08, 0.79 wt%, 97.2%, and 1.17 kV, respectively. While at 4.1 ml s−1, these values became 5.18, 0.70 wt%, 99.74%, and 1.27 kV. All regression models generated by the Central Composite Design and Response Surface Methodology fitted the experimental data well. The biodiesel produced by the novel liquid-phase plasma discharge process met the industrial quality standards (ASTM Standards).
KW - Biodiesel
KW - Liquid-phase plasma discharge
KW - Soybean oil
KW - System optimization
KW - Transesterification
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.311
DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.311
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85065077404
SN - 0959-6526
VL - 228
SP - 405
EP - 417
JO - Journal of Cleaner Production
JF - Journal of Cleaner Production
ER -