Researchers from the Masdar Institute in the UAE have developed a reactor that can produce biodiesel in a continuous process in less time and with less energy than conventional reactors.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a team of researchers from the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in collaboration with Tadweer – Abu Dhabi’s Center of Waste Management, are testing a novel integrated chemical reactor to produce biodiesel from waste fats and used cooking oil (UCO). Developed by the Masdar Institute, the prototype reactor can produce biodiesel in a continuous process in less time and with less energy than conventional biodiesel reactors. The reactor integrates mixing by ultrasound agitation, flow mixing by a static mixer, and separation, recovery and purification for efficient conversion UCO into its two main components biodiesel and glycerol.
According to the researchers the process can produce 50 litres per hour of high quality biodiesel continuously, yielding much less of the unwanted glycerol than the high-power mixing method. The reactor’s small and compact size, occupying about 85 percent less space than a typical 500 litre industrial batch reactor, makes biodiesel production accessible for a large number of organisations while adding additional reactors increases the output. It has also been tested to convert algal oil, non-edible vegetable oil and tallow from meat processing facilities.
The potential of biodiesel for the UAE is particularly good given that the country produces an estimated 20 litres of UCO per person per year that could be transformed into biodiesel. Currently, the Masdar Institute team is leveraging their novel chemical reactor to convert UCO collected through a community initiative in Abu Dhabi’s Al Raha Gardens into biodiesel.
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