1. Chris Leech, Cody Cleaver, Ahmad Majzoub,
Warren Furnival, Helen Lockhart
University of Western Ontario
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
CBE 4497 Plant Process and Design

2. P-103 A/B
S-302
ST-301 ST-302
MX-301
ESTER-301
ESTER-302
HX-301
0.1
S-308
0.1
ES/Out S-311 CENT-301
HX-302
HX-303
0.4
S-316
REMEOH
METHANOL
S-303
CATALYST WZA
S-304
SEP1-TOP S-313
SEP1-BOT
RCU-301
0.1
S-342
GLY-H20
CENT-302
WASTE ST-305
FATTYM
GLY-H20
HX-306
CD-303
GLY-H20
0.4
S-356
HX-307
0.4
S-349
CENT-303
HX-312
VDRYER-301
S-337
OIL TRUCK-305
HX-310
0.1
S-364
0.1S-312
VAP ST-301
S-338
0.1
S-340
HX-304
CD-301
HX-305
CD-302
GS-301/3
0.1
S-322
MX-302
0.4
S-343
Dist-301
0.1
S-323
0.1
S-320
0.1
0.1
S-321
0.1
0.4
SEP-302
0.4
S-353
S-354
0.4
S-351
0.4
S-352
0.1
S-335
S-336
MBTE Storage Tank
P-301
S-306
0.1
S-319
DCV-301
P-302
P-303
S-362
P-301
S-314
S-341
0.1
PV-304
0.1
S-324 S-325
Section 300- Transesterification
0.4 307
0.1
S-344
S-345
P-304
S-348
SP-301
SP-302
SP-303
0.1
S-363
P-303
Oil from Extraction
Section
Mem-301
0.4
S-310
Fatty Storage-301
0.1
S-309
FD-301
S-329
0.1
S-330
S-327
0.1
S-328
S-326
CSTR-301
S-357
GLYCERIN
MX-303
S-355
M-304
0.1
S-332
Vacuum Flash-301
S-339
S-358
0.1
S-360
0.1
S-361
0.4
S-350
S-346
S-347
S-333
S-334
S-301
S-307
0.4
S-305
333
0.1
S-318
S-331
0.1 298
0.2
0.1 0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1 0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.4
0.1
1.72
298
298 298
298
298 298
320
300
380
350
298
298
0.4
333
300
298
298
370
298
298
318
298
298
318
370
318
370
306
333
298
298
298
298
298
298
298 333
333
333
330
370
298
298
298
298
330
298
298
298
298
370
289
330
306
0.4 306
300
0.1 300
S-315
298
298
298
S-317
CW ST-308
S-364
S-365
MV-301
0.1
298

3. FAME
Glycerol
WVO
Methanol

4.  Glycerol-based fuel additive assists
 Decreasing in particulate emissions
 Act as cold-flow improvers
 Viscosity reducer

5.  C57H104O6 + 3CH3OH ↔ 3C19H36O2 + C3H5(OH)3
 TotalVolumetric Flowrate = 18,500 L/day
Residence time= 2.2 hrs

6. Potential Problems
 Problem with high viscosity in algal oil when being treated
 Formation of acrolein
 highly toxic substance formed by thermal decomposition of
Glycerol
 Glycerol-based fuel additive increases
biodiesel quality/commercial value
 Substrate used is Isobutylene
 Etherification is the transformation process
 Catalyst used: Amberlyst-15
Benefits

7.  Minimizing environmental impact of waste
streams
 Only one waste stream: waste water
 Our methanol is fully recycled and reused
 Glycerol utilized as fuel additive instead of
waste stream

8.  CSTR vs Batch Reactor
 Utilizing methanol vs ethanol as alcohol
 Membrane vs Centrifuge
Catalyst
Acid
AlkalineEnzyme
Not influenced by FFA
Saponification
Not used commercially
Sensitivity to purity
of reactants
Research
Slower reaction

9. Assumptions
 97% conversion is achieved
 Recycled vent gasses are mostly
methanol
 Reference temp.= 25oC (298.15K)
 Cp values calculated with empirical
formulas
 2:1 height to diameter ratio
 Plant height restriction at 5 m

10.  H:D ratio is 2:1, or R = 2
 WhereV is the volume (m3), and the height H
is given by:

11.  The power requirement [W] :
 Therefore, the number of impellers (Ni ,rpm) was found using
the correlation given in Haynes (2004):
 Where k2 is the proportionality constant, ρ is the average fluid density,
and Di is the impeller diameter.

13.  Volume of reactor = 12.6 m3
 Conical shape for bottom of reactor
 volume =0.5 m3 ,height = 0.5 m and diameter =
2 m
 Unit Cost: $59,800
 Width of baffle: 0.09 m
 Type of Impeller: RushtonTurbine
 Baffles: Carbon SteelType 405
 Blades: Carbon SteelType 410
 Material: Austenitic Stainless Steel (IS: 1570-
1961)
 Wall thickness: 135.91 mm

14.  Simple FeedbackTop Control
 Flow controller forAlgal
Oil/Methanol/WZA
volumetric flow
 Level Controller utilized to
prevent overflow
 TemperatureTransmitter
maintains temp. at 65C
 Supervisory Process Control
allows all units to relay
information to Process Logic
Controller
 Pneumatic valves set up for
temp. and pressure
regulation

15.  Glycerol-based fuel additive assists
 Decreasing in particulate emissions
 Act as cold-flow improvers
 Viscosity reducer
 CommercialValue for:
 Biodiesel reformulation
 Octane booster
 Decrease cloud point of diesel fuel when blend
with biodiesel

16. Total Equipment Cost $13,162,500
Total Capital
Investment
$11,210,000

17. Price $/tonne Price USD
FAME 868.21 7,000,000
Glycerol 680.00 710,000
Tax Exemptions 200.35 1,603,000
Annual Sales
Revenue
$9,250,000
Price $/gallons
FAME 2.95
Glycerol

18. Expenses
Direct 5,690,000
Indirect 443,000
General 1,030,000
AnnualTotal Expense $7,160,000
Annual Net Income 2,080,000
Payback Period 5.4 years
Return on Investment 18.6%