TY - JOUR
T1 - Reactor technologies for biodiesel production and processing
T2 - a review
AU - Tabatabaei, Meisam
AU - Aghbashlo, Mortaza
AU - Dehhaghi, Mona
AU - Panahi, Hamed Kazemi Shariat
AU - Mollahosseini, Arash
AU - Hosseini, Mehdi
AU - Soufiyan, Mohamad Mojarab
PY - 2019/9/1
Y1 - 2019/9/1
N2 - Diesel engines are preferred over spark ignition counterparts for heavy-duty applications and power generation plants because of their higher efficiency, durability, and productivity. Currently, the research interests have been propelled towards renewable and sustainable diesel fuels such as biodiesel in order to address the environmental and energy security challenges associated with these energy systems. However, the most challenging issue concerning large-scale production of biodiesel is its relatively high cost over fossil-based diesel owing to high feedstock and manufacturing costs. Therefore, cost-effective and eco-friendly biodiesel production technologies should be necessarily developed and continuously improved in order to make this biofuel more competitive vs. its petroleum counterpart. Accordingly, this paper comprehensively reviews biodiesel manufacturing techniques from natural oils and fats using conventional and advanced technologies with an in-depth state-of-the-art focus on the utmost important unit, i.e., transesterification reactor. The effects of the main influential parameters on the transesterification process are first discussed in detail in order to better understand the mechanisms behind each reactor technology. Different transesterification reactors; e.g., tubular/plug-flow reactors, rotating reactors, simultaneous reaction-separation reactors, cavitational reactors, and microwave reactors are then scrutinized from the scientific and practical viewpoints. Merits and limitations of each reactor technology for biodiesel production are highlighted to guide future R&D on this topic. At the end of the paper, the sustainability aspects of biodiesel production are comprehensively discussed by emphasizing on the biorefinery concept utilizing waste-oriented oils.
AB - Diesel engines are preferred over spark ignition counterparts for heavy-duty applications and power generation plants because of their higher efficiency, durability, and productivity. Currently, the research interests have been propelled towards renewable and sustainable diesel fuels such as biodiesel in order to address the environmental and energy security challenges associated with these energy systems. However, the most challenging issue concerning large-scale production of biodiesel is its relatively high cost over fossil-based diesel owing to high feedstock and manufacturing costs. Therefore, cost-effective and eco-friendly biodiesel production technologies should be necessarily developed and continuously improved in order to make this biofuel more competitive vs. its petroleum counterpart. Accordingly, this paper comprehensively reviews biodiesel manufacturing techniques from natural oils and fats using conventional and advanced technologies with an in-depth state-of-the-art focus on the utmost important unit, i.e., transesterification reactor. The effects of the main influential parameters on the transesterification process are first discussed in detail in order to better understand the mechanisms behind each reactor technology. Different transesterification reactors; e.g., tubular/plug-flow reactors, rotating reactors, simultaneous reaction-separation reactors, cavitational reactors, and microwave reactors are then scrutinized from the scientific and practical viewpoints. Merits and limitations of each reactor technology for biodiesel production are highlighted to guide future R&D on this topic. At the end of the paper, the sustainability aspects of biodiesel production are comprehensively discussed by emphasizing on the biorefinery concept utilizing waste-oriented oils.
KW - Biodiesel
KW - Economic impacts and policies
KW - Intensification
KW - Reactor technology
KW - Sustainability
KW - Transesterification
KW - Air pollution
KW - Climate change
KW - Renewable energy
KW - Sustainable energy
KW - Environmental management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068423812&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pecs.2019.06.001
DO - 10.1016/j.pecs.2019.06.001
M3 - Review article
VL - 74
SP - 239
EP - 303
JO - Progress in Energy and Combustion Science
JF - Progress in Energy and Combustion Science
SN - 0360-1285
ER -