Team 14: GRE-cycleStatus Update

12/1/14

The Team

Cole Walker Ben Guilfoyle Hannah Albers Melanie Thelen

The Problem The Project Design Norms Pre-treatment Reactor Post-treatment Obstacles

The Problem

• Restaurant grease is a waste

• Often recycled back into clean grease

• Potential for greater use

http://www.energy4me.org/images2010/source_petroleum.jpg

The Problem The Project Design Norms Pre-treatment Reactor Post-treatment Obstacles

Our Project• Biodiesel Production Plant

• Feed: Restaurant Grease

• Customer: Diesel Distributors

Slide 3/6

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0103-50532013000100004&script=sci_arttext

The Problem The Project Design Norms Pre-treatment Reactor Post-treatment Obstacles

Resources

Industrial Consultant: Randy ElenbaasSam StrongPast Senior Design Teams• FAME :full scale plant• Rinnova and Diesel Crew: lab-scale

The Problem The Project Design Norms Pre-treatment Reactor Post-treatment Obstacles

Design Norms

• Stewardship

• Transparency

• Caringhttp://www.biodieselmagazine.com/uploads/posts/web/2011/01/12948046006374.JPG

The Problem The Project Design Norms Pre-treatment Reactor Post-treatment Obstacles

Pretreatment

Filter Alternatives • Centrifuge

-Good for solid/liquid separation-Commonly used Biodiesel production applications-Heterogeneous liquid

• Vertical Pressure Leaf Filter-Used for low solid content applications-Homogeneous liquid

Design Decision: Vertical Pressure Leaf Filter

The Problem The Project Design Norms Pre-treatment Reactor Post-treatment Obstacles

Pretreatment

Acid Treatment• Methanol• Sulfuric acid catalyst

• Less than 1% FFA content in product

The Problem The Project Design Norms Pre-treatment Reactor Post-treatment Obstacles

Transesterification ReactorKey Alternatives• Batch

• Microwave

• Oscillatory Baffled

• Inexpensive• Long residence time

• High conversion• Difficulty in scaling up

• High conversion• Ease of separation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batch_reactor

The Problem The Project Design Norms Pre-treatment Reactor Post-treatment Obstacles

Reaction Catalyst

Key Alternatives• Homogeneous

• Heterogeneous

• Inexpensive• Easy to use

• Easier separation• Regeneration

http://www.evoqua.com/en/products/activated_carbon/granular_activated_carbon_gac/Pages/aquacarb_product_%20page.aspx

The Problem The Project Design Norms Pre-treatment Reactor Post-treatment Obstacles

Separation

Glycerol Separation• Filtration• Settling Tank

Methanol Recovery• Distillation• Pervaporation

https://controls.engin.umich.edu/wiki/index.php/DistillationModel

The Problem The Project Design Norms Pre-treatment Reactor Post-treatment Obstacles

Obstacles Overcome

• Thorough literature search• Initial cost estimate: plant is feasible• Lab work to determine grease

composition

Questions?