Biofuel Research Journal

Biofuel Research Journal

Development and evaluation of a novel low power, high frequency piezoelectric-based ultrasonic reactor for intensifying the transesterification reaction

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mortaza Aghbashlo 1
Meisam Tabatabaei 2, 3
Soleiman Hosseinpour 1
Seyed Sina Hosseini 1
Akram Ghaffari 2
Zahra Khounani 2, 3
Pouya Mohammadi 3
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering of Agricultural machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
2 Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
3 Biofuel Research Team (BRTeam), Karaj, Iran.
10.18331/BRJ2016.3.4.7
Abstract
In this study, a novel low power, high frequency piezoelectric-based ultrasonic reactor was developed and evaluated for intensifying the transesterification process. The reactor was equipped with an automatic temperature control system, a heating element, a precise temperature sensor, and a piezoelectric-based ultrasonic module. The conversion efficiency and specific energy consumption of the reactor were examined under different operational conditions, i.e., reactor temperature (40‒60 °C), ultrasonication time (6‒10 min), and alcohol/oil molar ratio (4:1‒8:1). Transesterification of waste cooking oil (WCO) was performed in the presence of a base-catalyst (potassium hydroxide) using methanol. According to the obtained results, alcohol/oil molar ratio of 6:1, ultrasonication time of 10 min, and reactor temperature of 60 °C were found as the best operational conditions. Under these conditions, the reactor converted WCO to biodiesel with a conversion efficiency of 97.12%, meeting the ASTM standard satisfactorily, while the lowest specific energy consumption of 378 kJ/kg was also recorded. It should be noted that the highest conversion efficiency of 99.3 %, achieved at reactor temperature of 60 °C, ultrasonication time of 10 min, and alcohol/oil molar ratio of 8:1, was not favorable as the associated specific energy consumption was higher at 395 kJ/kg. Overall, the low power, high frequency piezoelectric-based ultrasonic module could be regarded as an efficient and reliable technology for intensifying the transesterification process in terms of energy consumption, conversion efficiency, and processing time, in comparison with high power, low frequency ultrasonic system reported previously. Finally, this technology could also be considered for designing, developing, and retrofitting chemical reactors being employed for non-biofuel applications as well.

Graphical Abstract

Development and evaluation of a novel low power, high frequency piezoelectric-based ultrasonic reactor for intensifying the transesterification reaction

Highlights

  • A novel  low  power, high frequency piezoelectric-based  ultrasonic  reactor  was  investigated  for  the first  time  for  rapid  biodiesel  production.
  • 6:1 alcohol/oil molar ratio, 10 min sonication time, and 60 °C temperature as the optimal conditions.
  • Conversion  efficiency  of  97.12%  at  a  specific energy  consumption  of  as  low  as  378 kJ/kg  was achieved.
  • Promising replacement for high power, low frequency ultrasonic systems was introduced.

Keywords
Biodiesel
Transesterification process
Process intensification
Piezoelectric-based ultrasonic reactor
Low power, high frequency ultrasonic system
Specific energy consumption
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Biofuel Research Journal
Volume 3, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
Autumn 2016
Pages 528-535