INNOVATION OF PROJECT

When we make biodiesel, slow reaction kinetics and poor mass transfer are lowering biodiesel
plant capacity and biodiesel yield and quality. Hielscher ultrasonic reactors improve the
transesterification kinetics significantly. Therefore lower excess methanol and less catalyst are
required for biodiesel processing.
Biodiesel is commonly produced in batch reactors using heat and mechanical mixing as energy
input. Ultrasonic cavitational mixing is an effective alternative means to achieve a better mixing
in commercial biodiesel processing. Ultrasonic cavitation provides the necessary activation
energy for the industrial biodiesel transesterification.
Manufacturing biodiesel from vegetable oils (e.g. soy, canola, jatropha, sunflower seed) or
animal fats, involves the base-catalyzed transesterification of fatty acids with methanol or
ethanol to give the corresponding methyl esters or ethyl esters. Glycerin is an inevitable
byproduct of this reaction.
Vegetable oils as animal fats are triglycerides composed of three chains of fatty acids bound by
a glycerin molecule. Triglycerides are esters. Esters are acids, like fatty acids, combined with an
alcohol. Glycerine (= glycerol) is a heavy alcohol. In the conversion process triglyceride esters
are turned into alkyl esters (= biodiesel) using a catalyst (lye) and an alcohol reagent, e.g.
methanol, which yields methyl esters biodiesel. The methanol replaces the glycerin.
The glycerine the heavier phase will sink to the bottom. Biodiesel the lighter phase floats
on top and can be separated, e.g. by decanters or centrifuges. This conversion process is called
transesterification.
The conventional esterification reaction in batch processing tends to be slow, and phase
separation of the glycerin is time-consuming, often taking 5 hours or more.

Today, biodiesel is primarily produced in batch reactors. Ultrasonic biodiesel processing

allows for the continuous inline processing.Ultrasonication can achieve a biodiesel

yield in excess of 99%. Ultrasonic reactors reduce the processing time from the
conventional 1 to 4 hour batch processing to less than 30 seconds. More important,
ultrasonication reduces the separation time from 5 to 10 hours (using conventional agitation) to
less than 60 minutes. The ultrasonication does also help to decrease to amount of catalyst
required by up to 50% due to the increased chemical activity in the presence of cavitation. When
using ultrasonication the amount of excess methanol required is reduced, too. Another benefit is
the resulting increase in the purity of the glycerin.

INNOVATION OF PROJECT
Ultrasonic processing of biodiesel involves the following steps:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

the vegetable oil or animal fat is being mixed with the methanol (which
makes methyl esters) or ethanol (for ethyl esters) and sodium or
potassium methoxide or hydroxide
the mix is heated, e.g. to temperatures between 45 and 65degC
the heated mix is being sonicated inline for 5 to 15 seconds
glycerin drops out or is separated using centrifuges
the converted biodiesel is washed with water

Costs of Ultrasonic Biodiesel Manufacturing

Ultrasonication is an effective means to increase

the reaction speed and conversion rate in the commercial biodiesel
processing. Ultrasonic processing costs result mainly from the investment
for ultrasonic equipment, utility costs and maintenance. The outstandingenergy
efficiency (click chart to the right) of Hielscher ultrasonic devices helps to reduce
the utility costs and by this to make this process even greener. The resulting
costs for the ultrasonication vary between 0.1ct and 1.0ct per liter (0.4ct to
1.9ct/gallon) when used in commercial scale.