Automation of a Batch Reactor to obtain Biodiesel from recycled oil

Abstract

Introduction: Today, thanks to the innovation and development of new technologies, it is possible to automate industrial processes which help to improve the production process and generate a competitive market. Commercial and industrial companies in Ecuador have automated systems that are capable of facilitating work and obtaining quality products, reducing costs and increasing production. Methodology: For the development and execution of this project of Automation of a batch type reactor to obtain biodiesel in the Laboratory of Industrial Processes of the Faculty of Sciences, information on the production process, the reagents used, materials and necessary equipment. The following methods were applied: inductive, deductive and experimental. Results: The automation allowed the reduction of the time in the decantation phase by 81.25%; which helps the production time to also be reduced by 65.22% compared to 11 hours and 30 minutes when the process that was purely manual according to the tests obtained in the automation presents an improvement in the quality of the biodiesel. Conclusion: The performance of the automated reactor is notably increased by 287.5%. There is an operating equipment with low current consumption, a reduction in the amount of water used to wash the biodiesel and it has a constant agitation system. The volume yield of the biodiesel obtained is highly dependent on the quality of the recycled cooking oil and the purity of the methanol.