An Improvement in Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil by Applying Thought Multi-Response Surface Methodology Using Desirability Functions

Marina Corral Bobadilla,Fátima Somovilla Gómez,Rubén Escribano García,Rubén Lostado Lorza,Eliseo Vergara González

doi:10.3390/en10010130

Marina Corral Bobadilla, Fátima Somovilla Gómez + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/en10010130

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Journal: Energies	Publication Date: Jan 21, 2017
Citations: 57	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of La Rioja, Leeds Beckett University

Abstract

The exhaustion of natural resources has increased petroleum prices and the environmental impact of oil has stimulated the search for an alternative source of energy such as biodiesel. Waste cooking oil is a potential replacement for vegetable oils in the production of biodiesel. Biodiesel is synthesized by direct transesterification of vegetable oils, which is controlled by several inputs or process variables, including the dosage of catalyst, process temperature, mixing speed, mixing time, humidity and impurities of waste cooking oil that was studied in this case. Yield, turbidity, density, viscosity and higher heating value are considered as outputs. This paper used multi-response surface methodology (MRS) with desirability functions to find the best combination of input variables used in the transesterification reactions to improve the production of biodiesel. In this case, several biodiesel optimization scenarios have been proposed. They are based on a desire to improve the biodiesel yield and the higher heating value, while decreasing the viscosity, density and turbidity. The results demonstrated that, although waste cooking oil was collected from various sources, the dosage of catalyst is one of the most important variables in the yield of biodiesel production, whereas the viscosity obtained was similar in all samples of the biodiesel that was studied.

Highlights

In recent scenarios, the consumption of energy has increased greatly due to the change in life styles and the significant growth of population
Biodiesel is synthesized by direct transesterification of vegetable oils, in which the economically. triglycerides
To prepare biodiesel by NaOH catalyzed transesterification, used cooking sunflower oils of domestic origin were collected from various local restaurants and used as raw materials

Summary

Introduction

The consumption of energy has increased greatly due to the change in life styles and the significant growth of population. This increase of energy demand has been supplied by the use of fossil resources, which is having a serious environmental impact on global warming and deforestation. Fossil fuels are limited sources of energy This increasing demand for energy has led to a search for an alternative, renewable fuel, such as biodiesel. Waste cooking oil could be a potential replacement for vegetable oils for the production of biodiesel due to its low raw material cost and because it solves the disposal problem [2,3]. The potential amount of waste cooking oil to be collected in Spain is estimated at 150 million liters per year [4]

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