Abstract
An intensified three-step reaction-separation process for the production of bio-jet diesel from tryglycerides and petro-diesel mixtures is proposed. The intensified reaction-separation process considers three sequentially connected sections: (1) a triglyceride hydrolysis section with a catalytic heterogeneous reactor, which is used to convert the triglycerides of the vegetable oils into the resultant fatty acids. The separation of the pure fatty acid from glycerol and water is performed by a three-phase flash drum and two conventional distillation columns; (2) a co-hydrotreating section with a reactive distillation column used to perform simultaneously the deep hydrodesulphurisation (HDS) of petro-diesel and the hydrodeoxigenation (HDO), decarbonylation and decarboxylation of the fatty acids; and (3) an isomerization-cracking section with a hydrogenation catalytic reactor coupled with a two-phase flash drum is used to produce bio-jet diesel with the suitable fuel features required by the international standards. Intensive simulations were carried out and the effect of several operating variables of the three sections (triglyceride-water feed ratio, oleic acid-petro-diesel feed ratio, hydrogen consumption) on the global intensified process was studied and the optimal operating conditions of the intensified process for the production of bio-jet diesel were achieved.
Highlights
The area of process system engineering (PSE) has been rapidly developing since the 1950s, reflecting the remarkable growth of the oil, gas, petrochemical and biotechnological industries and their increasing economical and societal impact
In order to perform the deep hydrodesulphurisation of the sulphured petro-diesel and the reactions involved in the hydrodeoxigenation of the fatty acid, a two-zone reactive distillation column (RDC) is recommended [13]
By analysing the simulation results, it can be established that, a 1/9 triolein-water feed ratio guarantee the complete conversion of triolein to oleic acid at moderated pressures (30 atm) at the hydrolysis section
Summary
The area of process system engineering (PSE) has been rapidly developing since the 1950s, reflecting the remarkable growth of the oil, gas, petrochemical and biotechnological industries and their increasing economical and societal impact. An integrated reactive separation process for the production of jet-diesel was developed but the assumptions about the conversion of tryglycerides to fatty acids and the yield of isomerization-cracking of the linear hydrocarbon chains lead to an oversimplified reactive separation process [20]. The intensified three-step reactive separation process consist of: (1) a triglyceride hydrolysis section where a catalytic heterogeneous reactor is used to convert the triglycerides to the resultant fatty acids, followed by a three-phase separation device and a sequence of two distillation columns to obtain pure fatty acid and glycerol; (2) a hydrotreating section with a reactive distillation column used to simultaneously carried out the deep hydrodesulphurisation (HDS) of petro-diesel and the hydrodeoxigenation, decarbonylation and decarboxylation of the fatty acids; and (3) an isomerization-cracking section with a hydrogenation fixed bed reactor connected to a two phase flash separator to produce bio-jet diesel with the required fuel properties. It should be pointed out that the conversion and yield assumptions used in [20] are not considered here and the appropriate reaction kinetics found in the open literature [21,22] is used to perform the rigorous simulation of the intensified process
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