Biodiesel Washing Machine From Esterification Process Equipped With A Cooling System

Abstract

Biodiesel is a fuel that can be recycle, is easily obtained, and friendly to the environment. The production process of biodisesl is divided into four stages, they are the esterification process, cooling, washing and filtration. In this study, a biodiesel purifying machine was developed which is equipped with a cooling system. The cooling system uses a thermoelectric module attached to the delivery pipe from the esterification tank to the purifyer tank. The washing process begins with a pre-cooled hot oil deposition process for 20 minutes to obtain two phases of glycerol and crude biodiesel. The glycerol phase is removed by opening the valve at the bottom of the tank. After that the washing process takes place by mixing water and biodiesel. The mixture of water and distilled water was precipitated for 20 minutes and after that the dirty water was discharged through a valve driven by a servo motor. The purifying machine has been successfully developed and has been tested to perform the expected task. The test results show that the temperature sensor work well. Other tests were carried out on the accuracy of valves and flowmeters. The test results show that the test at low volume is relatively less accurate. Accurate results are obtained on testing volumes above 1500 ml. The purifying machine has been tested to perform the function of purifying crude biodiesel. The test results show that the washing process can take place well.