Abstract
Biodiesel fuels are considered an alternative to fossil fuels. This is one of the effective means of transferring solar energy to dynamic energy via photosynthesis. It is also being considered in order to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide production worldwide. Biodiesel fuels are a renewable, biodegradable, and clean energy source. Producing enough biofuels to replace fossil fuels will bring the advantages of reduced air pollution and reduced other environmental impacts of fossil fuels. In this study, the response surface methodology (RSM) was used to design the experimental runs and to discuss the manufacturing variables on the transesterification of palm oil into fatty acid methyl ester (i.e. biodiesel fuel). The variation of the degree of effect for each variable in the transesterification process was observed. A second-order model was obtained to predict the yield of biodiesel fuel and the viscosity as a function of the reaction time, the mass fraction of catalyst in methanol and the molar ratio of methanol to plant oil. The experimental data of the yield and the viscosity of biodiesel fuels in different manufacturing variables are discussed in this study. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also applied to discuss the main factor and interaction factor effects of the manufacturing variables on the responses of the yield of unrefined biodiesel fuels. The shortage of farmland in Taiwan is a problem that needs to be solved before mass propagation of biofuels can be accomplished. In southeastern Asia, there are many farms and most energy farm products are cultivated (e.g. palm oil or Jatropha oil). In addition to sunflowers and soybeans in Taiwan, those energy farm products are possible choices for production of biodiesel fuel in Taiwan. The cooperation between Indonesia and Taiwan on the plantation of palm or Jatropha trees in Indonesia has conducted and will be one of the possible ways to solve the problem of the shortage of energy farm products in Taiwan.
Highlights
Biodiesel fuels are gradually considered as an important renewable energy
The objectives of this study are to report the experimental works by using the statistic principles of factorial design and response surface methodology (RSM) for the analysis of variances, which is rare in the literature, especially for the systemic discussion of manufacturing variables and the interactions between variables in the transesterification process
Since the effects of manufacturing variables on the response variables discussed by the statistical method have gradually attracted interest in recent years [5], the factorial design and RSM was applied in this study
Summary
Biodiesel fuels are gradually considered as an important renewable energy. As can be found in the open literature, biodiesel fuels can be used in most diesel engines without any modification [1]-[3]. To convert the 220,000 hectares of fallow farmlands to cultivation of energy plants as a means of helping the economies of the farm villages and of solving problems in agriculture, environmental impact, and the energy shortage. In 2008, the government plans to cultivate 20,000 hectares of energy farm products to produce 9000 tons of biodiesel fuel and to propagate 41,000 tons of biodiesel fuel in Taiwan. To reduce the fossil fuel crisis and environmental impact, the propagation of biodiesel fuels is considered Since it can replace fossil fuels, solve the air pollution problem, and reduce the production of carbon dioxide, the Environmental Protection Administration, the Bureau of Energy, and the Council of Agriculture are trying to promote the production of biodesel fuels as an important cooperative issue
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