Superstructure Optimization of Biodiesel Production from Continuous Stirred Tank and Membrane Reactors

Abstract

Abstract This work presents a superstructure model with the objective to maximize the total profit of biodiesel production by reducing the production cost and increasing the value of the by-product glycerol. The heat integration of the superstructure model is a novel feature which allows further reduction of utility costs and energy consumption of the biodiesel separation. The superstructure model is used to optimize two biodiesel production scenarios from a conventional continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and a membrane reactor (MR). The superstructure optimization is solved with Advanced Interactive Multidimensional Modeling System (AIMMS) software. The annual profit of the new optimized production pathway for the conventional reactor is 840,606 $. The biodiesel production pathway with the membrane reactor consumed 70% less energy than the conventional reactor. However, the production cost of the MR is nearly two times higher than the CSTR due to the low biodiesel yield of the membrane reactor. The results show the potential to improve traditional biodiesel production and make intensified production methods more viable with the superstructure optimization.