Development of high-efficiency acid-catalyzed process for biodiesel production from high free fatty acid feedstock

生物柴油作为石油柴油的替代品，目前正受到极大的关注，因为它是一种可再生能源，其燃烧有助于减少空气污染物的排放。目前，生物柴油的生产几乎完全依赖于优质、昂贵的原料转化，如初榨植物油，导致生物柴油产品价格昂贵。利用高游离脂肪酸含量的劣质原料，如废弃食用油和动物脂肪，可以降低生物柴油的高价。这种原料通常便宜得多，其可用性不受作物生长变量的直接影响，如干旱，早霜，歉收和生物害虫。然而，加工这种原料确实存在技术挑战，因为在实际燃料生产之前必须去除或预处理游离脂肪酸。本研究的最终目标是开发高效、低成本的以高游离脂肪酸含量的低成本原料生产生物柴油的技术。该研究将缓解甚至消除目前使用的催化过程的缺点。预期的研究成果是优化设计和操作的最佳实践，创新的生物柴油转化的高效反应器，新的催化剂回收工艺，材料选择和腐蚀控制指南，以及节能策略。这些将使酸催化生物柴油工艺在技术上和经济上对高游离脂肪酸原料是可行的。研究成果将惠及当地社区、萨斯喀彻温省乃至整个加拿大，有助于降低空气污染对人类健康的风险，培养当地专业人才，增加高素质人才，创造就业机会，提高废物回收利用和可再生能源利用的意识，最终帮助加拿大实现可持续发展，减少对化石燃料的依赖。

Biodiesel is presently gaining a great deal of interest as an alternative to petroleum diesel since it is a renewableenergy source of which the combustion contributes to much less emissions of air pollutants. It can easily beused by itself or as a blend with petroleum diesel in unmodified diesel engines and in a variety of applications.Today, the production of biodiesel relies almost exclusively on the conversion of high quality and expensivefeedstock, such as virgin vegetable oil, thus leading to high price of biodiesel product. The high price ofbiodiesel could be reduced by using low quality feedstock that has high free fatty acid contents, such as wastecooking oil and animal fat. Such feedstock is typically much less expensive and its availability is not directlyaffected by crop growing variables, such as drought, early frost, poor harvest and biological pests. However,processing this feedstock does present a technical challenge since the free fatty acids must be removed orpreconditioned prior to the actual fuel production. The ultimate objective of this proposed research is todevelop high-efficiency and cost-effective technologies for biodiesel production from low-cost feedstock withhigh free fatty acid contents. The proposed research will alleviate or even eliminate shortcomings ofacid-catalyzed process currently used. Anticipated research outcomes are best practices for optimal design andoperation, an innovative high-efficiency reactor for biodiesel conversion, a new catalyst recovery process,guidelines on material selections and corrosion control, and energy saving strategy. These would make theacid-catalyzed biodiesel process technically and economically viable for high free fatty acid feedstock. Theresearch outcomes would benefit local community, the province of Saskatchewan and also Canada at large.They would help reduce risk to human health due to air pollution, build local expertise, increase highlyqualified personnel, create jobs, raise an awareness of waste recycle & utilization and renewable energyutilization, and ultimately help Canada to become more sustainable and less dependent on fossil fuels.