Simulation analysis of methanol flash distillation circulation process in biodiesel production with supercritical method

doi:10.1007/s11708-010-0028-7

Front Energ

2011, Vol. 5

Issue (1) : 93-97 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-010-0028-7

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Simulation analysis of methanol flash distillation circulation process in biodiesel production with supercritical method

Zhengjiao TANG, Cunwen WANG(

), Weiguo WANG, Jia GUO, Yuanxin WU, Jinfang CHEN, Yigang DING

Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmacy, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430073, China

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Abstract

High methanol-to-oil ratio is required to obtain a high conversion of oil for the production of biodiesel with supercritical methanol. Recovering the methanol of a stream issuing from a transesterification supercritical reactor by flash distillation instead of evaporation was analyzed. The one-stage and two-stage flash distillation processes were presented and compared. The difference of the recovery percentage of methanol of the above two flash processes is less than 0.5% and the methanol concentration in the vapor for the one-stage process decreases rapidly when feed temperature increases. The process in which the product of transesterification of soybean oil with supercritical methanol is cooled to an appropriate temperature (about 240°C) first and then flashed was put forward. The effect of cooling temperature, feed pressure and flash pressure on methanol concentration and recovery percentage was investigated. According to this study, when the feed pressure range is 15–30 MPa, the flash pressure equals 0.4 MPa, and cooling temperature range is 240°C–250°C, the recovery percentage of methanol is not less than 85%, and the concentration of the vapor in mass fraction of methanol is approximately 99%. Thus, the vapor leaving the flash tank can be directly circulated to the transesterification reactor.

Keywords supercritical methanol biodiesel recovery flash distillation

Corresponding Author(s): WANG Cunwen,Email:wangcw118@hotmail.com

Issue Date: 05 March 2011

Cite this article:

Jia GUO,Yuanxin WU,Jinfang CHEN, et al. Simulation analysis of methanol flash distillation circulation process in biodiesel production with supercritical method[J]. Front Energ, 2011, 5(1): 93-97.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/10.1007/s11708-010-0028-7
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/Y2011/V5/I1/93

Tab.1 Fatty acid compositions in triglycerides of soybean oil (mass fraction)

Tab.2 Fatty acid methyl ester compositions of soybean methyl ester (mass fraction)

Tab.3 Prediction of critical properties and acentic factors

Fig.1 1—throttle valve; 2—flash tank
One-stage flash distillation process

Fig.2 1,3—throttle valves; 2,4—flash tanks
Two-stage flash distillation process

Fig.3 ?—15 MPa, 1-stage; ★—15 MPa, 2-stage; ?—25 MPa, 1-stage; ×—25 MPa, 2-stage
Recovery percentage of methanol for the two processes at various feed pressures

Fig.4 ?—15 MPa, 1-stage; ?—15 MPa, 2-stage;◆—25 MPa, 1-stage; ★—25 MPa, 2-stage
Concentrations of methanol in stream 3 for the two processes at various feed pressures

Fig.5 ?—, 15 MPa, 1-stage; ?—, 15 MPa, 2-stage; ◆—, 25 MPa, 1-stage; ★—, 25 MPa, 2-stage
Comparison of concentration of methanol of stream 3 for 1-stage and of stream 6 for 2-stage processes at various feed pressures

Fig.6 1—cooler; 2—throttle valves; 3—flash tank
Appropriate cooling-flashing process

Fig.7 Effect of cooling temperature and feed pressure on methanol recovery

Fig.8 Effect of cooling temperature and feed pressure on methanol recovery
(a) =15 MPa; (b) =25 MPa

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