Optimization and Control of Continuous Biodiesel Production Processes: A Review

Biodiesel is an eco-friendly, low-toxicity biofuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, making it a promising alternative to fossil fuels. Biodiesel production requires the transesterification of lipids with alcohol, a process heavily dependent on efficient catalyst and optimized reactor design. Batch-type reactors present challenges such as extended residence time, high operating expenses, significant energy consumption with limited production efficiency. To address these issues, scientists are currently concentrating on continuous flow biodiesel production methods. Current studies on biodiesel production have concentrated on utilizing process intensification methods to tackle major challenges. These methods involves novel reactor configurations and combined reaction/separation procedure that boost the reaction speeds, decrease the alcohol-to-oil ratio, in-situ product separation, and minimize energy usage. With the help of these advancements, continuous production in scalable units has become feasible, leading to the successful commercialization of various technologies. Building on these advancements, this review examines two decades of research on continuous biodiesel production, exploring process simulation, optimization, and control aspects. It further delves into strategies for process intensification, scale-up methodologies, and techno-economic analysis, offering a comprehensive understanding of the field's progress and future potential.