Pilot Plant of Biodiesel Production from Waste Cooking Oil

Biodiesel, as an alternative auto fuel for conventional fossil fuel, has drawn wide attention in recent years. In this research, a two-step process for biodiesel production using waste cooking oil as feedstock was studied in a pilot plant with a treatment capacity of 3 ton/d. The results show that: the process exihibited a good conversion ratio and the biodiesel displayed suitable physical-chemical properties in comparison with diesel fuel, such as flash point of 137 degrees C, viscosity of 4.49 mm(2)/s, acid value of 0.44 mg KOH/g etc. The quality of biodiesel meets the agreement with the European specification defined by EN 14214. Afterwards, the mixture of biodiesel and diesel were test in the engine with a ratio of 50/50 (v/v), 20/80 (v/v), and 0/100 (v/v). It indicates the mixed fuel has a reasonable fuel consumption rates without diesel engine modification, when the biodiesel blended with 0# diesel as fuel. The present results demonstrated that the industrial scale plant would achieve promising objective with waste cooking oils and animal fats as raw material. Also, this biodiesel-based diesel fuel could be applied in Tianjin local public transportation system that improves its sustainable development.