www.ava-huep.com

Bio fuels

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is an alternative to regular crude oil-based diesel fuels due to the fact that the combustion characteristics in the engine are very similar.

Biodiesel is therefore one of the substances that can be used as a replacement for fossil fuels.

The raw materials for the production of Biodiesel are vegetable oils such as rape seed, sunflower, soy or fatty wastes. The raw materials are used to obtain a pressed oil, which is broken up by a reaction with methanol and a catalyst (e.g. potassium hydroxide solution). This transesterification causes the by-products salt, (K₂SO₄), glycerine and methanol. In separate stages of the Biodiesel production, these three products are separated from each other and recovered for its usage. The raw glycerine is used to produce pure glycerine, which can be used, for example, as pharmaceutical glycerine. The methanol is recovered and fed back into the production process. The salt is sold as a fertilizer.

: Biodiesel block diagram,

The treatment of the salt together with the associated recovery of the methanol is the starting point for AVA’s drying technologies. The salt-methanol mixture is mechanically dewatered and fed into the AVA dryer. Here the methanol is evaporated, re-condensed and fed back into the production process. The dry and methanol-free salt potassium sulphate is used, for example, as fertilizer.

The AVA horizontal dryer is very well suited for a gentle drying of the salt. The shovel agitator mixes and moves the product along the length of the interior drum wall which is heated by a jacket. The mixing of the agitated bulk creates a uniform product temperature and product humidity. Special shovel forms ensure an optimal heat transfer between the product and the heated wall. The result is advantageously short drying times. These can be further reduced in a batch operation by introducing a vacuum atmosphere.

For a continuous operation, the horizontal shovel dryer HTK-T is used. In a slight underpressure atmosphere, the conveyed salt-solvent mixture is dried and separated from the methanol.

Batch operation is recommended especially for flexible processes with a variety in product moisture or with variable product capacities. Depending on consistency of the product, drying is realised either with horizontal dryers of type HTC-VT or vertical conical dryers of type HVW-VT. The vertical dryers with double-helix agitator achieve an efficient drying combined with an optimal cleaning and final product discharge.

Numerous references testify to our competence in the field of Biodiesel production and glycerine treatment.
Ask us for further and more detailed information.

Machines used:

Continuous mixer
Batch mixer

Contact partner for bio fuels:
applications(@)ava-huep.com

Download:
Bio fuels (PDF, 784 KB)