An Automatic Biodiesel Decanting System for the Optimization of Glycerin Separation Time by Applying Electric Field and Temperature

Bulnes K.; Paredes D.; Vinces L. · Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies (2021) · DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-57566-3_34

Resumen

During biodiesel production, crude biodiesel and glycerin are separated in resting tanks due to gravity and differences in density, glycerin accumulates at the base of the contender; such operation is called decantation. The decantation stage, within the production of biodiesel based on recycled oil, takes from 8 to 24 h to complete. Therefore, the development of an automatic biodiesel decanting system is presented in order to optimize the production time in the line of this bio-fuel. The process consists of applying an electric field through two electrodes at 9 kV and simultaneously applying temperature. The results of the implementation showed that the production time was reduced by up to 99% without affecting the quality of biodiesel, according to the parameters of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas