Development of the Saponification System Using Recycled Oil Implementing Temperature and pH Fuzzy Control

Garcia Espichan N.G.; Cedillo A.P.; Albatrino Aza R.F.; De Francesch Saavedra L.G.; Vilcarromero J.J.F.; Nieves Acosta A.K. · 2026 12th International Conference on Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering, ICMRE 2026 (2026) · DOI: 10.1109/icmre69538.2026.11533980

Resumen

Current saponification systems lack coordinated automatic control of $\mathbf{p H}$ and temperature, which leads to unstable operation and inconsistent product quality. Small-scale soap production often relies on manual saponification, where the operator heats and mixes while adding base by feel and occasional pH checks. In practice, heat and alkalinity are adjusted separately, and the reaction drifts as feedstock and ambient conditions change. This routine leaves no simultaneous control of $\mathbf{p H}$ and temperature, which makes the process unstable, raises safety concerns with caustics, and yields inconsistent product. To address this gap, we design and implement an automated mechatronic plant for used cooking oil (UCO) that applies Mamdani fuzzy logic control (FLC) to regulate pH and temperature in concert. The rule base captures operator intuition while adapting online to disturbances and the nonlinear coupling between loops. The system was validated in three production batches, maintaining temperature at $\mathbf{7 0} \pm \mathbf{2}^{\boldsymbol{\circ}} \mathbf{C}$ and $\mathbf{p H}$ within 911.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas