Manufacture of Green Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil

Abstract

Renewable energy sources are the topic under consideration by researchers around the world whether it is environmentalists, economists or engineers. Biofuels from Algae, Biomass, Rice bran, Poultry feathers and many more are being understood. The world is advancing towards a greener future. The biodiesels are eco-friendly, biodegradable, usually non-toxic and made from what we consider as a waste. The cost of these fuels and their commercialization has been thought of as a major hurdle against petroleum based fuels. In case of used cooking oil, the raw material is usually very low cost as compared to new oil, so it’s usually feasible due to soaring petroleum prices. Production of biofuels is feedstock sensitive, but in this case, any lipid source can be used to produce commercial quality biofuel. This Undergraduate Project aims to research about Production of Green Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil. Testing the needed properties of Used Cooking Oils from different sources. The study will concentrate on parameters needed to define the Trans esterification process for the used cooking oil varieties readily available using ethanol as it will provide with a totally renewable fuel. An ongoing research on bioethanol makes the use of ethanol as alcohol more viable. The produced biodiesel will be tested for properties i.e. kinematic viscosity, purity, density etc. The material balance, simulation and plant design for the process will be covered Along with a concluding feasibility study for production of biodiesel in Pakistan.