The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for processing agricultural waste to make alcohol and/or biodiesel. The agricultural wastes are subjected to anaerobic digestion which produces a biogas stream containing methane, which is subsequently reformed to a syngas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The syngas is converted to an alcohol which may be stored, sold, used, or fed directly to a reactor for production of biodiesel. The solids effluent from the anaerobic digester can be further utilized as slow release, organic certified fertilizer. Additionally, the wastewater from the process is acceptable for immediate reuse in agricultural operations.

System and method for extracting energy from agricultural waste

Method for producing fatty acid methyl ester, including compounding saturated and unsaturated higher fatty substances from at least one of vegetable and animal with an alkaline solution dissolved in alcohol to form a mixture. The method also includes emulsifying the mixture to reach a chemical balance state in a reaction section, wherein fats are transesterified into fatty acid methyl ester, wherein border surfaces of the mixture are enlarged by dynamic turbulence in the reaction section and the transesterification is performed under pressure, and wherein the pressure is reduced during transesterification. The method further includes after reaching a chemical balance state, separating residues from the fatty acid methyl ester in a phase separation section. Apparatus for producing fatty acid methyl ester.

Method for producing fatty acid methyl ester and equipment for realising the same

The invention relates to a method for the continuous production of biodiesel from biogenous initial mixtures containing fat or oil and having a high proportion of free fatty acids. The invention also relates to a device for producing biodiesel.

Method and device for producing biodiesel

The present invention relates to a method for producing fatty acid esters of monovalent alkyl alcohols by base-catalyzed transesterification of fatty acid esters of polyvalent alcohols. In said method, oils are used which contain free fatty acids and phosphatides, in addition to fatty acid esters of polyvalent alcohols. The method consists of several stages. The fatty acids contained in the starting material are treated with a base mixture of glycerine and a catalyst. This mixture is produced as a polar phase in the following transesterification stages and can be separated from the reaction mixture, using phase separation. Calculation procedures are provided for determining the minimum amount of catalyst necessary, depending on the acid number of the oil. The invention also relates to the use of esters produced by this method as diesel fuels.

Method for producing fatty acid esters of monovalent alkyl alcohols and use of the same

A continuous transesterification method for preparing polyol polyesters is disclosed. The transesterification reaction of alkyl fatty acid esters and polyols to make polyol polyesters can be coupled with a process to make a lower alkyl, esters of fatty acids. An inert gas is used to remove the alcohols. The gaseous alcohols derived from the transesterification reaction are used as the source of alcohol in the lower alkyl esters synthesis and the inert gas from the alcohol stream can be recycled. The process comprises preparing fatty acid methyl esters, recovering the methyl esters and then transesterifying a polyol in a solvent-free two stage process with the fatty acid methyl esters.

A continuous transesterification method for preparing polyol polyesters

Oils or fats, in particular of vegetable, but also of animal origin, are reacted with methanol or ethanol and an alkaline catalyst in the liquid phase. Glycerine and methyl esters of fatty acids or ethyl esters of fatty acids are formed. The reaction is carried out using at least two reaction steps, each reaction step having a mixing reactor and a separator for the separation of a light, ester-rich phase and a heavy, glycerine-rich phase. The oil or the fat, the alcohol and the catalyst are added to the mixing reactor in the first reaction step and these substances are intensively mixed. The alcohol and the catalyst as well as the light, ester-rich phase obtained in the preceding reaction step are added for intensive mixing to the mixing reactor in the second and each further reaction step. A heavy phase is separated in the separator in the second to last reaction step and at least partly fed back to the mixing reactor in the first reaction step. Methyl esters of fatty acids or ethyl esters of fatty acids are obtained from the light, ester-rich phase separated in the last reaction step by at least one further separation treatment. The process is preferably carried out using two reaction steps.

Process for the production of methyle or ethyle esters from fatty acids and glycerine by transesterification of oils or greases

The husks are treated with dil acids at 100-250 degrees C, and then washed with water or aq. solns., followed by drying the residue and heating it to >500 degrees C, esp. in gases contg. O. The treatment with acids and washing is pref. repeated one or more times, esp. using mineral acids; and washing pref. uses a counter-current of water to remove all materials extracted by the acids. Heating of the residue >500 degrees C is pref. undertaken in the presence of substances causing dehydration. The invention produces a highly porous and pure material which is less expensive than conventional materials based on diatomite etc.

Aalrust Erik

Papers

Process for the production of methyle or ethyle esters from fatty acids and glycerine by transesterification of oils or greases

Filter aid made from rice husks - which are leached with hot mineral acid, washed, dried, and then roasted in air to obtain highly absorbent material