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

• US 6,440,057 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Renewable Fuels, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Energea Umwelttechnologie GmbH
• Inventors: Panning, Peter, Ergün, Nurhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Carr, Deborah D.
• Application Number:
  US09/530,943
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 554/167, 554/169, 554/170
• US Class Current: 554/170
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/24 Stationary reactors without moving elements inside B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence; with stationary particles B01J8/02
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 67/03 by reacting an ester group with a hydroxy group
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 69/52 Esters of acyclic unsaturated carboxylic acids having the esterified carboxyl group bound to an acyclic carbon atom
• CPC Class Codes: C11C 3/003 by esterification of fatty acids with alcohols C11C3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A method for producing fatty acid methyl ester, comprising:

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;

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, wherein the pressure is reduced during transesterification; and

after reaching a chemical balance state, separating residues from the fatty acid methyl ester in a phase separation section.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fatty acid methyl ester comprises diesel fuel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alkaline solution comprises potassium solution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the alcohol comprises methanol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the residues comprise at least one of triglyceride, glycerine, soap, and non-transesterified fat.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic turbulence is produced by physical forces.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the physical forces comprise mechanical shear forces.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic turbulence is produced by crack emulsification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic turbulence is produced by dynamic emulsification.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the dynamic emulsification is produced in a turbulator.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic turbulence is produced by cavitation emulsification.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the enlarged border surfaces are produced by ultrasound.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein separating residues from the fatty acid methyl ester comprises physical separation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein after separating residues from the fatty acid methyl ester, the fatty acid methyl ester is purified.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein separating residues from the fatty acid methyl ester comprises making use of surface forces.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the separating comprises filtration.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein separating residues from the fatty acid methyl ester comprises multiphase filtration.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein separating residues from the fatty acid methyl ester comprises membrane filtration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the membrane filtration comprises at least one of ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and microfiltration.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein separating residues from the fatty acid methyl ester comprises filtration by at least one of a lipophilic filter, hydrophilic filter, and amphoteric filter.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein separating residues from the fatty acid methyl ester comprises chemical separation.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein after reaching the chemical balance state, multiphase distillation is performed.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the multiphase distillation comprises at least one vacuum distillation.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the multiphase distillation comprises at least one evaporation.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one evaporation comprises down-flow evaporation.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one evaporation comprises thin-layer evaporation.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the multiphase distillation comprises at least one fractionated condensation.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein after separating residues from the fatty acid methyl ester, multiphase distillation is performed.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating non-transesterified fats and returning the non-transesterified fats to the reaction section.