Biodiesel production unit

• US 6,979,426 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2002
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biodiesel Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Biodiesel Industries
• Inventors: Sickels, Ronald Franklin, Teall, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Doroshenk, Alexa
• Application Number:
  US10/098,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20030175182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 422/139, 422/140, 422/188, 422/189, 422/224, 422/225, 422/231, 422/236, 422/237, 446/29
• US Class Current: 422/237
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/026 for compression ignition
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

In a first aspect, systems and methods for producing biodiesel fuel include a modular production unit incorporated onto a single platform or into a housing for ease of relocatability. The modular production unit preferably includes a mixing unit, a reactor unit, a separation unit, a distillation unit, and a filtering unit, all incorporated onto or into a self-contained platform or housing that is able to be easily relocated. In a second aspect, the modular production unit is combined with additional fixed and/or relocatable components to provide a biodiesel processing plant. In a third aspect, a raw materials processing system and method includes a roller barrel adapted for recovery, transportation, and introduction of recycled oil feedstock into a biodiesel manufacturing process. The raw materials processing system preferably includes a hot box for filtering and heating the raw recycled oil feedstock.

Claims

1. A biodiesel production unit comprising:

a reactor unit,

a separator unit downline in a flow path from said reactor unit, and

a distillation unit downline in a flow path from said separator unit,

wherein said reactor unit, said separator unit, and said distillation unit are incorporated onto a transportable platform or into a transportable housing;

wherein the separator unit comprises an array of three centrifuge units connected in series; and

wherein a first of the three centrifuge units has a first output connected to a first holding tank and a second output connected to a second of the three centrifuge units, and wherein said first holding tank has an output connected to said distillation unit.

2. The biodiesel production unit of claim 1, wherein the second of the three centrifuge units has a first output connected to a second holding tank and a second output connected to a third of the three centrifuge units, and wherein said second holding tank has an output connected to disposal tank.

3. The biodiesel production unit of claim 2, wherein the third of the three centrifuge units has a first output connected to a third holding tank and a second output connected to the second of the three centrifuge units, and wherein said third holding tank has an output connected to a filtering unit.

4. The biodiesel production unit of claim 3, wherein said filtering unit comprises a settling tank.