Preliminary assessment of biodiesel generation from meat industry residues in Baja California, Mexico

Oil derived fuels constituted a main energy source during the last fifty years, although their high price limited their accessibility. Prospective studies indicated that economic and environmental problems promoted biodiesel production using biomass and residues like animal fat, along with meat and bones, among others. The regional inventory of the available fat in meat industry, as well as the estimation of the biodiesel potential production demonstrated that the biodiesel generated from animal fat, combined with diesel from oil in a 2% biodiesel blend could power 25% of the trucks and passenger vehicles registered in 2007 in Baja California, Mexico.     

Biodiesel production and de-oiled seed cake nutritional values of a Mexican edible Jatropha curcas

The scarcity of fossil fuels, in addition to environmental damage due to fossil fuel use and exploration, promotes research into alternative energy sources such as biofuels. Biodiesel has attracted considerable attention in recent years as an alternative to fossil fuels, since it is renewable, biodegradable and non-toxic. Biodiesel can be obtained from animal fat, vegetable oils including cooking oil. In this work, a method of producing biodiesel from seed cake waste from the edible Jatropha curcas L. plant was developed. Oil extraction using hexane gave the best oil quality. Transesterifications of approximately 95% were obtained by alkali or acid catalysis, and the obtained biodiesel products were successfully corroborated with NMR techniques. Since J. curcas is a non-toxic plant, the remaining de-oiled cake was tested for its nutritional properties. Nutritional analysis showed a content of 43% and 33% of protein and carbohydrate, respectively; suggesting that this waste can be used as an attractive protein and carbohydrate source for fermentation processes and/or for formulations for animal feeding. In conclusion, this work provides evidence that the oil from an edible and non-toxic species of J. curcas is an attractive option for biodiesel production with nutritional applications and negligible wasting.     

Biodiesel production from oleaginous microorganisms

High energy prices, energy and environment security, concerns about petroleum supplies are drawing considerable attention to find a renewable biofuels. Biodiesel, a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) derived from animal fats or vegetable oils, is rapidly moving towards the mainstream as an alternative source of energy. However, biodiesel derived from conventional petrol or from oilseeds or animal fat cannot meet realistic need, and can only be used for a small fraction of existing demand for transport fuels. In addition, expensive large acreages for sufficient production of oilseed crops or cost to feed animals are needed for raw oil production. Therefore, oleaginous microorganisms are available for substituting conventional oil in biodiesel production. Most of the oleaginous microorganisms like microalgae, bacillus, fungi and yeast are all available for biodiesel production. Regulation mechanism of oil accumulation in microorganism and approach of making microbial diesel economically competitive with petrodiesel are discussed in this review.     

Toward prediction of kinematic viscosity of biodiesel using a robust approach

Especially by using a renewable source of fuels such as biodiesel, a large number of high-quality researches have been performed on the reduction of pollution released from fossil fuels. Transesterification process is a common way for the production of biodiesel from vegetable oil, animal fat, and algae oil in the presence of alcohol and catalyst. Viscosity is one of the important physical fuel properties used in the selection of biodiesel. Experimental measurement of viscosity is a time-consuming task. Hence, in this contribution, applicability and performance of two artificial neural network-based models named least square support vector machine (LSSVM) and genetic algorithm-radial basis function (GA-RBF) for the prediction of kinematic viscosity of biodiesel were investigated. Root-mean-square error, coefficient of determination (R²), and average absolute relative deviation of each modeling were reported for each LSSVM and GA-RBF models. Modeling results show that the proposed LSSVM model is more accurate and robust than GA-RBF model.     

The impact of the life cycle analysis methodology on whether biodiesel produced from residues can meet the EU sustainability criteria for biofuel facilities constructed after 2017

This paper considers biodiesel production from residues; tallow and used cooking oil (UCO). The tallow system is more complex involving two processes. The first process is rendering in which tallow (animal fat) and Meat and Bone Meal (MBM) are produced from the slaughter of cattle. MBM is assumed as a thermal energy source for cement manufacture and thus is not used for biodiesel production. The second process is biodiesel production from tallow. Three methodologies are employed to examine sustainability of the biodiesel. The no allocation approach assigns all the parasitic demands to the tallow; thus all energies required to make both MBM and tallow are associated with the tallow biodiesel. The resulting energy balance is negative. The substitution approach allocates the energy in MBM (used to produce cement) to tallow biodiesel. This results in the net energy being greater than the gross energy. The allocation by energy content method divides the parasitic demands of the rendering process between tallow and MBM by energy content. The parasitic demands of the biodiesel process are divided by energy content of the biodiesel, glycerol and K-fertiliser. For tallow biodiesel this yielded a net energy value of 38.6% of gross energy. The same method generated a net energy value of 67% for UCO biodiesel. More importantly the recommended method (allocation by energy content) generated a value of 54% greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings for tallow and a value of 69% for UCO. Plants commencing after 2017, need to have a 60% GHG emission savings, to be considered sustainable. Thus a facility treating both feedstocks would need to treat a maximum of 60% tallow to be considered sustainable after 2017.     

Microalgae as a potential source for biodiesel production: techniques,methods, and other challenges

This paper reviews some of the most important aspects of microalgae as a potential source for biodiesel production. Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that can grow rapidly in a variety of environments because of their unicellular or multicellular structure depending on the species. They have the advantage of self‐reproduction using solar energy and converting it into chemical energy via photosynthesis. This process concludes a full cycle in a few days, obtaining higher lipid yields than terrestrial crops. This review shows several techniques and some methodologies used in the biodiesel production process from microalgae as well as the challenges that must be overcome for large‐scale process and in bio‐refineries. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Residual animal fat and fish for biodiesel production. Potentials in Norway

The potential for biodiesel production based on utilization of residual animal fat and fish in Norway is estimated. This is based on a study of the amounts of residual fat that is possible to recover from grease traps in Bergen. Additional data from Trondheim and Oslo facilitated up-scaling to estimating national potential for utilizing this residue stream for biodiesel production. This is supplemented with data on residues from slaughterhouses and poultry, as well as the fishing industry. The results indicate that Norway has the potential for producing large amounts of biodiesel from these residue sources.     

Biodiesel production from Calophyllum inophyllum oil using lipase producing Rhizopus oryzae cells immobilized within reticulated foams

Biodiesel production from non-edible Calophyllum inophyllum linn oil with high levels of Free Fatty Acid (FFA) (acid value −6.732 mg KOH/g of oil) was investigated using whole-cell biocatalysts. Rhizopus oryzae cells immobilized within reticulated polyurethane foams were used as biocatalysts for biodiesel production. The effects of reaction parameters such as methanol-to-oil molar ratio, water content, and temperature for the production of biodiesel through methanolysis in a packed-bed reactor (PBR) were studied. Molar ratio of methanol-to-oil – 12:1, water content – 15%v/v, cell concentration – 20% and temperature 35 °C were found to be the optimum. The yield of biodiesel obtained in batch methanolysis from C. inophyllum oil under optimized condition was 92%. Long-term stability of immobilized cells for methanolysis was verified using re-usability studies.     

Brazilian biodiesel: The case of the palm's social projects

The Brazilian biodiesel program has created great demand for biodiesel. The production of oleaginous derived biodiesel produced by small-scale farmers is a key objective of PNPB. The Social Fuel Seal is one of the instruments for achieving this goal. Five years after the mandatory implementation of program, Brazil is among the world's leading producers of biodiesel. However, the goal of the productive insertion of small-scale farmers in Brazil's less favored regions has not been fully achieved. The Brazilian government has faced difficulties to promote regional development based on PNPB, consequently not reaching the audacious goals that were set at the beginning of the program. In this context of difficulties, the productive arrangements with palm oil should be emphasized. This paper submits in detail the model developed by Agropalma – in partnership with public agencies – together with family farming in the North of the country. These social projects are taken as reference and can promote social inclusion in the country's national biodiesel productive chain. Moreover, this case can serve as an assessment tool for other countries that seek to invest in the production of biodiesel with the concern for the social production inclusion of disadvantaged small-scale family farmers.     

Risk management for jatropha curcas based biodiesel industry of Panzhihua Prefecture in Southwest China

As one of the most important regions selected for jatropha biodiesel industry in Southwest China, Panzhihua has received very high and optimistic expectations. However, current situation suggests that jatropha in Panzhihua has not changed local energy scenario and the industry has been threatened by many risks. Moreover, the study of risk management on jatropha biodiesel industry is largely absent. Therefore, this study applies the idea of risk management to jatropha biodiesel industry in Panzhihua, covering complete procedures with respect to risk identification, risk assessment, risk response and risk monitoring. By risk identification, this study reveals 14 key risks which have critical influences upon this industry. The risk assessment determines the risks which are ranked as the first status to take risk response: risks of low seed yield, insect pests and diseases, poor implementation for the plans set for establishing jatropha biodiesel refining capacity, low profitability for jatropha biodiesel production, no local gas station selling jatropha biodiesel, low comparative price of biodiesel versus diesel, insufficient subsidy for farmers to conduct cultivation, insufficient subsidy for conducting biodiesel production. Accordingly, the measures for risk reduction have been given. It is a very long way to cover before the jatropha biodiesel to be realized in Panzhihua. The urgent tasks for the local governments in Panzhihua are just to maintain but adjust their ambitious plans, enhance the demonstration effects of industrial projects at an appropriate and economic scale.     

生物柴油植物"油莎豆"的发展前景

油莎豆(Cyperus eseulentus l.var.sativus beoek)是一种草本植物,其块茎含油量较高(质量分数为10%～36%),可加工成生物柴油.油莎豆生长周期短,抗逆性强,耐贫瘠,病害少,栽培管理容易,可大力推广种植.通过现代生物技术可进一步改良其生物学性状(尤其是含油量),以开发其作为优质生物质能的潜力.作为块茎含油的草本植物,油莎豆具有其它油料作物或木本油料植物不可比拟的优越性,在生物柴油的发展领域具有十分广阔的应用前景.     

Algae as a sustainable energy source for biofuel production in Iran: A case study

Algae can be converted directly into energy, such as biodiesel, bioethanol and biomethanol and therefore can be a source of renewable energy. There is a growing interest for biodiesel production from algae because of its higher yield non-edible oil production and its fast growth that does not compete for land with food production. About 50% of algae weight is oil that this lipid oil can be used to make biodiesel. Algae is capable of yielding 30 times more oil per acre than the crops currently used in biodiesel production. Processes for biodiesel production from algae-oil are similar to food and non-food crops derived biodiesel processes. Because of disadvantages of fossil fuels, renewable energy sources are getting importance for sustainable energy development and environmental protection. Among the renewable sources, Iran has high biofuel energy potential. The Iranian government is considerable attention to the utilization of renewable energy, especially biofuels. Iran has enough land in order to algae cultivation that does not compete with food production. A salt lake (Lake Orumieh) in Iran's West Azarbaijan province, Maharlu salt lake in Iran's Fars province, Qom salt lake in Iran's Qom province have given rise to a new species of algae for biofuel. Algae are frequent in the shallow-marine lime stones in Zagros Mountains in north of Fars province. Greenish blooms of algae can be seen in the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea, south and north of Iran respectively. This study presents a brief introduction to the resource, status and prospect of algae as a sustainable energy source for biodiesel production in Iran. The main advantages of using algae for biodiesel production in Iran are described.     

Improved biodiesel manufacture at low temperature and short reaction time

Biodiesel, which is derived from oil/fat by transesterification with alcohol, has attracted considerable attention over the past decades due to its ability to subsidise fossil fuel derived energy as a renewable and carbon neutral fuel. Several approaches for biodiesel fuel production have been developed, among which transesterification using a catalyst gives high yields of methyl ester. This method has therefore been widely utilized for biodiesel production in a number of countries. In this study, a Downflow Liquid Contactor Reactor (DLCR) has been used for the liquid–liquid transesterification reaction of sunflower oil with alcohol with extraordinary results. The reactor provides great potential for chemical reactions, which are normally limited by mass transfer and possesses a number of distinctive advantages over conventional multiphase reactors. Inside the reactor a high velocity liquid jet stream is produced which generates powerful shear and energy, causing vigorous agitation in the upper part of the reactor. The high mixing intensity in the DLCR enabled the manufacture of biodiesel to European Standard EN14214 (ester content 96.5%) in 2.5 min at 40 °C with 0.43 wt.% alkali catalyst and alcohol to oil molar ratio of 4.5 to 1.0. The separation of FAME from glycerol is done by gravity settling only without water washing. The effect of the alcohol type (methanol, ethanol) on biodiesel yield was also investigated. The process offers the advantage of continuous large scale production with limited reactor volume.     

Growth performance, variability in yield traits and oil content of selected accessions of Jatropha curcas L. growing in a large scale plantation site

Jatropha curcas L. (JCL) is gaining global popularity as a potential feed stock of biodiesel and a candidate species for waste land reclamation. Although the oil yield of this species is better than any other non-edible oil yielding plants, the lack of agronomic practices defame this species for further exploitation. Furthermore, there is paucity of data on the growth performances and yield of JCL plantations. In this context, a systematic study on passport data and yield performance of JCL germplasms (including their indigenous collection number (IC No.), morphological characterization of seeds and seed oil content) growing in a large scale plantation site at Solar Energy Center, Gurgaon, India were carried out during 2007–2008. Ten elite accessions of JCL were screened from this site based on their growth performance and biomass characterization and were deposited at National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi for registration. The oil content of the 10 registered accessions was ranged from 17% to 34%. Cluster analysis was performed to find out promising germplasms. Cluster analysis formed two prominent groups, each one with two sub-clusters. The promising accessions can be further explored for crop improvement programs. Furthermore, multi-locational trials are essential for optimizing the agropractices for maximum yield for a sustainable biodiesel production.     

Economic evaluation of algae biodiesel based on meta-analyses

The objective of this study is to elucidate the economic viability of algae-to-energy systems at a large scale, by developing a meta-analysis of five previously published economic evaluations of systems producing algae biodiesel. Data from original studies were harmonised into a standardised framework using financial and technical assumptions. Results suggest that the selling price of algae biodiesel under the base case would be $5.00–10.31/gal, higher than the selected benchmarks: $3.77/gal for petroleum diesel, and $4.21/gal for commercial biodiesel (B100) from conventional vegetable oil or animal fat. However, the projected selling price of algal biodiesel ($2.76–4.92/gal), following anticipated improvements, would be competitive. A scenario-based sensitivity analysis reveals that the price of algae biodiesel is most sensitive to algae biomass productivity, algae oil content, and algae cultivation cost. This indicates that the improvements in the yield, quality, and cost of algae feedstock could be the key factors to make algae-derived biodiesel economically viable.     

Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) seed oil as an alternative feedstock for the production of biodiesel in Greece

In recent years, the acceptance of fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel) as a substitute to petroleum diesel has rapidly grown in Greece. The raw materials for biodiesel production in this country mainly include traditional seed oils (cotton seed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil and rapeseed oil) and used frying oils. In the search for new low-cost alternative feedstocks for biodiesel production, this study emphasizes the evaluation of pumpkin seed oil. The experimental results showed that the oil content of pumpkin seeds was remarkably high (45%). The fatty acid profile of the oil showed that is composed primarily of linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids. The oil was chemically converted via an alkaline transesterification reaction with methanol to methyl esters, with a yield nearly 97.5 wt%. All of the measured properties of the produced biodiesel met the current quality requirements according to EN 14214. Although this study showed that pumpkin oil could be a promising feedstock for biodiesel production within the EU, it is rather difficult for this production to be achieved on a large scale.     

Performance of diesel engine using biodiesel obtained from mixed feedstocks

Availability of identified tree species bearing non-edible oil has a region specific production characteristics and availability of sufficient amount at a given place is always uncertain. Moreover, the any prospective biodiesel production and utilization programe would need to consider more and one feedstock to meet the target. There could be another reason to investigate feasibility of mixed feedstocks considering strength and weakness of biodiesel fuel properties specific to feedstocks. Considering the above the present investigation is carried out to study the fuel characteristics of biodiesel obtain from mixed feedstocks of three species of oil feedstocks namely polonga, koroch and jatropha. An attempt has been made in this paper to give an overview of the application of mixed biodiesel in CI Engine. Properties of biodiesel obtained from mixed feedstocks (BOMF) satisfy different biodiesel standards. Performance of BOMF fueled engine gives better result than the individual biodiesels.     

Energy balance and greenhouse gas emissions of biodiesel production from oil derived from wastewater and wastewater sludge

It has been recognized that oils derived from microorganism and wastewater sludge are comparable replacements of traditional biodiesel production feedstock, which is energy intensive and costly. Energy balance and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are essential factors to assess the feasibility of the production. This study evaluated the energy balance and GHG emissions of biodiesel production from microbial and wastewater sludge oil. The results show that energy balance and GHG emissions of biodiesel produced from microbial oil are significantly impacted by the cultivation methods and carbon source. For phototrophic microorganism (microalgae), open pond system gives 3.6 GJ higher energy gain than photo bioreactor system in per tonne biodiesel produced. For heterotrophic microorganisms, the energy balance depends on the type of carbon source. Three carbon sources including starch, cellulose, and starch industry wastewater (SIW) used in this study showed that utilization of SIW as carbon source provided the most favorable energy balance. When oil extracted from municipal sludge is used for biodiesel production, the energy gain is up to 29.7 GJ per tonne biodiesel produced, which is higher than the energy gain per tonne of biodiesel produced from SIW cultivated microbes. GHG emissions study shows that biodiesel production from microbes or sludge oil is a net carbon dioxide capture process except when starch is used as raw material for microbial oil production, and the highest capture is around 40 tonnes carbon dioxide per tonne of biodiesel produced.     

Pretreatment of yellow grease for efficient production of fatty acid methyl esters

Biodiesel is a renewable fuel comprised of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. Comparisons between biodiesel and petroleum-based diesel have shown biodiesel to be effective in reducing exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. While there are advantages of biodiesel over the traditional petroleum based diesel, biodiesel commercialization is limited by production cost that is dominated by the price of the feedstock (soybean oil). Yellow grease has the potential to be an effective feedstock with lower cost, but the chemical composition of these oils is variable depending on the source of collection and differs from that of virgin oil due to the presence of free fatty acids (FFA). Esterification has been previously demonstrated to reduce the FFA levels of YG; however, large quantities of methanol were required to drive the reaction to high yield. Methanol usage for processing and FFA content are the main factors affecting the economics of FAME production from YG. In this study, the relationship between composition and process variables was systematically studied. The effect of FFA ranging from 2% to 32% (w/w) was studied at three different molar ratios of methanol to FFA (4.5:1, 9:1, 18:1) and was found to have a non-linear relationship. Data obtained from this full factorial screening was used to develop a predictive statistical model to forecast the conversion based on initial FFA level and proportion of alcohol applied for esterification.