Dimensioning of Biodiesel Production Plants Print
Storage and Buffer Tank Size Calculation
production capacity yearbiodiesel tons per year (365 days)4,0008,00012,00016,00020,00032,000
production capacity daybiodiesel Liter in 24 hours12,00024,00036,00048,00060,00096,000
production capacity hourbiodiesel in liter per hour5001,0001,5002,0002,5004,000
Quantitiy of reactorsfull automatic biodiesel process123458
storage tanks unit / size / process
Feedstock oil storage tanks reserve for ~8 days 1 x 100 m³ 2 x 100 m³ 3 x 100 m³ 4 x 100 m³ 5 x 100 m³ 8 x 100 m³
Methanol storage tank reserve for ~7 days (18 %) 15 m³ 30 m³ 50 m³ 75 m³ 100 m³ 2 x 100 m³
Methanol + catalyst (Methoxid) reserve for 1 day (or 10 days Methoxid 30 %) 2.5 m³ 5 m³ 8 m³ 10 m³ 12 m³ 20 m³
Crude glycerine tank buffer volume before vacuum distillation 1.4 m³ 3 m³ 5 m³ 6 m³ 8 m³ 10 m³
Water sedimentation tank buffer volume for 24 hours 15 m³ 25 m³ 40 m³ 50 m³ 70 m³ 100 m³
Biodiesel drying tank buffer volume for 24 hours 15 m³ 25 m³ 40 m³ 50 m³ 70 m³ 100 m³
Glycerine storage tank after methanol-vacuum dist., reserve ~ 15 days 20 m³ 40 m³ 60 m³ 80 m³ 100 m³ 100 m³
Recycled methanol buffer tank after biodiesel + glycerine - distillation 1 m³ 1.5 m³ 2 m³ 3 m³ 4 m³ 5 m³
Storage tank for soaps waste mixture: water, soaps, FFA´s, glycerine 0.5 m³ 1 m³ 1.5 m³ 2 m³ 3 m³ 5 m³
Biodiesel storage tanks reserve for ~8 days 1 x 100 m³ 2 x 100 m³ 3 x 100 m³ 4 x 100 m³ 5 x 100 m³ 8 x 100 m³
heating system unit / size / process
heat energy kWh (calculated for winter time) 37 75 112 150 187 300
preheating tank stainless steel tank 1400 liter 1 1 1 1 2 2
heat exchanger stainless steel tank 1400 liter 1 1 1 1 1 1
air compressor unit / size / process
air compressor capacity of suctioning of air ( l/min / kW ) 200 / 1.5 400 / 3 600 / 4.5 800 / 6 1000 / 7.5 1600 / 12
air dryer compressed air volume (l/min) 200 400 600 800 1000 1600
compressed air reservoir compressed air tank volume (liter at 10 bar) 250 400 600 800 1000 1500
feedstock pump pump flow rate (liter/minute) 50 50 75 100 2x 75 2x 100
feedstock pre-filtering system filter housing 1 m, 100 or 200 my filter 1 1 2 2 3 4
methanol distillation biodiesel flow rate per minute 10 20 30 40 50 80
- from crude biodiesel heat energy kWh, (40° C up to 70 °C) 13 25 38 50 63 100
condensate cooling 20 °C - liter/minute 5 10 15 20 25 40
methanol 3 % condensation - liter/minute 0.3 0.6 0.9 1.2 1.5 2.4
methanol distillation glycerine flow rate per minute 1 2 3 4 5 8
- from crude glycerine heat energy kWh, (40° C up to 70 °C) 4 8 12 16 20 32
condensate cooling 20 °C - liter/minute 5 10 15 20 25 40
methanol 25 % condensation - liter/minute 0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 2
Water wash process water sedimentation tank volume 15 m³ 25 m³ 40 m³ 50 m³ 70 m³ 100 m³
dosing volume of wash water - liter 1200 2400 3600 4800 6000 8400
air voume for air bubble drying - liter/min 40 80 120 160 200 320
Water wash neutralisation tank dosing 0.3 % - liter/hour 1.5 3 4.5 6 7.5 12
buffer volume for ~1 week - liter 300 600 900 1200 1600 2400
Biodiesel water drying-distillation biodiesel flow - liter/minute 10 20 30 40 50 80
- out of the biodiesel needed heat kWh, (60 to 85 °C) 25 50 75 100 125 200
condensate cooling (feedstock oil 20 °C - liter/min) 5 10 15 20 25 40
water condensate 2 % - liter/minute 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.6
DryWash process absorption of glycerine - number of columns 1 2 2 3 4 6
flowrate - liter/hour 750 1500 1500 2250 3000 4500
Bag filter 1 my filter size 1 my, one meter long, number of filter 1 1 1 1 2 2
Candle filter 1 my filter size 1 my, one meter long, number of filter 1 1 1 1 2 2
Winter additive dosing 0.1 % - liter/hour 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 4
buffer tank for ~1 week - liter 100 200 300 400 500 800
Additive Oxidation stability dosing 0.1 % - liter/hour 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 4
buffer tank for ~1 week - liter 100 200 300 400 500 800