Biofuel by own hands

Issues providing of their personal household with the necessary energy resources for its operation is a problem that arises to any degree of acuteness in front of any owner. Often the difficulty lies even in the impossibility of bringing the appropriate communications, for example, in the absence of gas distribution networks in the area of ​​residence. But all the same, if we consider everything in a complex, the main problems are high tariffs for energy carriers, which often call into question the profitability of the household plot. Unfortunately, even the drop in prices for the main energy sources in the world market does not affect the final consumer in any way - tariffs remain at the same level and even tend to increase.

Naturally, in this situation all more owners starts to think about the possibilities of using alternative energy sources. In particular, a lot of talk now is about biofuel - high-energy energy carriers( liquid, solid

or gaseous) that receive by processing of raw materials, often literally "lying under their feet".In particular, many are interested in the question of how realistic it is to produce such biofuels with their own hands, in a small private economy.

Opinions on this matter a lot, right up to such that to establish such a mini-production - literally "a couple of trifles."Is it possible to believe such optimistic assurances? Most likely, no - any biofuel will require special, often - very expensive equipment, and the necessary knowledge, skills, and a constant source of raw materials. Let's understand more. ..

What is biofuel and what does it come from?

Virtually all the energy resources produced on the planet are products of m m of natural organic perennial processing. The complex biochemical processes that took place in the layers of obsolete plants and in the remains of animals, under the influence of external factors( temperature, pressure) over time led to the formation of deposits of coal, oil-bearing layers, to the accumulation of combustible gases in the thickness of the soil. It is these natural resources that are to this day the main energy carriers used by man.

The problem is that all these resources of - are not limited, and their number decreases year by year. Restoration of them practically does not happen( it takes many millions of years).All of them, in the overwhelming majority, lie at great depths, often in hard-to-reach places( in the Arctic regions or offshore), their production of the requires the use of complex technologies, plus the still and transportation issues are of considerable complexity.

In a word, such problems, obviously, will only grow with time, and the does not have anything left for the , how to consider the possibilities of alternative energy sources. As one of the most promising areas, bioenergy is currently being considered.

In fact, the laws of biochemistry do not change, organic - a renewable kind of raw materials, so why artificially, in a short time, do not conduct those processes of obtaining energy carriers? Moreover, as raw materials, you can use not only specially grown crops, but also a variety of biological and technological wastes, incidentally solving the issue of their utilization.

The table below schematically shows the main directions in the production and associated use of biofuel. I must say that such approaches can be used both on a large scale and in sufficiently isolated, autonomous systems, for example, medium or small agricultural complexes.

Raw material for processing	Process lines	Product	Recycled or recycled product
Agricultural livestock waste, residual forage products	Biogas plants	Biogas( biomethane)	Provision of livestock complexes with free energy
Providing autonomous heating
Environmentally friendlypure organic fertilizers
Technical crops with high oil content( sunflowersoybean, corn, etc.)	Processing lines	Bioethanol( alcohol)
Vegetable technical oil	Biodiesel
Agricultural waste( plant growing and food production)	Distillation and pyrolysis plants	Gaseous fuel( pyrolysis gases)	Electricity
Thermal energy
Liquid fuel( alcohols)
Woodworking industry waste	Pyrolysis plants	Gaseous fuels( pyrolysis gases)	Electricity
Thermal energy
Granulating plants	Fuel briquettes

Some countries with developed agro-technical infrastructure build biofuel production in wounds of national national programs. A striking example is Brazil, where the introduction of alternative fuel technologies goes "by leaps and bounds", and it is likely that this country will soon be able to qualify for the title of one of the largest suppliers of such energy carriers.

However, will return to "native lands".In our conditions, too, it is quite possible for to produce practically any types of biofuel, using raw materials or specially grown for this purpose, or by using waste processing technologies for agricultural, food production, logging or woodworking industries. In particular, you can consider the process of creating liquid biofuel( biodiesel ) and solid ( fuel pellets ).

Production of biodiesel

Advantages of biodiesel and the basis of its manufactured by

Can diesel - diesel , the product obtained by by rectification, that is direct distillation of oil, obtain from plant material? It turns out that quite, since the molecular structure of vegetable and animal oils is very similar to the classical diesel fuel.

This, in fact, the same "long" hydrocarbon molecules, but not in a free linear state, but connected to the "triads" by a transverse framework of fatty acids - glycerin. So, to extract the energy-consuming component from the oil, it is necessary to purify it of glycerin. In this also consists of the technological process of obtaining biodiesel .

oil. As a result, yellow ( with a possible shade variety) should be obtained, without the specific odor that is typical of the usual diesel. Nevertheless, is a ready-made fuel that can be used both in pure form and as an additive to the "classic" diesel fuel. Interestingly, conventional diesel engines do not need any refinement in the transition even to pure biodiesel .

( more often is still , because of the high freezing point temperature, the biodiesel is used in a mixture with conventional diesel fuel, and the resulting fuel is usually designated with the letter "B" with a number that indicates the percentage of the biological component of the fuel from the total volume For example, the most common fuel is the "B20" - 20% biodiesel and 80 % diesel fuel ).

However, , such biofuel, does not lag behind in its caloric content, even in many respects differs from the refined product for the better:

• This fuel has a pronounced lubricating effect, which extends life significantly to the details of the diesel engine.
• In this fuel, there is almost no sulfur, which oxidizes the engine oil, quickly removing it from the state of suitability, and "eats up" rubber seals, and is simply extremely harmful to the environment where it gets into the exhaust.
• The biodiesel ignition point is significantly higher than conventional diesel fuel( about 150 ° with ).And this means that biofuels are much safer both in storage, and in transportation, and in use. The toxicity of such fuel is much lower than that obtained from oil distillation .
• One of the basic indicators of diesel fuel is the "cetane number", showing the ability of hot to ignition during compression. The is higher, the the is more fuel-efficient, the smoother the engine works and the less its parts wear out. If for an ordinary diesel fuel this indicator starts from 40 - 42, then for the biodiesel the cetane number is below 51 and does not occur( by the way, according to the European quality standards , the cetane number in any diesel fuel used in the EU territory, should be is brought no lower than to 51).

The disadvantages of biodiesel include the higher crystallization start temperature( usually this fuel requires pre-heating) and a relatively short shelf life of the finished product( usually up to 3 months).

As a raw material for industrial production of technical vegetable oil, and then of biodiesel , high-yield oil-bearing crops are used - for example, sunflower, soybean, corn.

Special attention was paid to agrarians recently to win rape, because of its extremely high yield, unpretentiousness, and the in addition to the , it is much less exhausting of all these cropssoil.

However, the development trends of biodiesel are such that it is considered inexpedient to occupy under the it valuable cultivation areas that can be more in demand for food purposes. The most promising direction is the farm for growing green algae of special breeds, which extremely quickly grow and give excellent energy content of biological material.

When creating certain conditions for growth and vital activity of algae in artificial reservoirs ( bioreactors), they actively accumulate vegetable fats and sugars, which then become the starting product for fuel productionhydrocarbon. On a large account , high in price is only equipment in itself, and algae for active growth need only water, sunlight and carbon dioxide.

Used for the production biodiesel and other oils - palm, coconut, and animal fats, usually in the form of waste processing or food industry .

In than is the process of "detachment" of the hydrocarbon chain from the unnecessary glycerin base? It is simply necessary to replace this dense binder with another, more chemically active and volatile. As such a reagent, methyl alcohol( methanol) is optimal. It itself is high-fire substance and even in the series cases can be used as a completely separate type of fuel, so it will not in any way lower the properties of biodiesel .

The chemical process of displacement of the glycerin component( in the scientific literature this procedure is called transesterification ) must go on its own, but it is not irreversible - the substance can pass into the necessary state and again into the original state. In order for to to avoid such instability and to speed up the process ss pr is called the catalyst. In its quality alkalis are most often used( NaOH or KOH).To maximize the uniformity of the exchange process, the mixture to be treated is subjected to constant stirring and heating to a temperature of the order of 50 degrees.

Usually, depending on the volumes and the quality of the source products, the process can go from 1 to 10 hours. As a result, the mixture should give a distinct stratification. In the upper part of the reactor( the vessel where the process took place) there remains light fraction - actually, itself biodiesel .In the lower - a pronounced dense mass - glycerin component.

Now it remains to separate the biodiesel , tidy it up from excess methanol and from catalyst residues. The remaining glycerin fraction is also subjected to a purification process, since glycerine itself is a very valuable product with a wide sphere of application .

The optimal dosage of components is considered to be: for processing a ton of vegetable oil 111 kg of methyl alcohol and about 12 kg of catalyst - sodium or potassium hydroxide - are required. If the technology of the process is observed, the output should yield after the 970 kg( or 1110 liters) of the finished purified biodiesel and 153 kg of glycerin.

You can, of course, paint a complex chemical formula, but it is unlikely that it will tell the reader. It is better to give a visual block diagram of the production process, so that it becomes clear how difficult it is to perform all operations in a qualitative way.

Vegetable oil is either squeezed in place, or delivered in ready-made form, or grease wastes from food production are used. After the purification process, transesterification reactors enter .There, on the channel, the prepared mix of the catalyst and reagent - methanol arrives. Further, is followed by the technological cycles of fractionation and their multi-stage purification. As a result, biodiesel and purified glycerin receive as the final product for storage, and recovered methanol excess is returned for reuse.

Can I produce it myself?

It would seem that everything is simple and clear, but it's in a well-thought-out technological line. But is it possible to produce biodiesel independently?

1. First , needs to clearly immediately realize that this organization of such mini production will only be justified if there is an reliable and an almost inexhaustible source of raw materials - vegetable or animal fats of the required degree of purification. For example, if there is an opportunity at the food enterprises or in public catering establishments for a very small amount to buy up the leftovers of used oil. Produce oil independently by growing for this, appropriate crops or acquiring seeds for spinning - on a personal scale, such a prospect should not even be considered, since it will certainly be unprofitable.

2. The next important aspect is the considerable complexity of working with chemical components.

• Alkaline formulations - are very hygroscopic, immediately absorb moisture, that is, x x , the wound becomes a big problem. This still and with taking into account that sodium and potassium hydroxides, - are extremely "aggressive" substances, and easily react with most metals. Therefore, they can be stored only in stainless or glass containers, or polypropylene containers.
• Quite a few problems will create methanol. First of all, one must constantly remember about its highest toxicity - poisoning with such alcohol often ends in a fatal outcome.(Particular attention, if there are people with a taste for alcohol in the house - methanol by type and smell differs little from ethyl, "wine" alcohol).All work with methanol should be carried out with mandatory protection of the respiratory system, eyes, skin, mucous membranes.

Of course, the reaction can also be carried out with a safer ethyl alcohol, but in the end, the fuel is more dense and viscous, its quality for refueling engines is significantly lower.

• Handicraft way, "by eye", it is very difficult to observe the correct dosage of the original components and determine their quality.

- It is usually assumed that the above ratio of methanol to oil for normal reaction may not be sufficient - in many respects it depends on the biochemical composition of the of the purchased raw material. Therefore, methanol is always added in excess, approximately 1 : 4 in the volumetric ratio to oil. More precisely to calculate without laboratory research, alas, it is impossible.

- It was not for nothing that it was mentioned that raw should be of if applied at random any received fat or oil waste, you can not only not get the required biodiesel at the output, but seriously "Screw up" the equipment. For example, if the contains a lot of water in the oil, it will simply destroy the catalyst, the process will get out of control, and will begin to form instead of the expected biodiesel soap ( called ) .Moreover, if NAOON was used, then is likely to it will be possible to "catch glop " - soap rapidly thickens and fills the entire volume of reactor, completely absorbing unreacted oil.

Special desiccant agents are used in enterprises for the removal of surplus water, which are then, after treatment, removed by filtration. Of course, it is possible to remove water at home by the usual preliminary heating of the oil up to 110 ÷ 120 degrees - the water must be evaporated and evaporated. However, heating the oil often leads to another "trouble" - to increase the concentration of free fatty acids. About this is the next item of .

- The second vulnerable point of the feedstock is the concentration of free fatty acids( FFA ) - there are certain technological limitations on their content. Such a disadvantage is the increased concentration of FFA, it is usually characteristic of waste products of food production, that is, oils subjected to heat treatment already, because these acids themselves - products t thermal decomposition of oils. Upon reaction with the catalyst, the FFA passes into water and soap, the about , the hazards of which have already been mentioned above. On technological lines, this issue is solved by conducting analyzes of incoming raw materials and developing an appropriate formulation for the optimum percentage of the catalyst.

So, the oil for processing must contain a minimum amount of water and FFA.But at home to conduct the necessary laboratory research - it is hardly possible. That is, the manufacturer very much risks both the quality of the products and the safety of their own equipment.

3. The third "block of problems" is the necessary equipment for the process. Although there are descriptions and photographs of the self-made "lines" for the production of biodiesel on the net, they are called successful, convenient and .- does not work.

You can pay tribute to the authors of for originality, for using of the most unexpected parts and components, for example, old washing machines or refrigerators, for interesting solutions to separation and purification problems of the final product, but allIt is impossible to claim for any "breakthrough" model of the installation recommended for independent production.

Video: an example of a self-made plant for the production of biodiesel

One of the most complex and laborious processes is the separation of glycerol-containing fraction from biodiesel , and then - cleaning fuel from soap residue, alkaline component, methanol surplus. By the way, methanol is a very expensive raw , and just evaporating it into the atmosphere - is extremely unprofitable. Hence, with its increased volatility, special purification sealed chambers are needed, allowing losslessly to carry out the distillation process of .

Soap component is separated by settling, water washing with subsequent filtration and evaporation of surplus. To remove alkalis, use acidified formulations( eg acetic acid).

Some home masters prefer the installation of a special aeration column in which the biodiesel passes settling and is cleared of chemical impurities by means of artificially created by the compressor air bubbles. A similar example of is given by in the continuation of video:

Video: the continuation of the process of obtaining biodiesel in domestic conditions

In short, it's hardly necessary to talk about high ( or at least some) profitability of such handicraft production. The productivity of such installations is not high, it is impossible to organize a continuous cycle, homemade equipment requires almost constant control from the person. And the quality of biodiesel received is difficult to control. That is, for the needs of the household, to refuel your own ( at your own risk) , you can use this, but not will this fuel become more expensive than ordinary diesel fuel?

And if we consider the organization of biofuel production as our own business, then in this case we can not do without the acquisition of special technological installations.

are presented to interested people. If you set yourself the goal, it will not be so difficult to find the necessary production mini-complex, which is optimal for the available area. On the Internet sites there are a lot of similar technological installations, differing according to required power, capacity, degree of automation, the number of operators required for maintenance, and, of course, at the cost of equipment. Production of biodiesel production lines was mastered by both domestic and European companies.

Video:

Automated Modular Line for the Production of Biodiesel

Solid Biofuel - pellets

Lately there have been a lot of rumors or even some kind of "legends" that one of the most promising and highly profitable types of small businesses could be the production of fuel pellet - a special type of biofuel. Let's take a closer look at the advantages of solid granulated fuel and the process of its production.

For what and how to produce fuel pellets

Logging, woodworking enterprises, agricultural complexes, some other production lines necessarily produce, in addition to the main products, a very large amount of wood or other vegetable waste that, it would seem, no longer has any practical value. Another is not that they were simply burned, throwing out the smoke atmosphere, or even mismanaged by huge "waste".But they have huge energy potential! If these wastes are brought to a state convenient for use as fuel, then along with with solving the problem of recycling, you can also get profit! It is on these principles that the production of solid biofuel - pellet is based.

. In fact, these are compressed cylinders of cylindrical shape, having a diameter of 4 ÷ 5 and up to 9 ÷ 10 mm, and a length of about 15 ÷ 50 mm. This type of release is very convenient - the pellets are easily packed into bags, they are easy to transport, they are great for automatic fuel supply in solid boilers, for example, with a screw loader.

Pellets are pressed and their waste of natural wood, and from bark, branches, needles, dry leaves and other by-products of logging. They are obtained from straw, husk, cake, and in some cases with raw is even chicken litter. In the production of pellets peat is let out - in this form it achieves maximum heat emission during combustion.

materials. Undoubtedly, different raw materials give and various characteristics of the pellets obtained due to their energy output, ash content( amount of remaining fireproof component), humidity, density, price. The higher the quality, the less hassle with the heating devices, the higher the efficiency of the heating system.

Some pellets can be used not only as a fuel, but also as a fertilizer or a composition for mulching the soil. Nevertheless, is their main destination, of course - fuel for boilers, and here they have many significant advantages over other types of solid fuel. So, for example, it is absolutely pure kind of fuel from the point of view of ecology. During the production of pellets no chemical additives or molding mixtures are used.

In its specific caloric content( volumetric ratio) pellets leave behind all kinds of firewood and coal. Storage of such fuel does not require large areas or create any special conditions. In pressed wood, unlike sawdust, there is never a process of rotting or scorching, so there is no risk of self-ignition of such biofuel.

Now - to the issue of pellet production .In fact, the whole qi class is clear and clear depicts on the diagram( is shown for agricultural , but equally for any wood waste):

First of all, wastepass the stage of crushing( usually up to dimensions of chips up to 50 mm in length and 2 ÷ 3 mm in thickness).Then follows the drying procedure - it is necessary that the residual moisture does not exceed 12%.If necessary, the shredder is split into by another in the finer fraction, bringing its state almost to the level of wood meal. It is considered optimal if the particle size entering the pellet line is within 4 mm.

Before the raw material gets into the granulator, it is slightly steamed or briefly immersed in water. And finally, on the pressing line pellet , this "wood flour" is pressed through the calibration holes of the special matrix, having a conical shape. This channel configuration maximizes the compression of the with the crushed wood with naturally sharp its heating. In this cellulose-containing structure, the lignin substance reliably "glues" all the tiniest particles, creating a very dense and strong granule.

At the exit from the matrix, the resulting "sausages" are cut with a special knife that gives cylindrical pellets of a tedious length. They enter the bunker, and from there - to receiver ready pellet .In fact, it remains only to cool the finished granules and pack them in sacks.

The matrices can be flat or cylindrical or flat. The first - are more productive, they are used mainly in powerful industrial installations. On small granulators, which are more often used in an individual farm, they are usually set flat.

Video: small wood waste processing plant in pellets

What about "private owner"?

So, everything seems to be just .But this "simplicity" of is for the adjusted production, but is it worthwhile to start such a process with ?

1. First of all, you need to carefully "look around" from the point of view of the source of raw materials for private production.

• If there is a woodworking plant nearby( a large workshop), and there at "ridiculous" prices or even for free, in order of self-transportation, you can get ready-made sawdust on a regular basis - it's worth a try. Most likely, all initial costs will soon be justified - will not only fully provide itself with granulated biofuel, but also realize surplus.

It is quite clear that the availability of pellet line will be very beneficial if the owner himself deals with wood processing, and the sawdust in the farm, as they say, is not "transferred".

• Worse, if only large wood waste is available - in this case you will have to think about its crushing, and this is the extra expense of and on equipment, and electric power.
• If calculation is constructed from voluntaristic assumptions - "what I find, then I rework", then, most likely, nothing worthwhile will not work. Equipment for granulation costs not cheap , and it is unlikely that one day it will justify itself with such an approach.

When assessing the possibilities for obtaining raw materials, you need to evaluate the wood species. It is unlikely to be associated with a poplar or willow - not only is the wood itself low-calorie, it is still and poorly sintered into granules due to low lignin content. Not too good choice will be a linden tree. But sawdust from coniferous species due to the high content of resins is suitable all without exception.

2. The next important issue is the hardware problem.

Actually, does not have any specific problems with it - there are a lot of installations of various capacities and performance, domestic, European or Chinese assemblies on sale. Call them cheap - probably not. Which of them is better or worse - it's also hard to judge, it's better to delve into this topic in Internet forums.

There, in the forums, you can find suggestions for masters who are engaged in the manufacture of granulators to order. They have developed schemes, their own drawings, experience in assembling and setting up installations. It is possible that the price of such a device will be much more attractive than the factory one.

Video: model of a granulator with a fixed flat matrix for 4 kW

But about of self-manufacturing is a very controversial issue. First of all, it is almost impossible to obtain ready-made drawings of such products, except that it is copied from the assembled apparatus. Masters who have mastered the production of such installations, hardly will share all the nuances of design and assembly.

The second difficulty - mobile and stationary parts in the granulation chamber are under enormous loads, and without proper knowledge of the resistance and applied mechanics, it is almost impossible to correctly calculate their -.Doing "by sight" - does not work.

The main parts - matrix and crushing rollers, can be purchased ready-made. But to execute the case itself, mount it on the frame, install the electric drive, think over the gear system with the necessary gear ratio, accurately fit all the parts and components - here you need the outstanding abilities of a mechanic, mechanic, milling machine, turner. ..

Of course, if you have full confidence in your abilities, then you can try - on the Internet there are examples in which home masters brag about their luck. Moreover, some even manage to get rid of the usual schemes and change the design, making its easier, but without loss of installation capabilities.

Perhaps the video below for someone something and will be the starting point in developing and manufacturing your own pellet pelletizer:

Video: as a compact device for pelletizing pellet

is completed. In conclusion, we can note the following.

On the scale of one publication, it is simply impossible to even briefly go through all the modern methods of manufacturing biofuel. So, the issues of the development and use of biogas from animal wastes, the production of bioethanol from vegetable raw materials deserve individual articles. If the reader has interesting information on these issues - we will be pleased to publish her on the portal. In any case, these topics also will not remain without consideration.

Stay tuned for the updates!