Biodiesel cold filtration process
AssigneesRenewable Energy Group, Inc., Crown Iron Works Company
InventorsMYRON FRANCIS DANZER, TIMOTHY L. ELY, SCOTT ALAN KINGERY, WAYNE WILLIAM McCALLEY, WILLIAM MICHAEL McDONALD, JOHN MOSTEK, MATTHEW LEONARD SCHULTES
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Abstract
An improved biodiesel production process includes the steps of processing a feedstock to produce biodiesel, cooling the biodiesel so as to form sediment, and filtering the biodiesel to remove the sediment. The resulting biodiesel from the cold filtration process avoids problems of sediment formation during storage and transportation.
Claims28
A method for removing impurities from biodiesel, comprising:
- converting a feedstock into biodiesel having a temperature exceeding 98° C.;
- cooling the biodiesel to a temperature range sufficient to form particulates of impurities;
- and
- filtering the cooled biodiesel to remove the particulates.
A method for improving the quality of biodiesel fuel, comprising:
- pretreating a supply of triglycerides to remove impurities;
- converting the triglycerides into methyl esters and glycerin;
- cooling the methyl esters to a temperature of less than about between 38° C. so as to form particles of non-methyl esters;
- and then
- filtering the methyl esters through at least one filter to remove the non-methyl ester particles and thereby produce improved biodiesel fuel.
An improved biodiesel production process, comprising:
- processing triglycerides to produce biodiesel;
- cooling the biodiesel with at least one heat exchanger so as to precipitate out particulates;
- filtering the cooled biodiesel to remove the particulates;
- and
- periodically cleaning the heat exchanger by passing the uncooled biodiesel through the heat exchanger without supplying coolant to the heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.