In the search for more efficient, affordable and environmentally conscious sources of fuel, biodiesel – a clean-burning, alternative fuel – is experiencing skyrocketing popularity, creating a growing demand for biodiesel process technologies. With assistance from the NASA-funded Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP), Fitzsimmons Systems, Inc. is hoping to be a part of the biodiesel revolution.

SATOP provides free engineering assistance to small businesses with technical challenges through the expertise of the program's Alliance Partners, 50 aerospace companies and universities involved in the US Space Program.

A provider of customized storage tank systems and solutions to a variety of industries, Fitzsimmons Systems is developing a patent-pending process technology for the production of biodiesel. The fuel is created through a chemical process called transesterification, which separates the glycerin from animal fats or vegetable oil. Methanol is used as a catalyst in biodiesel production, and Fitzsimmons Systems was concerned with the best method to recycle the methanol and separate it from any water produced.

"We looked at every approach to methanol recovery and it seemed like there had to be a cheaper and better way to do it," said Todd Fitzsimmons, president of Fitzsimmons Systems.
Dr. Shuguang Deng, assistant professor with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering in the Chemical Engineering Department at New Mexico State University (NMSU), offered his assistance to the Fitzsimmons Request for Technical Assistance.

"The objective is to purify methanol and increase its recovery in the biodiesel production process, which could significantly improve the process economics. There are three different technologies available for separating methanol from the process streams: distillation, adsorption, and membrane processes," said Dr. Deng. "The main challenge faced by Fitzsimmons Systems was to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of each technology."

Dr. Deng and his team performed detailed calculation for five stages of the distillation/flash evaporation processes and evaluated the possibility of removing water from methanol by adsorption, a process in which water molecules adhere to the surface of a solid.

"The key to the success of an adsorption process is to select an appropriate solid adsorbent for this task. We recommended using zeolite 3A as adsorbent and provided the contact information for two vendors. In the end, we recommended the adsorption process if high purity methanol is needed," said Dr. Deng. Based on those recommendations, Fitzsimmons Systems decided on the adsorption process.

"This is taking a large step forward in biodiesel production technology and, if all goes according to plan, we'll have a very highly-sought-after product," Fitzsimmons said. "We knew there was a better way and we had suspicions about other approaches, but Dr. Deng's report was much more in depth than any research we had. His recommendations helped us make a more informed decision and feel more secure that our money will be well spent."

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