Bizualem Yonas Desta, Nurie Amare Gashu, Nadew Talbachew Tadesse
Department of Chemical Engineering, Kombolcha Institute of Technology, Wollo University, P.O. Box: 208, Kombolcha, Ethiopia.
Department of Chemical and Food Engineering, Kombolcha Institute of Technology, Wollo University, P.O. Box: 208, Kombolcha, Ethiopia.
Heliyon. 2024 Jul 20;10(15):e34790. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34790. eCollection 2024 Aug 15.
The production of biodiesel conventionally relies on batch reactors for the transesterification of oil and alcohol. However, the inherent limitations of batch-wise biodiesel production, including biphasic oil and alcohol, the establishment of equilibrium during transesterification, and heightened manufacturing costs, underscore the need for intensifying biodiesel synthesis. The integration of microreactors and micromixers presents a promising avenue to achieve these objectives, driving significant interest in the development of continuous biodiesel synthesis within microreactor systems. Continuous microreactors, empowered by micromixers, offer key advantages such as a heightened interfacial area between immiscible reactants and phases, as well as reduced mass transfer resistance, culminating in elevated biodiesel yields. Consequently, the micromixer emerges as a pivotal component in microreactor systems. This review delves into the pivotal role of micromixers in biodiesel production within microreactors, shedding light on micromixer types, channel configurations, reactor dimensions, mixing indices, and the influence of co-solvents in micromixers. The efficiency of various micromixer types is meticulously analyzed using a mixing index and yield of oil. Furthermore, the review addresses the challenges inherent in biodiesel production when employing micromixers and microreactors.
传统上，生物柴油的生产依赖于间歇式反应器来进行油与醇的酯交换反应。然而，间歇式生物柴油生产存在一些固有局限性，包括油相和醇相的两相性、酯交换过程中平衡的建立以及较高的制造成本，这凸显了强化生物柴油合成的必要性。微反应器和微混合器的集成提供了一条实现这些目标的有前景的途径，引发了人们对微反应器系统中连续生物柴油合成开发的浓厚兴趣。由微混合器赋能的连续微反应器具有关键优势，例如不互溶反应物和相之间的界面面积增大，以及传质阻力降低，最终提高了生物柴油的产率。因此，微混合器成为微反应器系统中的关键组件。本综述深入探讨了微混合器在微反应器内生物柴油生产中的关键作用，阐明了微混合器类型、通道配置、反应器尺寸、混合指数以及微混合器中助溶剂的影响。使用混合指数和油产率对各种微混合器类型的效率进行了细致分析。此外，该综述还讨论了在使用微混合器和微反应器进行生物柴油生产时所固有的挑战。
