Design, fabrication, and preliminary testing of a laboratory-scale reflux condenser for the recycle of methanol during Jatropha curcas L. oil transesterification

Date

3-2009

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

College

College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Butch G. Bataller

Committee Member

John Meynard M. Tengco, Rex B. Demafelis, Myra G. Borines,

Abstract

A reflux condenser for the recovery of methanol in transesterification of Jatropha curcas oil was designed, fabricated and tested. From the design calculation, a single pass shell and tube type with 3 in. shell diameter, five 3/4in. outer diameter tubes and 1.97 ft shell length fabricated. Commercial stainless steel was used as the material of construction. The heat exchanger was tested for two systems-water-water system and methanol-water system. By passing a predetermined flowrate of methanol and water as vapors to be condensed, 28mL/min and 20mL/min respectively, percent recovery, heat loss, heat effectiveness and overall heat transfer coefficient were calculated. For methanol-water system, the fabricated condenser gave a high percent recovery at 98% high heat effectiveness at 91% and low heat loss at 8%. This implied that the heat exchanger condensed its fluid (methanol vapor) efficiency. For water-water system, lower product yield, high heat loss and low heat effectiveness were observed because of the differences in property and optimum operating condition for this system. The effects of increased and decreased cooling water flowrate for water-water system were also determined and it showed at higher flowrate, there was higher velocity which led to higher convective and overall heat transfer coefficient, lower resistance, higher rate of heat transfer and higher rate of condensation. Thus, high heat effectiveness, low heat loss and high percent recovery were observed. For lower flowrate, opposite trend was observed.

Language

English

Location

UPLB College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology

Document Type

Thesis

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