Diseño y construcción de un prototipo para la obtención de biodiesel a partir de aceite vegetal usado de cocina, de una capacidad de 5 litros.

Abstract

In the field of Mechanical Engineering, the need to design and build machines that improve and help to solve problems is very often. As in this case it is the production of biodiesel from used cooking oil to reduce environmental pollution. During the last years biodiesel has been seen as an alternative fuel. One of the methods of obtaining by trans-esterification with catalyst, when used cooking oil in conjunction with methanol and sodium hydroxide, is derived in a chemical reaction which results in biodiesel and glycerin. An integrated methodology was proposed to find the best alternative solution, which consist of 4 stages, in each of them with several activities, where they were used methods for their solution, are: Previous studies, a field study, methods of obtaining biodiesel. Design of concept, determination of requirements based on QFD matrix, functional analysis, selection of the best alternative, study of components. Design of materialization, formulas were used for the sizing of the main components of the machine and the selection of the elements. The detailed design, presents the necessary documents for the manufacture, since they are parts blueprints, calculation memories. In each for the samples, the stoichiometric equation is varied to improve the gross calorific value of biodiesel. Finally, a report of the results obtained at Universidad Central del Ecuador at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering in Quito city is attached to the gross calorific value of two samples obtained in the machine, satisfactorily complying with the NE 14214 standard.