Biodiesel Technology and Management From Used Cooking Oil

in Thailand Rural Areas

Pongsiri Jaruyanon1 and Wongkot Wongsapai2

1
Department of mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Technology,
Silpakorn University, Nakorn Prathom, Thailand
Phone: +66-81-456-5687 Fax: +66-2-943-9397, e-mail: airypoly@yahoo.com
2
Department of mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Phone: +66-81-681-2002 Fax: +66-53-892-375, e-mail: wongkot_w@yahoo.com

Abstract The objectives of this study are based on four main

The small-scale demonstrated biodiesel production unit problems; i.e. (i) to promote the renewable energy
from used cooking oil project have been design and technology and produce biodiesel in rural community, (ii)
constructed for use in rural areas in Nhong Pling to reduce the household energy expenses, (iii) to reduce the
municipality, Nakorn Sawan province, located in the water hazard from pouring the used cooking oil into the
Northern region of Thailand under full government river, and (iv) to reduce the reused of used cooking oil
subsidization. In this paper, the used cooking oil potential behavior in restaurants which may causes the cancer from
quantity has been surveyed. From the results, we found that dioxin.
there are 1.3 million litres of used cooking oil per year in
Nakorn Sawan. Most are from cooking activities in This paper is organized in five sections as follows;
residential sector and restaurant. The used cooking oil can section 2 postulates the general information of biodiesel
turn to biodiesel by using transesterification processes followed by the production processes and the biodiesel unit
which converted triglycerines to biodiesel by mixing it with of our study in section 3 and 4, respectively. Section 5
methanol to be fatty acid methyl esters. Biodiesel can be discusses about the management of the biodiesel system
used for various proposes; e.g. diesel substitution in trucks, under the community based. Finally, section 6 provides
agricultural machines, or fuel oil substitution in thermal some concluding remarks.
generation. This paper also discussed the management and
flows of biodiesel, from the sources to the end-users. 2. Biodiesel: general information
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel manufactured from
Keywords: Biodiesel technology, Renewable energy, cooking oils, artificial fats, and recycled or used cooking
Thailand oil. It is widely known as diesel substitution in transport
sector (automobiles) and agricultural sector (machines).
1. Introduction The advantages and disadvantages of biodiesel are as
As one of ongoing developing countries of Asia, follows;
Thailand experienced one of the worlds highest economic
growth rate with the average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 2.1 The advantages
8.3% during 1985 to the economic crisis in 1997, and It is renewable with energy efficient and also displaces
recovered again since 1999. By the end of 2003, Thailand petroleum derived diesel fuel,
economic situation was known as the worlds second It can be used in most diesel equipment and no or only
highest in gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of minor modifications,
6.7% and the GDP still continuously grows till now. It can reduce greenhouse gases emissions and tailpipe
emissions, including air toxics and smogs,
Considering on the countrys final energy It is domestically production from either agricultural
consumption, under the 70% energy imported, transport (crude palm oil or jatropha) or recycled resources (used
sector plays a dominant role as more than one-third in cooking oil),
shares of total energy consumption every year. The main
fuel uses in transport sector, at 72% of total energy uses in 2.2 The disadvantages
transport sector, is diesel which mainly used in trucks, vans, It increases NOx especially in Some kinds of
locomotive, marine transport, and agricultural equipment B100,such as those high in polyunsaturated fatty acid,
[1]. This means that if Thailand can domestically produce it produce more NOx than B100 high in saturated fatty
her own biodiesel unit, which can automatically substitute acids,
to the convention biodiesel or can be mixed upto B10, the It contains 10% less calorific value than the
benefits would widely impact to the country. conventional diesel,

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 70C at atmosphereic pressure. The crude glycerin and
3. The biodiesel production processes crude biodiesel would then separate. The separated crude
Even there are various biodiesel production biodiesel is washed with mildly acidic water to remove the
technology, but there are two main technologies widely neutralized catalysts, water soluble glycerin, soaps, and
used in biodiesel production in Thailand; i.e. (i) trans- methane. For the remaining crude glycerin, it would then
esterification technology, and (ii) acid esterification refined to various grades according to various purposes.
technology. In this study, the biodiesel is produced from the
used cooking oil from widely sources, e.g. oil gathering Used cooking oil + Methanol
from fresh markets, school canteens, or restaurants. By Methyl esters + Glycerin (1)
using the trans-
esterification processes, as shown in equation 1, it converts
triglycerides to biodiesel with the temperature of 60 to

Refined Vegetable oils

Methanol + NaOH Trans-esterification

Methanol
Crude Glycerin Crude biodiesel
recovery

Glycerin Methanol
Wash water Refining
refining
Contaminants

Biodiesel
Glycerin, soaps
Spent catalysts
Water
Methyl esters
Triglycerides
Figure 1 illustrates the trans-esterification technology.

(3) methanol tank, (4) used cooking oil pump

4. The unit (explosion proved), (5) water pump, (6) chemical
The biodiesel unit in our study was designed pump, (7) heater controller, (8) oil nozzle, (9) used
and constructed based on the trans-esterification cooking oil filter, (10) biodiesel filter, and (11)
technology. The unit schematic diagram illustrates in electrical control box. The unit shown in this figure 3
figure 2. With 150 to 300 litres of biodiesel costs approximately 2,700 US dollar, with all
production per day capacity, this biodiesel unit is domestically made [2].
appropriately focused on the small-scale community
based propose. Figure 3 shows the biodiesel unit After finish production, the biodiesel then be
operated in Nhong Pling municipality, Nakorn Sawan distributed to the end-users, as seen in figure 4, which
province. This unit is a prototype biodiesel unit in this mostly are the villagers around the Nhong Pling
province with 150 litres per day production and municipal. This biodiesel can be used in one-stroke
operates 20 days per month. small agricultural engines in farm, as seen in figure 5,
without any machine adjustment required.
As seen in figure 2, the units consists of 11
parts as follows; (1) the reactor tank, (2) water tank,

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Figure 2 Schematic diagrams of biodiesel unit.[2]

Figure 5 Biodiesel used in one-stroke small

Figure 3 The biodiesel production unit.in Nhong Pling agricultural engines.in Nakorn Sawan province.
municipality, Nakorn Sawan province.
5. The management
For sustainable operation, the management
system for biodiesel in the municipal level is strongly
required. The executive staff of Nhong Pling
municipality have set the biodiesel plan as shown in
figure 6. Started with the establishment of biodiesel
committees as shown in figure 7, selected from one
person represent for each village in the municipality
to develop their management plan to handle their
biodiesel unit.
The activities of the committee consists of
the survey of supply (used cooking oil in each village)
and survey of demand (number of the agricultural
machines in each village). They found that there is not
sufficient used cooking oil in their municipality for
Figure 4 Biodiesel distributing/selling unit.in .in supporting their 3,000 litres per month biodiesel
Nhong Pling municipality, Nakorn Sawan province. demand. The used cooking oil then needed to import
from the markets outside the municipality.

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 In case of municipal level, the Nhong Pling
Executive municipal staff municipality have set full-time staffs to handle the
first meeting biodiesel unit including the used cooking oil supply,
public relations of biodiesel to villagers.

About the selling retail price of biodiesel, the

Biodiesel committees and committees have set the price at around 10% cheaper
working staffs establishment than convention diesel retail price (in Thai market, the
diesel retail price in Nakorn Sawan is around 30 Baht
per litre and 1 US dollar equals to 37 Baht at 2007).
This policy is set under the subsidization from the
Public relations and municipality, if any.
call for applications

Used cooking oil finding/

buying system

Biodiesel production and

distribution/sell

Project evaluation
Figure 8 The municipal biodiesel committees during
Figure 6 The management of biodiesel project. the meeting.

The meeting of the biodiesel committees is

set every month as shown in figure 8.

Municipality

Biodiesel Committees

Production Raw material Secretary PR

Supply

Figure 7 The organization of biodiesel committee [2].

Northern region of Thailand under full government
6. Conclusions subsidization. The used cooking oil can turn to
According to the national renewable energy biodiesel by using transesterification processes which
policy and sustainable development in energy policy, converted triglycerines to biodiesel by mixing it with
the small-scale demonstrated biodiesel production methanol to be fatty acid methyl esters. Biodiesel can
unit from used cooking oil project have been design be used for various proposes; e.g. diesel substitution
and constructed for use in rural areas in Nhong Pling in trucks, agricultural machines, or fuel oil
municipality, Nakorn Sawan province, located in the substitution in thermal generation. The management

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and flows of biodiesel, from the sources to the end-
users have also set by the municipal staff to keep this
renewable enrgy project sustainable in the long run.

7. Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Nakorn
Sawan administration province for financial support
of the biodiesel project and the Regional Energy Co-
ordination Office 8-Nakorn Sawan Province,
especially Mr.Anirut Tanakornmontri, for supporting
throughout our works with valuable comments. All
participated communities for research and all
supports. We remain culpable for any remaining
errors.

References
[1] DEDE (2007), Thailand Energy Situation 2006,
Department of Alternative Energy Development and
Efficiency, Thailand.

[2] Silpakorn University (2007), The Biodiesel in

Nhong Pling Municipality Project, Final report
submitted to Ministry of Energy, Thailand.

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