Sewage Trap Grease Conversion with an Acoustic Driven Reactor

There are more than 11 billion pounds of trap grease available annually which have the potential to create over 1 billion gallons of biodiesel that can be utilized to power the nation's public works and public transit systems. Removing this trap grease from our nation's wastwater treatment facilitis and infrasturcture will reduce maintenance on existing sanitary sewer collection mains and the loads on local landfills. The overall objective of the Phase I project is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of non-catalytic biodiesle and lubricant production using trap grease as the startig material in an Acoustic Grease Conversion Reactor (AGCR). The study will initially be focused on fatty acid methly ester (FAME) - biodiesel production and, at a later stage will expand to lubricant and solvent production. An experimental AGCR with a capacity up to 20 liters will be designed, constructed and operated at the Resodyn facililties to achieve this objective. In addition, laboratory scale experimentaton will be conducted to optimize the reacton conditions such as temperature, pressure, methanol or other aldohol to grease ratio and resident time. The AGCR, a "fit for all" reactor, will be domonstrated to be an enabling, cost competitive production technology for the synthesis of biodiesel and lubricants from trap grease and other types of wast grease in one step. It will convert both free fatty acid (FFA) and triglycerides from trap grease into these value-added products. Moreover, the proposed process will elliminate the use of solvents and catalysts and the generation of waste by-products. Provided basic feasibility is demonstrated, the strategy is to extend research to lubricants, special solvent and polyester monomer production, and to develop, design and fabricate a pilot scale AGCR during a Phase II project.