Track: Energy

Abstract

This paper discusses the design of a Biodiesel pilot plant that uses waste cooking oil collected from fried food retailers to produce biodiesel. Greenhouse gas emissions, land pollution, a bad rural economy, a lack of foreign exchange, and unemployment are all issues that have a negative impact on the South African national economy, and the machine is designed to address these issues. User-friendly, raw material storage capacity, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness were all requirements for the designed machine. Three designs of the biodiesel pilot plant were generated to reduce the problem by converting the waste cooking into biodiesel. The most convenient design was the pilot plant ‘one reactor tank’ since it is cost-efficient due to fewer components used when manufacturing. Safety considerations have been integrated with the design to minimize the possible risks that may be experienced while using the machine. In the second semester, the supervisor recommended that a group design a biodiesel pilot plant to improve on the ones done individually. In theory, the final design is more efficient, cost-effective, and simple to construct when compared to the others. The biodiesel pilot plant recycles used cooking oil to promote environmental social responsibility as a commodity while also informing the public about the importance of renewable energy sources. The model also encourages communities to get involved in the recycling economy concept. The machine will reduce the country's dependency on imported fossil fuels while also promoting long-term rural development.