Simulação de um reator tubular na produção de biodiesel de óleo residual utilizando técnicas estatísticas

Abstract

Modernity brought with it great systematic, economic and energy revolutions. Consequently, the change in social behavior linked to greater consumption generated greater production of solid waste. This production, in turn, was not accompanied by adequate management aimed at defining its handling, collection, treatment and disposal. Of the four million frying oils produced annually in Brazil, two billion are discarded incorrectly. This irregular disposal goes to sewage treatment stations, demanding measures that make this treatment approximately 45% more expensive. Aiming to seek reuse alternatives, the present work aims to improve the conditions of the biodiesel production process in a PFR reactor whose simulations underwent an analysis with the objective of validating the model through experimental data from the literature. Their values, in turn, showed similar behavior in both cases. Then a statistical study was carried out through statistical analysis through Full Factorial Planning 2³ aiming to find optimal operating conditions for a PFR reactor. The variables of volumetric flow and diameters were considered significant in relation to the conversion of biodiesel, as well as the interaction between them, having positive effects. The residual error was 0.049, while the coefficient of determination (R²) was 0.99924. The optimal operating conditions found correspond to a diameter of 0.412 m, a flow rate of 30 L/min and a length of 20.185 m. The conversion obtained was 99.11%. The study was relevant, since it provides parameters that enable the optimization of tubular reactors.