Production system and method

Abstract

In a first aspect, systems and methods for producing biodiesel fuel include a modular production unit incorporated onto a single platform or into a housing for ease of relocatability. The modular production unit preferably includes a mixing unit, a reactor unit, a separation unit, a distillation unit, and a filtering unit, all incorporated onto or into a self-contained platform or housing that is able to be easily relocated. In a second aspect, the modular production unit is combined with additional fixed and/or relocatable components to provide a biodiesel processing plant. In a third aspect, a raw materials processing system and method includes a roller barrel adapted for recovery, transportation, and introduction of recycled oil feedstock into a biodiesel manufacturing process. The raw materials processing system preferably includes a hot box for filtering and heating the raw recycled oil feedstock.

1 . A biodiesel production unit comprising: 
 a reactor unit,    a separator unit downline in a flow path from said reactor unit, and    a distillation unit downline in a flow path from said separator unit,    wherein said reactor unit, said separator unit, and said distillation unit are incorporated onto a transportable platform or into a transportable housing.    
     
     
         2 . The biodiesel production unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the separator unit comprises an array of three centrifuge units connected in series.  
     
     
         3 . The biodiesel production unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the distillation unit comprises a continuous flow distillation unit.  
     
     
         4 . The biodiesel production unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the reactor unit comprises a reactor tank having a cone-shaped bottom portion.  
     
     
         5 . The biodiesel production unit according to  claim 4 , wherein said reactor tank includes a pump driven nozzle jet adapted to provide mixing of the contents of said reactor tank.  
     
     
         6 . The biodiesel production unit according to  claim 1  further comprising a mixing unit upline in a flow path from said reactor unit.  
     
     
         7 . A biodiesel processing plant comprising: 
 a biodiesel production unit comprising a reactor unit, a separator unit downline in a flow path from said reactor unit, and a distillation unit downline in a flow path from said separator unit, wherein said reactor unit, said separator unit, and said distillation unit are incorporated onto a first transportable platform or into a first transportable housing, and    a raw materials processing unit upline in a flow path from said biodiesel production unit, said raw materials processing unit comprising a raw material settling tank for removing impurities from feedstock materials, and a filtration unit.    
     
     
         8 . The biodiesel processing plant according to  claim 7  further comprising a finished product processing unit downline in a flow path from said biodiesel production unit, said finished product processing unit comprising a finished product settling tank for removing impurities from a finished biodiesel product, and a filtration unit.  
     
     
         9 . The biodiesel processing plant according to  claim 8  wherein said raw materials processing unit and said finished product processing unit are incorporated onto a second transportable platform or into a second transportable housing.  
     
     
         10 . The biodiesel production unit of  claim 1 , wherein said reactor unit comprises at least two reaction tanks.  
     
     
         11 . The biodiesel production unit of  claim 10 , wherein each of said reactor tanks has a cone-shaped bottom portion having a drain located at or near the bottom of the bottom portion.  
     
     
         12 . The biodiesel production unit of  claim 11 , wherein each of said reactor tanks is provided with a heat exchanger.  
     
     
         13 . The biodiesel production unit of  claim 1 , wherein said distillation unit comprises a continuous flow distillation unit.  
     
     
         14 . The biodiesel production unit of  claim 13 , further comprising an alcohol holding tank connected to an output of said distillation unit, wherein said alcohol holding tank and said distillation unit are maintained under a vacuum.  
     
     
         15 . The biodiesel production unit of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a feedstock heater,    a feedstock filter,    a feedstock water removal unit, and    a mixing unit,    wherein said heater, said filter, said water removal unit, and said mixing unit are incorporated onto the transportable platform or into the transportable housing upstream from said reactor unit.