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Oil and gas production handbook An introduction to oil ... - ABB Group

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<strong>gas</strong> – combined. However, research in<strong>to</strong> methane hydrates is still in its<br />

infancy.<br />

9.1.7 Biofuels<br />

Biofuels are produced from specially-grown products such as <strong>oil</strong>seeds or<br />

sugars, <strong>and</strong> organic waste, e.g., from the forest industry. These fuels are<br />

called carbon neutral, because the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) released during<br />

burning is offset by the CO 2 used by the plant when growing.<br />

Ethanol alcohol (C 2 H 5 OH) is distilled from fermented sugars <strong>and</strong>/or starch<br />

(e.g., wood, sugar cane or beets, corn (maize) or grain) <strong>to</strong> produce ethanol<br />

that can be burned alone with retuning of the engine, or mixed with ordinary<br />

<strong>gas</strong>oline.<br />

Biodiesel is made from <strong>oil</strong>s from crops such as rapeseed, soy, sesame, palm<br />

or sunflower. The vegetable <strong>oil</strong> (lipid) is significantly different from mineral<br />

(crude) <strong>oil</strong>, <strong>and</strong> is composed of triglycerides. In these molecules, three fatty<br />

acids are bound <strong>to</strong> a glycerol molecule shown in the following picture (The<br />

wiggly line represents the carbon chain with a carbon a<strong>to</strong>m at each knee<br />

with single or double bonds <strong>and</strong> two or one hydrogen a<strong>to</strong>ms respectively):<br />

Figure 38, Vegetable <strong>Oil</strong> structure<br />

The glycerol backbone on the left is bound (ester OH binding) <strong>to</strong> three fatty<br />

acids, shown here with palmitic acid, oleic acid <strong>and</strong> alpha-linolenic acid <strong>and</strong><br />

a <strong>to</strong>tal carbon number of 55.<br />

This molecule is broken down <strong>to</strong> individual alkyl esters through a chemical<br />

process called transesterification, whereby the glycerin is separated from the<br />

fatty acids. Methanol (CH 3 OH) is added <strong>to</strong> the lipids <strong>and</strong> heated. <strong>An</strong>y strong<br />

base capable of depro<strong>to</strong>nating the alcohol, such as NaOH or KOH is used as<br />

catalyst.<br />

133

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