AID FOR EXISTING BIODIESEL REFINERIES

• Is Your Existing Biodiesel Plant Ready to Handle Multiple Feedstocks?

• Is Your Biodiesel Plant Sitting Idle Due to Lack of Essential Equipment?

• Is Your Facility Inefficient and Uneconomical?

• Is your Equipment Sluggish and Not Meeting Expected Process Rates?

• Are You Coming Up Short in the Quality Department?

 
Biodiesel processing technologies and environmental concerns are an ever changing reality for biodiesel producers. Keeping your processing facility running at its most efficient requires you to address your current biodiesel plant's problems. SRS Biodiesel can make appropriate recommendations to correct them. SRS' trained team of biodiesel professionals provide a high level of expertise to assist challenged biodiesel refineries to become functioning and profitable once again.
 
SRS can assist you with the following processes

• Oils and Fats Processing
• Esterification
• Transesterification
• Biodiesel Distillation
• Methanol Recovery
• Glycerin Purification

Resin Esterification for High FFA (Free Fatty Acid) Feedstocks

THE CURRENT BIODIESEL MARKET

Approximately 80% - 85% of biodiesel production cost derives from feedstock.

With the price of feedstocks reaching record costs and the availability ever changing, the production of biodiesel from waste oils and animal fats is one approach to lowering biodiesel production costs.

THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH FOR TREATING HIGH FFA FEEDSTOCKS

• These readily available, less expensive feedstocks contain a significant amount of FFA's (Free Fatty Acids). These FFA's must be removed prior to the transesterification process, as they will form soap through an alkali catatlyst during transesterification.
  
  Traditionally, FFA found in biodiesel feedstocks are converted into Fatty Acid Methyl Estser (FAME) through esterification with methanol and using sulfuric acid (H2S04) as a catalyst. A number of approaches for the method exist.
  
  -Remove FFA with Na0H and centrifuge (Neutralization/Caustic Stripping
  -Convert FFA into methyl estsers with acid esterification athen proceed with transesterification
• -Convert the high FFA into monoglycerides then proceed with transesterification
  -Separate the FFA and triglycerides and treat separately
  

FFA's react with alcohol under an acid catalyst, producing ester and water. This reaction is described in the following equation.

R1 - COOH + R2 - OH --> Sulfuric Acid/Resins --> R1 - COO - R2 - H2O

WHY CHANGE?

Considering the economics of bioidesel production, the conventional method of FFA pretreatment is not a practical approach for the following reasons.

-High yield loss in the high FFA feedstocks

-Dealing with the wast disposal and permitting issues

-Sulfuric acid creates a toxic water disposal stream

-Requires the extra step of neutralizing the biodiesel stream before transesterification

All of these things equate to additional unnecessary and costly steps that could be avoided by utilizing the smart science of SRS Engineering's preferred esterification process.

SRS' PREFERRED ESTERIFICATION PROCESS

Realizing the importance of feedstock costs, permitting issues with acids and chemicals, yield losses, and stringent ASTM D 6751 and EN 14214 standards, we have developed an improved technology that does the following...

• Lowers costs associated with feedstock by allowing up to 100% FFA based feedstocks
• Up to 99.7% FFA converted to biodiesel, not soap
• Eliminates the issues of handling and permitting chemicals and acids
• Extended lifetime of catalyst with the proper treatment
• Improved quality of both biodiesel and glycerin
• No Sulfur or other metal added
• Significantly reduced sodium methylate usage in transesterification

Our solid based heterogeneous esterification technology is designed to minimize the overall costs of equipment, eases the complexity of operations and can be used for up to 20% FFA from multi feedstocks. SRS' process is a 2 stage estserification process with 90% conversion in each stage. This enables the use of feedstockssuch as trap grease, brown grease, waste vegetable oil, yellow grease, high FFA tallow, poultry fat, choice white grease, pork fat, algae oil, soybean oil, corn oil, jatropha oil, palm fatty acid distillate, palm sludge oil, and coconut oil.

HOW IT WORKS

Our adjustable system configuration provides optimum output for minimum costs while using any feedstocks with up to 100% FFA. A single stage reaction is enough to reduce FFA levels as low as 0.1% in feedstocks containing low FFA levels, while a two or three stage system would cover any feedstock up to 100% FFA.

Degumming / Bleaching Pretreatment:

In order for the oil and/or fat to be properly treated in the esterification reactor, the feedstock has to be clean of impurities such as ionic species and components, phospholipids, metals, gums, unsaponifiables, water, and other solid impurities.

Use of a degumming and bleaching unit is essential for feedstocks not meeting the above standards. The presence of gums, metals, and water affects the life of the catalyst and thus reduces the yield. SRS is aware that not all biodiesel plants utilize a bleaching and degumming pretreatment process. That is why we offer support to select a pretreatment plan to fit your needs.

WHY SRS ENGINEERING RESIN ESTERIFICATIN SYSTEM?

Our years of experience in the biodiesel industry along with our reputation for state-of-the-art design and engineering have propelled SRS to the forefront of the ever changing biodiesel industry.

We provide our clients with these all encompassing array of solution based services, custom-made to fit your companies specific biodiesel requirements. From assessing your esterification needs and custom fitting an engineering package through installation, start up and training.

Contact SRS Today to Learn More

800-497-5841 or 951-526-2239

sales@srsengineering.com

Leaders in Biodiesel Technology

SRS Engineering's quarter century of experience in the process industry, along with our reputation for state-of-the-art design and engineering, have propelled SRS to the forefront of the biodiesel industry.

Today we are uniquely positioned to deliver everything from small turnkey biodiesel plants to large-scale biodiesel refineries.

What Makes SRS Stand Out Among the Competition?

One of SRS' core strengths is in engineering biodiesel plants that operate with the highest level of efficiency to create maximum plant productivity. SRS Engineering's biodiesel plants are fully automated requiring minimal human involvement. Our advanced technology allows plants to incorporate various different high Free Fatty Acid (FFA) feedstocks, giving the plant more flexibility and profitability.

Why Choose SRS?

SRS' engineering staff is comprised of 60+ ISO9001:2008 certified engineers, working as a team to help optimize the plants design and controls, resulting in a favorable outcome to the client's bottom line. Specializing in electrical, process, application, project, mechanical, chemical, civil, structural, and control engineering.

SRS' experience, technology and reputation make us a leader in the biodiesel industry, providing the following services to our clientele.

Turnkey Biodiesel Refineries

SRS Engineering understands the steps required to build and maintain a biodiesel plant. From site selection and permitting to producing ASTM D 6751 fuel, SR has the capability and the facilities to complete every aspect of your biodiesel plant construction.

• Plant Size Determination
• Selecting an Appropriate Site
• Permitting
• Biodiesel Plant Engineering
• Determining your Biodiesel Equipment Needs
• Plant Installation
• Quality and BQ-900 Considerations
• Plant Start-Up and Training
• Planning for the Future

Existing Biodiesel Plants

SRS Engineering offers consulting services, revamping and expansion services to challenged and incomplete biodiesel plants. SRS' biodiesel engineers can help you determine your current plants problems and make appropriate recommendations to get your plant up and running at its peak performance.


Many of our clients come to SRS as a result of their dissatisfaction with their existing biodiesel technology. SRS' trained team of biodiesel professionals provide a high level of expertise to assist challenged biodiesel plants to become functioning and profitable once again.

Biodiesel Reactors

SRS Engineering utilizes cavitation technology. A reactor skid system that employs leading technology allowing our reactors to achieve the following.

• Feedstock Flexibility
• Simultaneous Use of Feedstocks
• High FFA Feedstocks
• Full Conversion into Biodiesel
• Instantaneous Reaction
• High Yield Biodiesel
• High Quality Biodiesel
• Reduced Energy Consumption
  

High FFA Pretreatment

SRS Engineering has created the patent pending FSP-Series Acid Esterification Pretreatment System to enable new and existing plants the ability to incorporate multiple High FFA feedstocks

In todays market, having your plant be multi-feedstock capable is not only a competitive advantage...its a business necessity.

Whether it be animal fat based feedstocks such as beef tallow or chicken fat, or one of the new emerging feedstocks such as algae or jatropha, they all share one thing in common...FFA too high for base transesterification. SRS offers a scalable, continuous flow, skid-mounted system that can front-end any existing biodiesel system, efficiently converting FFA into usable oil with no yield loss.

Methanol Recovery

SRS Engineering's High Purity Methanol Recovery Systems true fractional distillation columns efficiently recover 99.9% of all unused methanol, returning it clean and dry to your bulk methanol tank at 99.9% purity, often a higher purity than the new methanol you can purchase and with no off-site reprocessing costs.

Methanol Recovery for biodiesel is an important part of the entire biodiesel process and involves the highest cost of operation for a biodiesel plant.

Only about half of the methanol used is actually consumed in the transesterification process, leaving the rest in the finished biodiesel and glycerin.

With today's high methanol costs, biodiesel producers simply cannot afford to throw away half of the methanol they purchase.



Everyone now is striving for ASTM compliant biodiesel. Leaving methanol in finished biodiesel has another bad side effect...its wall fail the ASTM Flash Point Test.


Biodiesel Distillation


Are you concerned about passing Cold Flow Filtration?

SRS has the answer to your problem with our ASVB-Series Distillation System, which distills your biodiesel, creating the purest biodiesel possible. By distilling your biodiesel, you can be back in business in no time with ASTM compliant biodiesel.

Advantages of Biodiesel Distillation are...

• Creates product homogeneity
• Creates a superior biodiesel when using both virgin and animal feedstocks
• Market differentiation by creating the purest biodiesel possible
• Takes sulfur out of high sulfur feedstocks like beef tallow and checken fat (up to 80 ppm)
• Meets ASTM Specifications
  

Solvent Extraction

Solvent extraction is the process which involves extracting oil from oil-bearing materials by treating it with a low boiler solvent as opposed to extracting the oils by mechanical pressing methods.

SRS' solvent extraction method recovers almost all the oils and leaves behind only 0.5% to 0.7% residue oil in the raw material, as opposed to mechanical pressing, which may leave a residual oil anywhere from 6% to 14%.

SRS' solvent extraction method can be applied directly to any low oil content raw materials or can be used to extract pre-pressed oil cakes obtained from high oil content materials.


Glycerin Purification

SRS has designed a high-purity glycerin purification system, giving biodiesel plants the ability to create additional profits through purification of their crude glycerin. SRS' system can produce high quality glycerin in high yield while maximizing energy efficiency. The system can take crude glycerin with a purity rating of 80% to a technical grade glycerin of >90%.

Glycerin naturally occurs during the biodiesel production process and is specifically produced in the transesterification process. Glycerin produced at this stage is about 80% pure still containing contaminants like soap, methanol, and water.

The purification process must take place in order to turn this glycerin into a usable state for emerging uses.

Glycerin currently has over 1,500 known uses in many different industries ranging from foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics (USP Grade), to paints, coatings, and other industrial types of applications (technical grade).

Engineering, CAD, Programming Services

SRS can provide you with a wide variety of affordable engineering, CAD, and programming services for different industries.

SRS' India Division has 40+ engineers with over 150 years of combined expertise in the following...

• Electrical
• Civil
• Mechanical
• Structural
• Process
• Control
• Chemical
• Environmental
• Instrumentation
  

We take pride in the quality of the products and servies we offer. Some of these services include...

• Piping Engineering
• Instrumentation Engineering
• CAD Services
• Documentation and Manuals
• Structural Engineering

SRS is Committed to Providing You With the Highest Level of Customer Satisfaction Possible. Please Contact us Today for Your Free Quote.

800-497-5841 or 951-526-2239

sales@srsengineering.com

House Passes Biodiesel Tax Credit

The house has passed the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loophole Act by a vote of 215 to 204.

H. R. 4213 seeks to retroactively extend the one dollar per gallon production tax credit for biodiesel and diesel made from biomass, from the date of the lapse in 2009 until the end of 2010.

Also in its sights are the small biodiesel producers, aiming to extend the 10 cents per gallon credit.

Other proposed extensions to credits for biomass power projects, heavy hybrid vehicles and alternative fuels for vehicles including biomass and biogas.

Manning Feraci , National Biodiesel Board Vice President of Federal Affairs stated, “There are compelling economic, energy security and environmental benefits associated with displacing petroleum with clean-burning, domestically produced biodiesel “Common sense dictates that the Senate should act swiftly upon their return from Memorial Day recess and extend this effective public policy.

During the six years that the tax incentive has been in place, the biodiesel industry has added $4.1 billion to the nations GDP and generated $828 million in tax revenue for Federal, State, and Local Government.

SRS Engineering is Now Offering Outsourced Engineering Solutions

SRS Engineering is sharing the secreet thta we have known and used for over 20 years and that has made our company so successful. Our SRS India Division specializes in engineering solutions to save valuable time and money without compromising quality, giving us the ability to pass these savings on to our customers.

SRS Engineering's India Division is a value added resource that we would like to share with everyone!

Rest Assured that when yo call SRS for our engineering services you will receive excellent customer care from our stateside liaisons ensuring that yo have a seamless transition.

Here are just some of the engineering services that we have to offer you.

-Electrical -Civil
-Mechanical -Structural
-Process -Control
-Chemical -Environmental
-Instrumentation

Here are some of SRS Engineering Standard Hourly Billing Rates.

Principal Engineer $65.00

Senior Process Engineer $42.00

Senior Process Resource $40.00

Process Engineer $34.00

Senior Project Manager $46.00

Project Manager $38.00

Drafting Technologist $28.00

Intern Engineer/Project Coordinator $32.00

Student Technologist $26.00

Administrative Assistant $22.00

Savings that you can pass on to your customers!

You may call me today at 800-497-5841 or email me at jenniferm@srsengineering.com for a free consultation and quote!
Visit our website at www.srsengineering.com

National Biodiesel Day

To many, March 18th means the celebration of Saint Patrick's Day, But, today is also Rudolph Diesel's birthday.

Over 100 years ago Rudolf Diesel discovered an innovation that was cutting edge. Today, no other engine inventor's name is so intently tied to his engine.

His pursuit to find more efficient ways to use steam as the working fluid in heat engines led to patents in 1892 & 1893 for the cycle of an engine using the compression-ignition method. Diesel then tackled the obstacle of the compression-ignition engine as a refinement of the petrol engine invented by Niklaus Otto in 1876. Although he experienced several obstacles with manufacturing, licensing, and financial stability, he spent the rest of his life introducing his invention to the world.

The diesel engine was originally made to run on peanut oil, and only later did petroleum become the standard fuel. Diesel said, "the use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today, but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time."

Diesel eventually revised his first model and in 1894 his new engine ran for more than a minute. This engine had a mechanical efficiency over 75%, surpassing the steam engines of that time which where running at less than 10%.

In 1898 Diesel made himself a millionaire by selling the rights to his engine to a Missouri beer manufacturer named Adolphus Busch. His determination and sales were so monumental that they were used in almost all US submarines during WWI.

On September 29, 1913, Diesel disappeared from the Harwich-Antwerp ferry as is crossed the Channel and was never found. Since his death the diesel engine has become and integral component in transportation and manufacturing.

National Biodiesel Conference & Expo

Come see SRS Engineering Corporation at the 2010 National Biodiesel Conference & Expo being held February 7th through the 10th in Grapevine Texas at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center.

This is a fantastic forum for the biodiesel industry to network with numerous biodiesel marketers, feedstock growers, fuel distributors, governament leaders and other biodiesel stakeholders. This year, the NBB has the new Biodiesel Networking Center and a new and improved NBB Connections social networking website to accomodate the numerous open forum "round table sessions."

Futures forecaster Don Reynolds will be a keynote speaker sure to pique interests with his answers to questions regardint the "new normal" in the business environment.

To see a full list of exhibitors go to www.biodieselconference.org/2010