Simulation of the fluid flow pattern and property estimation for bio-diesel plant design

The fluid flow pattern that occurs in the bio-diesel production process is related to viscosity, flow velocity, and pressure. Fluid flow is a paramount cause of failure in pipes in several industries. The heat transfer cause across pipes needs to be analyzed to avoid failure during operation.

The simulation and visualization of fluid flow in the plant pipes were developed for the pressure drop along with the length of the pipe. Flow patterns was analyzed using a Computational Fluid Dynamics model approach (CFD). The CFD within the ANSYS environment has three important stages, namely pre-processing, finding solutions, and post-processing. Mesh was generated and the material properties were assigned. The boundary conditions were stipulated, and the process analyzed to ensure convergence of the solution in a stable state.

High density of the blend was observed for 40% bio-diesel blend and low density at 5% bio-diesel blend. The results of the correlation analysis shows that density is directly proportional to bio-diesel content. The density-composition depict a uniform increasing density value with percentage bio-diesel mixture content. The viscosity slightly increases with bio-diesel content. There is a clear trend of viscosity increasing proportional to bio-diesel content. The simulation ensures that the parameters for the design and fabrication of the bio-diesel reactor as obtained from the simulation results is optimal.