CREATING A DATABASE FOR SIMULATION OF BIODIESEL PRODUCTION. PART 1: ESTIMATION OF THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF VEGETABLE OIL

Abstract

Researches focusing on the development of biofuel production processes have increased significantly in recent years, mainly for environmental and economic issues. The identification of low-cost raw materials and the development of simulation models able to predict the conditions of production and the properties of the components may be the way to optimize this process. The knowledge of thermophysical properties of the components of the food is crucial for the results to be like the real. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate methods for predicting physical and thermodynamic properties in order to develop a database of the compounds involved in the biofuels production's process and to recommend appropriate methods based on accuracy and consistency of data obtained. At the end of this work, the most viable models were recommended for each property evaluated, comparing the estimated values to the experimental data available in the literature.