Inverse determination of kinetic rate constants for transesterification of vegetable oils

Abstract

We present an inverse procedure for determining the rate constants for the kinetic equations that describe the transesterification reaction used to produce biodiesel from vegetable oils. In this approach, we require a mathematical model and its corresponding computer implementation, an experimental setup for taking experiment data and a numerical optimization procedure are used to determine the rate constants. A continuous laminar flow microreactor concept is considered due the simplicity of the design, the precise controllability of the flow conditions and the accuracy of the corresponding numerical model.