Genuine Bio-Fuel turns to ultrasonic shearing in biofuel making

Oct 18, 2012 - US firm Genuine Bio-Fuel Inc said Tuesday it had adopted the ultrasonic shearing technology in its biodiesel production process in order to cut production time, costs and improve efficiency.

The Florida-based biofuel producer, which claims to be the first globally to fully use the continuous-flow, ultrasonic, shear-mixing technology, has chosen the process as an alternative to the traditional batch reactors. Executive vice president Jeff Longo spent some 18 months in evaluating new technologies before turning to that one.

According to Genuine Bio-Fuel’s calculations, ultrasonic shearing will allow the firm to cut energy consumption in the refining process by 60% by eliminating the need for excessive heat and pressure. Another advantage, the company says, is that the process enables it to use a wide variety of feedstocks. Since 2008, Genuine Bio-Fuel has been collecting used vegetable cooking oil, plant oils and fats, which it refines into green fuel.

The batch process, traditionally used in biofuel making, mechanically mixes various chemicals together, while ultrasonic shearing uses sound waves to bond a catalyst to feedstock which create the chemical reaction. "Aside from being a lengthy process, batch processing is inflexible and does not lend itself to future innovation in the alternative energy industry," the company said.

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