A review on process system engineering for biodiesel refineries

Recently, biofuels have been focused because of environmental and society crisis including air pollution and limitation of crude oil resources. Biodiesel is known as fatty acid methyl ester which has been chosen as promising fuel because of its renewable nature and environmental benefits. The approaches for the continued growth of biodiesel process plant for development of new policies, reduction of biodiesel cost, external funding for increasing fuel cost and support for research and development of possible biodiesel feedstocks. The main purpose of this study is designing biodiesel refineries for getting maximum conversion of esters at the lowest capital cost of the refineries. Process systems engineering (PSE) approaches are ideally suited to modelling, design, optimization, and operations challenges and opportunities in the development of biodiesel plant .This review also focused on the renewability and sustainability of biodiesel production.