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This paper presents a workflow to develop, validate, and apply a predictive model for rating and optimization of large-scale integrated refinery reaction and fractionation systems from plant data. ...

Biodiesel, i.e., a mixture of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), produced from reacting triglyceride with methanol by alkali-catalyzed transesterification, has attracted much attention as an important renewable energy source. To aid in the optimization of biodiesel manufacturing, a number of published studies have applied commercial process simulators to quantify the effects of operating conditions on the process performance. Significantly, all of the reported simulation models are design models for new processes by fixing some level of equipment performance such as the conversion of transesterification reaction. Most models assume the feed oil as pure triolein and the biodiesel fuel as pure methyl oleate, and pay insufficient attention to the feed oil characterization, thermophysical property estimation, rigorous reaction kinetics, phase equilibrium for separation and purification units, and prediction of essential biodiesel fuel qualities. This paper presents first a comprehensive review of published lit...