Patent ID: 7906082

Claim:
A biodiesel refining apparatus for creating alkyl ester from oil comprising fatty acid triglycerides, comprising: a preheater tank suitable for storing and preheating oil, said tank including a heat exchanger; means for preheating an oil; a base catalyst tank for creating a transesterification catalyst, said tank having a narrowed bottom, an inlet port for receiving alcohol, an outlet port, a funnel opening for receiving base, and a plurality of spaced-apart jets in communication with said inlet port and angled tangentially and downward suitable to induce swirling of alcohol and base in said narrowed bottom; and a closed, recirculating transesterification flow system, said flow system including a reaction vessel having at least one inlet port in an upper portion thereof and at least one outlet port in a lower portion thereof, recirculating means to conduct a reactant mixture from the reaction vessel out said outlet port through an external recirculation loop and back in to the reaction vessel through said inlet port, and a glycerol drain for draining away glycerol formed during transesterification; valve means suitable for controlling entry of preheated oil, alcohol and transesterification catalyst into said transesterification flow system; and cavitation valve means for introducing slight cavitation into the transesterification flow system to promote a rapid and complete transesterification.