Patent ID: 8603198

Claim:
A method for producing biodiesel from biolipids comprising the steps of: mixing said biolipids with a low-molecular weight alcohol and a catalyst to obtain a two phase, liquid-liquid fluidic reaction mixture; binding a second catalyst to inner surfaces of a cavitation device; pumping the fluidic reaction mixture through the cavitation device at an inlet pump pressure and an inlet fluid velocity, the cavitation device having sequential compartments configured with both contractions and expansions of a passageway; reducing a fluid pressure of the fluidic reaction mixture such that it reaches a vapor pressure of the low-molecular weight alcohol, wherein such reduction in the fluid pressure results from an increase in a velocity of the fluidic mixture through the contractions of the passageway; generating cavitational fluid features, including low-molecular weight alcohol vapor-filled bubbles, in the fluidic reaction mixture to obtain a two-phase liquid-gas fluidic reaction mixture containing said biolipids in a liquid state and the low-molecular weight alcohol in a gaseous state from the vapor-filled bubbles; collapsing the low-molecular weight alcohol vapor-filled bubbles resulting in localized elevations of temperature and pressure; reacting the liquid state biolipids with the gaseous state low-molecular weight alcohol from vapor-filled bubbles to produce the biodiesel and a glycerol; and separating the biodiesel from the glycerol.