Cavitation sells biodiesel reactor system

Web exclusive posted Dec. 23, 2008, at 11:42 a.m. CST

California-based Cavitation Technologies Inc. announced the first sale of its Bioforce 9000 Nano Biodiesel Reactor Skid System on Dec. 18. Murrieta, Calif.-based SRS Engineering Corp. purchased the system.

The equipment will be a component of SRS Engineering's 10 MMgy turnkey biodiesel production facility, which will be located in Moberly, Mo. The system is being installed by Missouri-based Process Concepts and is scheduled to be operational by March 2009.

The facility will utilize soy oil, waste vegetable oil and animal fats as feedstocks. "We have provided a pretreatment unit as well to handle up to 15 percent [free fatty acids], said George Hawranik, SRS Engineering's senior engineer.

Cavitation's technology involves the formation and collapse of bubbles or cavities. Feedstock materials, alcohol and a catalyst are introduced into the reactor system, which forces bubbles or cavities to form. The bubbles are subjected to high temperatures and pressure, causing them to burst with a force strong enough to break surrounding fluids into nanoparticles measuring approximately 10 atoms. The process is completed in nanoseconds, and the nanoparticles are bonded together on a molecular level to create biodiesel.

According to SRS Engineering, Cavitation's product offers substantial savings in construction and production costs when compared with existing technologies. It can also process vegetable oil feedstocks containing up to 6 percent free fatty acids and animal fats containing up to 4.5 percent free fatty acids.

SRS Engineering designs and builds complete turnkey biodiesel plants. Hawranik said his company has marketing and technology agreements to sell various technologies and implement them in facilities the company designs. "We will be manufacturing the Bioforce 9000 and installing all their plants as well as ours," Hawranik said.