Abstract
The relatively recent developments in heterogeneous-catalyst-based supercritical biodiesel processing have enabled the construction of a simple, portable, efficient, automated and environmentally friendly biodiesel processing system. The processing of biodiesel in the supercritical state uses no water, produces negligible waste and is insensitive to the free-fatty acid content in a lipid. In this paper, an overview of the supercritical transesterification process as it applies to the design of a portable biodiesel processing system will be discussed. In addition, the details of the design and performance of a first-generation prototype biodiesel processing system are described.