Reuse of Spent Coffee Grounds to Produce Biodiesel Products

University of Cincinnati – Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

Team 5046-1910: Russell McClure, Dat Nguyen, Christine Santabarbara, Noah Skinner Christopher Stone

Abstract
This project develops a process to produce a useful biodiesel product
from spent coffee grounds (SCGs). The current process synthesizes
fatty alcohol methyl ester (FAME) biodiesel and glycerin from spent
coffee grounds, this creates high value products from the waste stream
of coffee beverage producers. Although this process can help close the
loop in the circular economy, the current design is both cost and energy
prohibitive. Future work must be done to reduce the energy amount and
cost for production.

Process Specifications
• Process will be added to an existing Ready-to-Drink Coffee facility
to reduce cost of acquiring SCGs
• Currently designed to handle 100,000 MT/year of SCGs
• Process uses direct transesterification requiring only one solvent
to extract and react fats to biodiesel
• The plant will operate continuously 8000 working hours each year

Material and Energy Balance Economics Summary Conclusion

Based on the current process analysis, the design is unprofitable
Overall Mass Balance (lb/hr) Income Statement (in Millions) Total Capital Investment with a net present value of about negative $40MM. Thus, moving
Gross Sales $ 4.4 (IF method) forward into the pilot plant and even full-scale construction phase is
Material Input Generation Consumption Output $24.6MM
Sales $ 6.3 not recommended until significant cost saving measures are
Wet SCG 28000 0 28000 0 Raw Materials $ 1.9 discover, or the price of the products increases dramatically.
10-year Net Present Operating costs is determined to be $15MM and exceeds our sales
Methanol 770 0 200 580 Total Operating Expense $ 12.3 Value of $6.31MM. Most of the operating costs come from utilities. Other
FAME Biodiesel 0 1900 0 1900 Operating Expenses $-40.9MM significant costs are related to the requirement of four operators for
Utilities $ 5.6 the rather complicated process.
Glycerol 0 200 0 200 Required Rate of Return
Operations $ 4.7
Calcium Sulfate 0 2700 0 2700 22%
Depreciation $ 2.0
Net Working Capital
Future Work
Triglycerides 0 1 0 1 General Expenses $ 1.1 • Reduce utility requirements through process optimizations
$1.7MM
Sulfuric Acid 2200 0 2000 200 Net Loss $ (9.0) • Implement bio-char production using post-reaction SCGs if
favorable in future markets
Calcium Oxide 1100 0 1100 0
• Further investigate profitability of glycerol production and
Water 7400 17000 0 24000 methanol recycling
Defatted SCG 0 9200 0 9200 Process Hazard Analysis & Considerations • Continue laboratory experiments to determine optimal addition
Hazardous chemicals: Sulfuric acid, biodiesel, glycerol, triglyceride, methanol location of sulfuric acid catalyst
Total 39000 31000 31000 39000 Hazardous conditions: High temperature pipes and unit-ops; caustic and • Investigate viability of transforming triglyceride into
explosive chemicals monoglycerides to simplify reaction and separation process
Safety recommendations:
Overall Energy Balance (MMBtu/hr) • Install temperature, pressure, and flow meters with proper alarms and
Input Output interlocks.​
Acknowledgements
• Confirmation loop in coding with interlocks.​Build enclosures and install We would like to acknowledge Dr. Mingming Lu and her research
Feed Streams -5200 0 group at UC for providing the fundamental research used to develop
knockdown and or scrubbing systems.​
Product Streams 0 -5200 • Where needed, insulate and heat trace, install relief devices, and skid units for
this process on the direct transesterification of SCG to form
biodiesel.
Heating 75 0 backup utilities.​
Cooling -70 0 • Install bypass to secondary containment on interlocks/alarms.​
• Install barriers or relocate vessels, exchangers, equipment away from traffic
Total -5200 -5200 paths.​