NTU researchers develop portable system for biodiesel production

Taipei, April 3 (CNA) A research team at National Taiwan University (NTU) has developed a portable, backpack-sized system for continuous biodiesel production using a novel separation technology, boosting efficiency and promoting decentralized energy production.

Led by Chiang Ya-yu (蔣雅郁), an associate professor at NTU's Department of Mechanical Engineering, the research was conducted in collaboration with National Chung Hsing University and Thailand's Kasetsart University.

Biodiesel is produced through a chemical process that converts renewable sources such as vegetable oils, waste cooking oils, or animal fats into fuel using an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst.

Once the raw biodiesel is created, it has to be purified using water-washing to remove impurities or residual substances.

In a recent interview with CNA, Chiang said the traditional biodiesel production process is lengthy, water-intensive and requires large pieces of equipment.

In particular, Chiang said, the separation of high-viscosity liquids and wastewater has often been the biggest obstacle to system miniaturization.

Using micro-reactors designed by Corning and a helix wire separator to overcome the challenge of continuously separating high-viscosity liquids, the team's system achieves a biodiesel yield of up to 91.14 percent, and the fuel is high-quality, surpassing national standards for acid value.

Doctorate student Yang Cheng-you (楊承祐), a member of the NTU research team, said the device is similar to a convenience-store coffee machine that can be deployed anywhere.

It is easy to imagine a future in which a small system will be set up next to every street food stall to convert waste cooking oil or vegetable oil into biodiesel for use in diesel generators, he said.

Chiang said the team is currently collaborating with state-run oil company CPC Corp. Taiwan on turning the system into a commercial opportunity.

Energy resilience is a key issue for Taiwan, as conflicts or natural disasters could easily cause widespread supply disruptions, she said.

This miniaturized system could break the reliance on large chemical plants for biodiesel production, extending energy supply from a vulnerable centralized network to every location that needs power, Chiang argued.

It could be used for community power generation or as an emergency backup for medical facilities, allowing anyone with cooking oil on hand to convert it into biodiesel for electricity, Chiang said.

The team's study titled "An innovative microreactor approach for sustainable biodiesel production: process design, continuous purification and comparative LCA" was featured on the cover of the monthly peer-reviewed journal Green Chemistry in November 2025.