Production Optimization of Castor Oil Biodiesel Using RSM and ANN

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IJEP 45(7): 597-608 : Vol. 45 Issue. 7 (July 2025)

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H.V. Srikanth1*, B.A. Praveena2, S. Balaji3, N. Santhosh4 and G.L. Arunkumar2

1. Nitte (Deemed to be University), Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT), Department of Aeronau-tical Engineering, Bangalore – 560 064, Karnataka, India
2. Nitte (Deemed to be University), Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bangalore – 560 064, Karnataka, India
3. REVA University, School of Mechanical Engineering, Bangalore – 560 064, Karnataka, India
4. MVJ College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bangalore – 560 067, Karnataka, India

Abstract

In this study, the transesterification of castor seed oil for biodiesel production was significantly improved through the application of response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD) and artificial neural network (ANN). The optimized conditions yielded an impressive biodiesel production efficiency of 98.3%. The key parameters influencing the process included a methanol-to-oil molar ratio (M:O) of 15:1, catalyst concentration (CC) of 4 wt.% (KOH), reaction temperature (RT) set at 55°C, and a reaction time (Rt) of 75 min. The quadratic model confirmed by ANOVA displayed robustness and reliability, with a highly significant p-value (<0.0001), indicating a strong correlation between biodiesel yield and the model variables. Also, the R2 values obtained from RSM and ANN were found to be 0.99 and 0.96, which indicates that the model developed was fit and satisfactory with the actual experimental values. The resulting biodiesel exhibited favorable fuel properties, endorsing its suitability for compression ignition (CI) engines. This optimization not only enhances biodiesel production efficiency but also underscores the pivotal role of statistical techniques in refining reaction parameters for superior biofuel quality and broader applicability.

Keywords

Castor seed oil, Response surface methodology, Central composite design, Transesterification, Optimization

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