Features of calculation and design of a combined apparatus for obtaining fatty acids from soapstocks

The development of a methodology for the automated design of a reactor for producing fatty acids from soapstocks of vegetable oils is presented. The universal reactor design allows for the sequential execution of key technological processes: alkaline saponification of hydrated vegetable oil, salting out with sodium chloride, hydrolysis and decomposition of the soap core with sulfuric acid, and washing of the resulting fatty acids. The developed methodology takes into account the physico-mechanical properties of the mixtures, the design parameters of the equipment, and the kinematic regime of the process, ensuring high accuracy in calculations and adaptation of the reactor to specific production tasks. For the implementation of calculations, the QT Creator 5.14.2 development environment was used, enabling the creation of cross-platform applications for Windows and Linux operating systems. The software includes algorithms for technological, thermal, and structural calculations, as well as the selection of the mixer type and apparatus design. The implementation of the automated design system minimizes design costs and optimizes reactor parameters. The separate execution of processes in different reactors contributes to improved environmental conditions and reduced energy consumption. The developed system allows for the modeling of rational designs of the main working components of the reactor, determination of optimal technological and structural parameters, and minimization of equipment design costs. The results of this work can be applied in the food, chemical, and other industries to enhance the efficiency of fatty acid production processes from vegetable oil soapstocks.