Bio Diesel, any one run a deisel?

[lessersivad]

learning as I go here, What is "Rug" and what is "Bubble washing"
I will also check the web site out, Thank you guys!!Any thing elso you want to throw at this, great!

"RUG" is regular unleaded gas.

"Bubble washing" is a way of removing excess water and other junk from the wvo.

The bubble washer I made out of a 55 gallon drum consists of a standpipe that allows 10 gallons of water per batch of wvo. In the bottom of the drum there is a piece of copper tubing with small holes. Connected to the copper is hose leading to an aquarium pump. To keep the mixture warm I also have a band type drum heater installed.

After dumping in the wvo and water and letting it settle, I turn on the aquarium pump to introduce air bubbles to the mix. The bubbles come thru the water, up thru the oil carrying a small amount of water with them. The bubbles rise to the surface, pop, and let the water droplets sink to the bottom.

I usually run the pump for 12 hours. Let it set for 12 hours and drain the water. Then do it all over again 2 more times at least. Until the water I remove comes out clear.

Sorry so wordy and I'm sure there are other ways of doing it. This methos has worked for me for 3-4 years.

Hope this helps.

edit; ^^^ guess I was a bit slow^^^ lol

[Christ]

"RUG" is regular unleaded gas.

"Bubble washing" is a way of removing excess water and other junk from the wvo.

The bubble washer I made out of a 55 gallon drum consists of a standpipe that allows 10 gallons of water per batch of wvo. In the bottom of the drum there is a piece of copper tubing with small holes. Connected to the copper is hose leading to an aquarium pump. To keep the mixture warm I also have a band type drum heater installed.

After dumping in the wvo and water and letting it settle, I turn on the aquarium pump to introduce air bubbles to the mix. The bubbles come thru the water, up thru the oil carrying a small amount of water with them. The bubbles rise to the surface, pop, and let the water droplets sink to the bottom.

I usually run the pump for 12 hours. Let it set for 12 hours and drain the water. Then do it all over again 2 more times at least. Until the water I remove comes out clear.

Sorry so wordy and I'm sure there are other ways of doing it. This methos has worked for me for 3-4 years.

Hope this helps.

edit; ^^^ guess I was a bit slow^^^ lol

If you're going to all that trouble, why not just add lye and methanol and make bio? The reaction process basically guarantees that particulates don't remain.

[Pu241]

If you're going to all that trouble, why not just add lye and methanol and make bio? The reaction process basically guarantees that particulates don't remain.

Uh, no it doesn't!
What it does guarantee is a lot of wasted lye and methanol and a mess to cleanup when the reaction is poisoned by too much crap or water in the oil.
To make good Bio you need clean, water free, oil. But as far as I'm concerned if you can clean it to the extent needed to make good bio, it's good enough to use directly.

However, I have learned of a new process that use super critical methanol that might make bio easier to make and without using sodium methoxide for the transesterification. The kicker is the pressure and temps required to reach supercritical conditions. Going to check on what the critical point of methanol. Will post back later.

[sc72]

Pu241, i to am interrested in the supper critical methanol process, will be looking for your post, are you speaking of the process that when the liquid is cooled through the cooling tubes it is pure fuel.

[Pu241]

Pu241, i to am interrested in the supper critical methanol process, will be looking for your post, are you speaking of the process that when the liquid is cooled through the cooling tubes it is pure fuel.

Haven't got that far, just did a quick search and that process was mentioned. But that could well be, because at the super-critical point of methanol the oil and methanol are a single fluid on the molecular scale and no catalyst is required for the transesterification to proceed. It is also tolerant of water. So I would imagine that you mix the oil and MeOH in the right proportions and raise it to the critical point of the MeOH, the reaction occurs, you then cool the resulting liquid down to room temp and pressure. But I'd still expect to see glycerol produced in proportion to the MeOH used. But without the corrosive catalyst use you can run the bio/glycerol/crud directly into a centrifuge and separate the bio-diesel relatively easily.
Let me see what else I can find on this process. I like it a lot better, but typical reaching super-critical condition require high temps and pressures which directly translates into $$$!

[Pu241]

OK, did a goggle search and found some good reading, see below.
SC72, your are correct the super critical process does product nearly 100% bio-diesel and does not product any glycerol. I need to see what the reaction pathways are that do this, because this way better than the catalyzed process (NaOH and MeOH).
Did find MeOH has a critical point of 512 degrees K ( not too bad) and almost 80 atmosphere of pressure (which means thick walled piping and and high pressure pumps = big $$).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercritical_fluid

http://www.biodieselgear.com/documentation/Methanol_Super_Critical_Method.pdf

http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/2212/supercritical-methanol-for-biodiesel-production/

[Christ]

Lol, I'll stick with filtered waste lube oil. Been running it in industrial engines for years, and sparingly in my Golf until I get the injector cores I bought cleaned up and pop test them. Then once I get the timing set for the new injectors at the lower break pressure, I'll figure a way to measure approximate viscosity so i can keep it at a close average (so i don't have to optimize injection timing for each tank of fuel), and switch to 100% lube oils.

Diesel fuel is too farking expensive to burn straight, even at 55mpg.

[Pu241]

Lol, I'll stick with filtered waste lube oil.

What hardware do you use for your filtration?

Any chance of converting the oil to wine or due to carbon/hydrogen content to a really high grade liquor!
You know with a handle like that I had to ask!

[Christ]

Used to use a 50/10/2 micron high pressure filter unit, but haven't been doing much since my son came along. The unit was hand pumped (feet, bicycle crank on the handle), and flowed at 50psi.

I'm a hippie. Not a big fan of using commercial energy, not that its a fitting topic for this forum/thread/message board in general.

[sc72]

OK, did a goggle search and found some good reading, see below.
SC72, your are correct the super critical process does product nearly 100% bio-diesel and does not product any glycerol. I need to see what the reaction pathways are that do this, because this way better than the catalyzed process (NaOH and MeOH).
Did find MeOH has a critical point of 512 degrees K ( not too bad) and almost 80 atmosphere of pressure (which means thick walled piping and and high pressure pumps = big $$).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercritical_fluid

http://www.biodieselgear.com/documentation/Methanol_Super_Critical_Method.pdf

http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/art...el-production/

Yes I have seen this project, have heard that it has been done, but never any actual footage of the still working and seen some back woods processers that split. I look forward to hearing your comments, it's time to take this seriously, we are being conditioned to accept the higher prices. Do keep us informed.