My Biodiesel Processer

Spectre32

Spectre32

Welding Extraordinaire!
I built this last summer and I use it to make fuel:

Here is an overall Picture:



1. Filtration/Dewatering
F/D stage is done in two 55 gallons drums as you can see. The process that by heating the oil up to 160F and then running it though the Diesel Craft Centrifuge.





2. Reaction Tank/Methoxide Tank
Here is a used water heater that I cleaned out and turned upside down to allow for easy draining. The newly filtered/dewatered oil goes in here and gets reacted with the methoixde (methoxide is a mix of Methanol and Sodium or Potassium Hydroxide). I simply load the machine up and let Sir Isaac Newton do the rest (throttling the valves on the methoxide tank as needed since all of the mixing is done at the pumps impeller). Methoxide tank is the 15gallon tank on the back side.




3. Wash Tank
The newly created fuel (after the byproduct is drained) is pumped into the wash tank. Since I don’t have running water here, I simply use an 110V RV Shurflo Pump to pump in water that get "misted" over the fuel. This stops the Bio-Diesel Reaction and "cleans" the fuel



4. Drying Tank
The Fuel has suspended water in it and it must be dried. I just flick on the pump and Heater and let it go for 4-6 hours.



End Result:
Crisp Clean Fuel that I'm running in my truck.



Since I was super vague I figure I’d just dazzle all of you with eye candy. I'm doing multiple research projects involving the fuel through the University of Pittsburgh and soon to be with Ford, and a few other lubricant companies. If you have any questions just post away, I'll attempt to help ya out as much as I can.
 
Yes. QUESTIONS! How do I make one of those for me LOL.
Have you noticed any decrease in mileage or HP since using the biodiesel?

How much did it cost you to initially set all of that up?

Do you have an estimate of what the per gallon price is to make it yourself?
 
Hell no LOL Although it may make you a martyr. Do women get the virgins too? If so, what sex are they?
 
For the records that Journey to Forever site is mostly crap.. I would not learn anything from that place. It has fasle hopes and dreams for biodiesel. I had a chemical engineer doing the chemical stuff while me and my Mech buddies did the acutal design and contrustion. Its an upside down waterheater, but it is basicly an appleseed system.

I'm working on getting plans together for others.

I make it for dirt cheap. I get the oil for free and I buy the methanol and all the chemicals from a local place. I think my end cost (in raw chemicals) ranges from .70-1.20 a gallon depending upon the price of methanol. I have 8 bags of catalyst so I can pretty much make fuel until I reach old age.

HP and Mileage will decrease slightly. Pure B100 has about 130, xxx BTU/gallon and no2 has about 140, xxx BTU/gallon. IF your truck is tuned... in-particular with timing, bioD has a slightly different combustion characteristics. It will work just fine in stock trucks but you get less noticeable effect if you have a few degrees of timing. As to an exact amount I cannot tell, for I have no idea as to how many degrees and its relation to fuel blends... Let alone different motors.

Total cost for all of that was about $1500
 
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I like the tutorials on biodieselcommunity.org. They haave some plans for a basic appleseed on there but it's kinda sloppy. Some good info though.
 
What do i have to change on the truck to run biodiesel? thought there was an o-ring or 2 somewhere that had to be changed?
 
It varys from truck to truck. Most you dont need to change. Others that are 'Older" it depends on what materal your fuel lines are made out of. It would not be a bad idea to get a Airdog/FASS/Whatever system that has higher quality(and easily replaceable) filters. Statapore is the way to go. Adding coolant for heating wouldn't be bad idea either.
 
So what if I was to run 50/50 mix, I'm guessing it's called B50, with a high performance engine would I see a loss in power? What do you think my fuel prices would turn out to be about?
 
DieselNasty said:
So what if I was to run 50/50 mix, I'm guessing it's called B50, with a high performance engine would I see a loss in power? What do you think my fuel prices would turn out to be about?
Click to expand...

At 50% you would still loss power, but it varies with tuning. Biodiesel burn properties are slightly different than no.2. I think the biggest advantage is that increases in timing help better burn all of the fuel, thus your loss of power would be minimized. For the record B100 had about 130, XXX BTU/Gallon and ULSD has 140, XXX BTU/Gallon.

If you making the fuel, then it’s doable that your total costs can be anywhere from .70 per gallon to 1.50. It all depends on how much you initially dumped into your processor and how cheap you can get chemicals for.
 
I didn't have time back in 2005 to build my own reactor so I bought one from a shop near LA. I locked in my oil supply by a written contract on Dec. 2005 with an Indian restaurant near my home. I had poachers taking my oil, so I had a welder make a locking lid. That's when I discovered, he was making more oil than I realized.

I ran my '90 Cummins on B100 until I gave the truck to my son. I currently have a 2007.5, 6.7L, 4x4, single wheel one ton which has been running on B100 since day one.

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Older trucks than around mid '90's may have a few natural rubber hoses, gaskets or O-rings. You should be able to run B100 in the older trucks without modification, just take a lap around under the hood every now & then looking for swelling hoses or leaks. Chances are those hoses were due for replacement anyway. You will need to change fuel filters several times since biodiesel is a good solvent & any crud will be dissolved, winding up in your fuel filter. I changed the '90's filter after the first tank, 500 miles, 1,000 miles & last time at 5,000 miles. I used a Dremmel to cut the filters open to inspect the filter media. The last filter came out clean. Yours will vary on how dirty your fuel system is.

I live in LA & it never gets really cold here. We have these horrible hot sun storms:rolleyes: frequently in the winter & I only heat the oil if the days have been cold before brewing. I let any water settle out in two 55 gal drums before filling the reactor tank. I have drum heaters, wrapped with left over duct work insulation if I feel the need to spend the energy to heat the oil.

I fill the reactor tank with 105 gal & let it throughly let water settle out again. I only make biodiesel as I need it, since biodiesel is biodegradable. I have another two 55 gal drums on drum dollys that I can roll out to my truck when I need fuel. When I tap into the second drum of fuel, I make another 100 gal batch.

I drain off the bottom 5 gal of excess oil, looking for any sign of water. I set the reactor pump to recirculate, to mix up the oil for a good representative sample as I get my titration stuff & other stuff set up. The small catalyst tank, (on the right), has a separate, special explosion proof pump to recirculate the methanol. There is a small mesh basket in the top with three spray nozzles over the basket. The pump sprays the lye with methanol until the lye is completely dissolved. The tank is a closed system so there are no sodium-methoxide fume to breath.

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By modulating ball valves, I can suck the sodium-methoxide into the reactor tank as it recirculates. I let the pump agitate the 100 gal of oil & 20 gal of catalyst for at least two hours, longer if the day is cool.

Drain the glycerol after a few hours, after the pump has cycled off. Make sure not to let the glycerol sit & gel if it's cold or you will be sorry.

I allow the batch to throughly settle the glycerol out until I empty the second drum of fuel. I used to mist wash my fuel but with the new 6.7L, I bought a ion exchange filtration system to polish & filter the fuel really clean. I have a final standard fuel filter on the pump, to filter the fuel one last time before it goes into my truck. The two yellow filtration tanks are on the left, after the blue pre-filter.

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My fuel was costing less than 0.60/gal but the cost of methanol has doubled recently. The 100 gal I made last weekend cost $1.24/gal to brew. I really shouldn't complain with these prices.

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who all on here have been paying your taxes on the home brew and are these prices per gallon include the taxes
 
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Shot....I should buy myself a diesel truck and make my own biodiesel. The problem with that is....no place at my current place to build somthing like that. Anybody wanna build something together and share the fuel? Hey, I don't mind sharing, just wish I had the place to set up all of the equipment. Why is it we can do stuff like this and the local refinery's are charging us an arm, leg, and our first born child!!!???
 
I have all the equiptment, I just have my buddies bring me oil and then I charge them chemical/machine time. Helps me recoop my 8,000 investment.
 
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