El cheapo centrifuge (Kiwi Redneck Style !!)

I've Been fascinated with alternative fuels for quite some time now .... built a HHO system that i currently have in my truck and have had various diesels over the last 30 odd years.
When i joined up with oilburners , i noticed a thing called WMO which has really caught my interest ..... especially with my interest in getting an idi so i decided to build one. It has been one those "projects" that has just been made up as we go along and has been primarily driven by whatever scrap steel and associated stuff that i've had laying around - it aint pretty but it does spin oil around!!!

This is the basic frame , just some 2 x 1 and some 2" angle ....the fuge is a cut
down torque converter from a wee ford laser and is attached to a 1/2 plate disc with a 30mm shaft spun into the middle.




The bowl came from an old wringer washing machine and has had a few holes patched ..... holds oil though!!!




The frame assembled ..... this has been together and apart enough times that i could damn near do it in the dark lol



The frame sitting on the bowl upside down with an old frame from a busted water blaster that looked like it could come in handy .




The assembled unit ..... no it sure isn't pretty

This is the inside of the bowl .... quick rattle can spray to help the oil slide off the sides !!




Look ..... i have struck oil !!!!!!




Going to need some kind of lid for this sucker ..... even though the top of the fuge is 12 inches below the lip on the bowl , **** just goes everywhere - snuck home and dunked my coil soaked clothes into the washing machine before the old chook saw them . Now it's just a matter of refining some of the more cruder bits and start working out proper feeding rates etc.

I would add a 1/2-1 inch lip around the top to keep some of the oil in the bowl longer before it spins out but great job!

Sidewinded_idi said:

I would add a 1/2-1 inch lip around the top to keep some of the oil in the bowl longer before it spins out but great job!

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Yes i think i'll have to do that .... it holds just over 1 litre before it starts to spill over the sides . I have it spinning at a hair over 2000rpm (checked with a photo tach) . If i can get a second laser/323 torque converter it might be easier and neater to cut another one open on the lathe rather than add more to this one ..... that'll teach me for discarding the top into the scrap bin.

Kiwif150 said:

Yes i think i'll have to do that .... it holds just over 1 litre before it starts to spill over the sides . I have it spinning at a hair over 2000rpm (checked with a photo tach) . If i can get a second laser/323 torque converter it might be easier and neater to cut another one open on the lathe rather than add more to this one ..... that'll teach me for discarding the top into the scrap bin.

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Trust me it’s all trial and error! When I first started I would’ve done a lot differently. I use two pressure fuges but would’ve loved a direct drive instead

Very cool, nice job. I have thought about building something like that myself. I kept thinking a car rim but I like the torque converter idea much better!

subway said:

Very cool, nice job. I have thought about building something like that myself. I kept thinking a car rim but I like the torque converter idea much better!

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It was a right pita to get the internals of the torque converter out .... thats why it is a bit shallow - next time i would use the plasma cutter to break up the internals of it so that i could leave it deeper.

Kiwif150 said:

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That looks like a powerful electric motor. What is that, 2-3 KW?

BTW Nice job! Heavy Duty. I approve.

Kiwif150 said:

This is the inside of the bowl .... quick rattle can spray to help the oil slide off the sides !!

You must be registered for see images attach

Look ..... i have struck oil !!!!!!

You must be registered for see images attach

Going to need some kind of lid for this sucker ..... even though the top of the fuge is 12 inches below the lip on the bowl , **** just goes everywhere - snuck home and dunked my coil soaked clothes into the washing machine before the old chook saw them . Now it's just a matter of refining some of the more cruder bits and start working out proper feeding rates etc.

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What’s a Chook?

m67tang said:

What’s a Chook?

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Aka "the ole lady"

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79jasper said:

Aka "the ole lady"

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That’s incredible. Never heard that word before.

It’s amazing. the things I learn on this web forum.

m67tang said:

That’s incredible. Never heard that word before.

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Well chook would be the Australian version.

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bbjordan said:

That looks like a powerful electric motor. What is that, 2-3 KW?

BTW Nice job! Heavy Duty. I approve.

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Thanks mate .... i'd had a poke around on google and then just cobbled it together out of what i had laying around. That motor is only 250w but i wanted to try it because it spins at 2800rpm .... geared down i'm spinning the fuge at a hair over 2000rpm and it takes about 5 seconds to spin up to that , i'll do a few more refinements and then put the rest of the system together. I actually have a stainless steel biodiesel plant i brought last year but don't want to use any of that unless i have to as i have a friend who owns a fish&chip shop and he wants to have a go with it so he can run his old Isuzu Wizard 3.1 turbo diesel on it.

I really like how you are using stuff laying around and using your noggin (brain) to pull this together! Please keep us informed on your progress.