Newbie to Bio-diesel, and I have some questions.

[Andertusa]

As I said in the title, I'm a COMPLETE AND UTTER NEWBIE to the concept of making my own biodiesel, I've done some research, but half of it seems to try either selling you expensive machines to do it, or don't put it in terms that are relate-able. I don't live in an area where I can really just walk down to the store and buy methanol and all that( that I'm aware of), so it would need to be shipped, then there's the legal crap with that, and then the g-men would probably would have me on a watch list.

What do they mean when they refer to 'washing' your batch?

What kinds of WVO work better?

What is the gel point of WVO?

Generally, how is the process done in a simple and EASY way?

 

[Andertusa]

I have a little more than basic skills, so the idea of building something isn't really too daunting, but I have no idea what to build.

 

[mohavewolfpup]

I'm still learning a lot myself. Others will chime in with more info.

As for "washing" i'll assume that means getting the water out. You filter/cook/refine the oil to remove stuff that will foul up your injection system.

I see you are in minnesota, assuming you have a lot of cold there? Where I am, short cuts can be taken with the WVO process to run it lightly filtered a good part of the year due to the extreme temps I see. Not unusual to have 95+ degree temps until november

 

[Andertusa]

This last Winter, we had dyas below 20-blow zero routinely, the coldest I can remember was 40-below BEFORE wind chill.

 

[mohavewolfpup]

What are your temps like during the day? spring/summer/fall? then at the night time for each?

 

[Andertusa]

Spring: Anywhere from 20 - 80 during the day, and anywhere from 20 - 60 at night.

Summer: Anywhere from 60 - 105 in the day and anywhere from 50 - 90 at night.

Fall: Anywhere from 20 - 80 in the day and anywhere from 10 - 60 at night.

Winter: Anywhere from -40 below to 25 above during the day and -40 below and 20 at night.

 

[mohavewolfpup]

With temps like that, you'll definitely have to do a lot of processing. Filtering/cooking the water out will be very important. Also, heaters are common (in tank/fuel line, etc) to help. It will plug up unless you do some major processing. Let me dig around in my library system. There was a good book that gave a good crash course on it all.

The kits are a racket due to racketeering/greed like much of the marketplace nowadays. Sometimes you get lucky on craigslist and find a entire used setup with all the bugs worked out for cheaper then a kit arriving in lots of boxes and blind luck to make it work.

One trick i've read dealing with acquiring the wvo is to look for a "amber" color. Means it's good. if you are lucky when you happen upon it, the solids have dropped to the bottom.It's said to avoid the bottom of the tank as it will be full of thick sludges/particles you don't want fouling the system, and it means more processing

 

[Andertusa]

Yeah, I'm afraid I'd need to take that crap too, though I have an idea for a MEGA filtration set-up so I'm not TOO overly worried about that. I've been eying a deal with some of my local companies with the WVO that has me buying their old oil( for a fair price, nothing CRAZY). I figure tat gives them a better incentive to deal with me rather than PAYING some company to take the stuff. Most of the crap-food joints, the REAL problem is they often mix the grill grease with the fryer grease, and the grill grease-though from a VERY viable source in that being beef and the like, IS NOT in ANY WAY desirable as most of the places around here use water to flash-clean the grills and there will also be heat-activated acid in there as-well as SALT and other 'seasoning' the place uses.

 

[mohavewolfpup]

Kicking them a few bucks is actually more of a good stakeholder situation. If you are clean and always respectful in your dealings, it locks up your turf so they aren't selling to someone else or pulling your "free" contract for someone that will kick them cash for it

 

[mohavewolfpup]

This may interest you also: http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?68355-Super-low-buck-filtering

Start small and ramp up. 2 gallons of free kerosene with rust particles is my entry to free fuel sources. Didn't take photos/video of the process (messy!) but I took it from a rust red color to clear with just coffee filters and a kidney stone strainer

 

[Andertusa]

Well, the way I looked at the paying them for it was just good business and out of courtesy. It would not only save them the cost of paying someone else, but they get a small amount of coin too.

Any real 'easy' source of Methanol for the titration? I think I heard drain cleaner can be used for the reaction too, but I'm not really looking to have a whole bunch of 'extra' chemicals in my process, like the dyes, and all that crap in the drain cleaner. If I could readily find a source for 'pure' raw materials, straight lye, straight methanol, etc. that's what I'm thinking. I don't really mind the idea of spending a little more to have a VERY HIGH quality finished product as I'm not thinking of using it for my truck or anything, I wanna run my oil furnace on it. Which is my MAIN reason I don't want extra chemicals floating around, because of the chance of a potential leakage in the exhausting and filling the house with cancer-causing chemical gases. If it costs me a dollar or more a little more each gallon, it's still WAY cheaper than the price to have 'them' bring it out to my tank.

 

[yARIC008]

As I said in the title, I'm a COMPLETE AND UTTER NEWBIE to the concept of making my own biodiesel, I've done some research, but half of it seems to try either selling you expensive machines to do it, or don't put it in terms that are relate-able. I don't live in an area where I can really just walk down to the store and buy methanol and all that( that I'm aware of), so it would need to be shipped, then there's the legal crap with that, and then the g-men would probably would have me on a watch list.

What do they mean when they refer to 'washing' your batch?

What kinds of WVO work better?

What is the gel point of WVO?

Generally, how is the process done in a simple and EASY way?

Get a book...
http://www.amazon.com/Biodiesel-Bas...UTF8&qid=1397441750&sr=8-1&keywords=biodiesel

That's how I learned what i know.

Washing refers to removing the catalyst back out of the biodiesel product. The catalyst is KOH or NaOH. They are caustic substances and if you don't remove them you are going to be damaging everything in your fuel system. NaOH and KOH react with aluminum so it would be pretty bad news for pistons as well.

 

[Andertusa]

I've read that if you apparently 'wash' it thoroughly enough, that you could reuse you catalyst( though it loses efficacy).

 

[mohavewolfpup]

I've heard methanol is in windshield washer fluid, as people use it for methanol injection. but no idea if it would be strong enough in this case

 

[Andertusa]

I wonder wolf, I wonder.....