PoBoy centrifuge build

[WMO4IDI]

Hey folks,

I've been designing a wmo centrifuge setup with the cheapest available materials I can find, luckily I manage a fabrication shop

The first item I dug up in my junk parts pile, a Johnson treadmill motor, 90V DC, 2.25 hp, 3150 rpm. I needed a controller for it which I found on AliExpress for 130$ cad.

You must be registered for see images attach

It has a 1/2"-13 reverse thread with a 5/8 shaft so I dropped off the PoBoy bowl I bought from WVO Designs at a machine shop. The bowl comes with a 1" center hole, I'm having a custom adapter made which I'll press in.

I welded up the housing & oil heater today, the housing is 12" in diameter & 6" tall, based on the PoBoy drawings they have on their website.

You must be registered for see images attach

Top & bottom are 10ga 304 stainless, the rib is 14ga & bumped on the press brake. 2x 1/2" npt outlets & a hydraulic seal housing. The inner seperator is 16ga, 1.5" high.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

I forgot to cut the opening on the top plate before leaving work on Friday so I have to wait to put on the top ring .

The oil heater I made out of a 2" sanitary pipe, about 14" long. 3/4 npt on the bottom for a 1250W 120V cartridge heater that's still in the mail, 1/2 npt for the inlet by the heating element. On top there's a 1/4 npt outlet & a 1/2 npt for the temp sensor.

You must be registered for see images attach

1/2...

 

[WMO4IDI]

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

I picked up a basic REX-C100 temperature controller with a solid state relay to control the heater for roughly 50$ cad.

You must be registered for see images attach

It came with a M6 short sensor so I ordered a 2" one with 1/2 npt threading for another 20$.

Up to now I've spent:

- 385$ Poboy + shipping
- 130$ Motor controller
- 70$ temp control
- 50$ cartridge heater

Up to 635$ in monopoly money so far, materials are all scraps from the shop.

Maybe another 50$ in piping, valves & fittings.

I'm looking at buying 2 or 3 half totes (500 liters) for 50$ each to stack together. Top for decanting & first pass, 2nd for well, 2nd pass (i'll see). And the bottom for the clean stuff.

Another part of the project is a 120v motor to drive a power steering pump to fill the truck. I'll get to it.

I'm also trying to find a cheap 12v motor to run another power steering pump for picking up waste oil.

Hopefully by next weekend I can get the motor mount/fuge frame figured out & built.

I'll update the thread in due time.

 

[WMO4IDI]

Finally updating this thread... I ended up going all out on a fancy electrical box for the motor & temperature controllers.

I had some 3/16" lexan & aluminum trim left over us an Allen Bradley start/stop control box I picked up in a scrap bin years ago so I decided to make something of it.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

I also found some fancy water proof twist lock connectors for the motor & oil heater.

You must be registered for see images attach

Besides the on/off buttons, it's just a contactor, an SSR, the motor & temp controllers inside a box pretty much. Keep it all nice & tidy.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

My initial plan was to screw everything onto a piece of plywood bu got weary of an oil mess ruining the electronics. I might have slightly went overboard...

 

[WMO4IDI]

The enclosure is finished as well.

You must be registered for see images attach

I'm trying my luck with 1/2" pipe & a hydraulic quick connect for the inlet, I'll see how it flows. I plan on gravity feeding from an IBC tote right now.

You must be registered for see images attach

I ran tests with the oil heater filled with water, took less than a minute for the 1250W cartridge heater to bring it up to 150F.

You must be registered for see images attach

I have the 1/4" pipe outlet set up a half inch from the bottom of the PoBoy... no clue about optimal placement, time will tell.

You must be registered for see images attach

The outlets, missing a few ball valves still.

Last but not least, a cute little electrical box.

You must be registered for see images attach

Now it's finally time to hunt down some IBC totes, hoping to find half totes (130 gals) so they're easier to move around & setup.

In addition to the initial 650$, I spent another 350$ on electrical components, pipe fittings/valves & hydraulic quick connects. 1000$ cad for a poboy centrifuge setup, could've gone a bit cheaper but I wanted to only build it once.

 

[WMO4IDI]

Quick vid of a dry run

I have the controller unlocked to "16 mph", I'll need to get at tachometer for rpm readings.

 

[sieg01]

You really have a lot of time. And it looks great!

I believe that it would be more practical - during ownership/running it - to have the motor next to the bowl. A chain, gear (both probably noisy) or belt drive would do the trick.
Problem is the leaking and maintenance a "motor under the bowl" construction requires.