the big bad oil tank and filtering system

[Boston]

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Ok so the filter stuff isn't attached yet but thats cause it still needs paint. I'll post more once I get the whole thing together and it will make a lot more sense then.

oh and some advice on an inline oil heater to aid in the filtering process. I could rig an exhaust bypass to something resembling a heat exchanger but if there is a DC inline heater that would do the trick I'd sure like to know where to get one.

thanks
B

 

[ocnorb]

Looks good so far.

My thought on the inline heater was to get a coil of copper tubing and pipe the inlet and outlet near the top of the tank, using heater hose ran in series with the cab heater to warm up the oil. With the inlet and outlet near the top there should be little chance for a leak.

I need to get going on this. Several hundred gallons await...

 

[Boston]

that is an excellent idea
to bad I didn't think of it before I welded the top on the tank

today's progress

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[greg_a_morton]

that is a heck of a setup you have there. If I had the money I would have something like your setup for my truck. When you get time I would like to know in order what every thing is and how your centrifuge works.

 

[oldmisterbill]

Nice -good looking job.My only complaint is "FRAM!" Looks like you take pride in whatever you are building.

 

[ocnorb]

You could build a shell tube style heat exchanger - build the outside with 4-6" pipe, inside use a coil of 1/4" copper. Run your heater through the copper line and the oil through pipe, kinda like this:

="http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=504"

If you can get it make beer thats even better!

 

[Boston]

looks a lot more complicated than it really is. a brief description
oh and before I forget ya on the Fram filters, they generally suck however this particular one is perfect for this application, and one of the only fram products to rate worth there salt in most of the reviews I read. It can deal with the high pressure is high volume ( mostly due to it being mainly a rock strainer = crappy filter ) which is exactly what I wanted for the initial filters. So it kinda fit the bill, and it has a 20 lb pop valve to it can deal with the initial cold start up of the system ( assuming I can fit a heater onto it somewhere. I have space for one right smack in the middle. Speaking of which the heater would ideally go ahead of all the filters rather than behind which is where it would be if I put it in the water separator tank ( large tube to the right )

once the tank is filled ( using the same pump as it uses to filter with ) fuel is drawn up from the bottom left bung fitting through the pump head and over to the fluid pressure regulator just to the right of the orange filters ( Fram rock strainers ) there is a overpressure bypass that returns to the upper left bung fitting ( same side in the tank, there is a huge baffle which "almost" isolates one side of the tank from the other ) fuel then moves through the filter canisters at a regulated pressure and speed ( about 30 gallons an hour each filter, 2 filters to a set. Goes orange white and gold through the filters and then up to the centrifuge where it should be about 80 to 85 psi ( that part I'm not so sure about, will take a bit of experimentation to get it all balanced, I might end up filtering through the canisters first then upping the pressure and using the centrifuge on a second pass, depends on how much pressure the canisters can take.)
from the centrifuge fluid looses pressure and falls down a 1 1/2 perforated pipe inside the large cylinder just under the centrifuge. Water collects in the bottom of the cylinder and clean oil rises to the top and spills back into the right hand lower bung fitting completing the process, I hope. Worked in the back yard set up in 55 gallon drums soooo, hopefully it will work in the back of the truck. Should end up being a completely self contained fuel processing system. Now to paint the truck and get my ass a new seat.

glad you liked the tank

cheers
B

 

[Wanderin]

I thought the whole point of a centrifuge was to filter the oil without buying filters. Am i confused about this process?

 

[Boston]

The amount of crud the centrifuge can hold before you have to clean it in order for it to operate properly is very limited. I wanted a system that could go three or four full cycles ( a thousand gallons plus ) before I had to take things apart, so in this set up the centrifuge is mainly a water separator and last stand against ruptured filter elements.

This set up is specifically for used motor oil which is relatively clear of large particles anyway so a simple series of reducing micron rated filters should spread out the filtering process over the six elements in such a way as to provide the 1000 gallon filter capacity I was looking for. = Low maintenance and the filters cost about $7 each, so no big deal

 

[Boston]

and thanks guys, I did kinda put a lot of work into that thing. Soon as its all done and finalized I'll put up another picture or two.

 

[Wanderin]

I love it....hope it works great so i can replicate it ....care to provide any info/links on your motor setup? or any in progress pics of your tank build? Info is a great thing to share

 

[88beast]

looks great but id build some kind of cover for it
and you need stacks too so that extra exhaust heat is not wasted

 

[Boston]

ya there is an expanded steal cover on its way now, I had to install all the stuff before I could measure it out and have it bent to the right shape.

 

[94f450sd]

looks good.

but how do you get around the waste motor oil transportation regulations?with the amount you plan on hauling with you i think you would be considered a transporter if an epa or dot cop caught you

http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hm/oiltrans.pdf

 

[Boston]

I've got farm plates
I could render a pig over the hood for fuel and they couldn't touch me

interesting article tho
I hadn't realized they had a limit on the amount of oil you could transport before you bumped into the regulators. Being a farm kid I'm pretty used to ignoring most of there regulations anyway cause of the plates. I guess I should be paying better attention. Also the fuel will be about 10% bio-diesel, kinda makes me wonder if that helps should they change the farm plate regulations. Which they seem to be just about every time I go in to renew.