New Fossil Fuel free Build Begins (biodiesel processor)

[dremd]

Managed to throw my new Eco - Recycled - highly affordable door in place, but not yet hung/ framed, decided to grab a pic anyway.



It still has Dirt/ grass all over it, should look much bette clean.

Yes, that is a Supra in the back.

[dremd]

Finished my concrete work, except for under the door.

Decided to add a second door to the back as a posable escape path in case of fire/ other emergency! Got a free one my dad took out a while back; I just need to frame it up.

Have 400 Gallons of WVO "in stock"

Have lines on ~ 100 Gallons / week of WVO once I get everything in place.

I'm in the process of scaling everything so I can process a 100 gallons of it in a single day if need be.

I'm going to end up needing more storage tanks
I need to drastically Speed up Filtering (centrifuge)
I'm converting to 3 Settle/ wash tanks from 1
I'm going to enclose a small portion of the garage to run a de- humidifier in to aid in Drying (takes forever in South Louisiana!)
I want to build another Solar Water heater just like the one on my house to use for process heat (will need circulating pump)
I need a gutter to collect rain water in to a few barrels to use as wash water/ washing up water.

Damn that's a lot to still need to get done.

Found a super cool thread over on Grease car about Eco-modder type Centrifuges Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems

Itching to get in to real production! Just 2 1/2 batches so far, but the good news is my car is running on BioDiesel for the first time!

[thinkmoto]

I've owned 3 diesels in the past and was debating brewing my own biodiesel but decided against it. My one question that I've never seen answered was how much is it costing for electricity to process the oil to bio? Those electric water heaters draw some power have you figured that out yet? I know alot of guys talk about how cheap it is to make it but I never see electricty costs figured in. Also how long is your bio sitting after brewing? Any problems with bacteria growing in it?

Sorry about the ball busting bio is cool stuff and smells much better. It just has some drawbacks, how much wax do you have sitting around after brewing? Gonna start a candle factory yet

[dremd]

Originally Posted by thinkmoto

I've owned 3 diesels in the past and was debating brewing my own biodiesel but decided against it.

This is my first, but I've been around them alot, and have been wanting one for years . . . .

Originally Posted by thinkmoto

My one question that I've never seen answered was how much is it costing for electricity to process the oil to bio? Those electric water heaters draw some power have you figured that out yet?

I honestly have not, lets do that now.

1800 watt Heating element * 6 hours = 10.8 kwh
400 Watt pump * 6 hours= 2.4 kwh
Aquarium pump (20 watts?)* 12 hours= .2 kwh
100 watt drying pump * 6 hours= .6 kwh
160 watts of lights for say 8 hours = 1.3 kwh

Gives me 15.3 kwh * 6.9c /kwh =
$1.06 to make 40 gallons so 2.6c/ gallon Electric cost by my calculations. even if you say I'm off by 200% and it is still very reasonable.

Originally Posted by thinkmoto

I know alot of guys talk about how cheap it is to make it but I never see electricty costs figured in.

Me either, see above.

Originally Posted by thinkmoto

Also how long is your bio sitting after brewing?

2 days at this point; that's why I have 3 wash/ settle tanks now. The longer you let it settle, the better; I could probably get away with 12 hours no problem.

Originally Posted by thinkmoto

Any problems with bacteria growing in it?

I have not stored any yet . . . . .
I am told that 1% D2 will kill any bacteria . . .. .

Originally Posted by thinkmoto

Sorry about the ball busting bio is cool stuff and smells much better.

All questions are fair in my book, if they are not, then I must have a closed mind.

Originally Posted by thinkmoto

It just has some drawbacks, how much wax do you have sitting around after brewing? Gonna start a candle factory yet

I don't get anything that looks like wax to me . . . . . . Maybe dissolved . . . .
I believe that soap and fertilizer are the primary (manufactured) byproducts. Basically you get Glycerin, water with crap + little methanol + lye in it . . ..

[thinkmoto]

lol gylcerin thats what i meant... I know alot of the diesel truck guys had barrels upon barrels of it.

[toyobug]

dremd- I do believe I've passed a sign like that a time or two thousand..

[toyobug]

Have you used any of your bio fuel yet?

[dremd]

A lot of people have passed that sign over the years :-)

I am running on Bio Diesel now (about B80 due to having D2 remaining).
I do wish that I was not transitioning to Bio-Fuel just as it is getting cool here; I'd like to have some Data, but it is what it is.
I do have a spare fuel filter in the trunk allong with tools in case the filter plugs up. I want to get a fuel filter minder;Automobile Parts, Fuel Filter, Air, Monitor, Car Accessories, Engineered Products but I guess that's going to have to wait.


What I'm working on now is having things more streamlined and efficient; because at this point I'm still doing a lot of fluid movement by using 5 gallon buckets, and my wash / settle capacity is low.

[dremd]

Not much news; Car still runs; have not plugged a fuel filter yet; oil level has not risen; fuel economy has not changed enough to be noticeable at ~1/2 tank.

I got a local source for Free barrels.

I hope to get some work in this weekend!

[toyobug]

dremd- how many tanks have you ran so far?
are you trying to collect as many barrells as you can get your hands on?