From: Bjorn Brandstedt (super_deuce@hotmail.com)
Date: Sun Aug 21 2005 - 10:10:54 PDT
The biggest hurdle to overcome is a source for used cooking oil. It took me
about a year, but I finally found a local deli/restaurant that was willing
to give me all their used fryer oil. They pay $200/year to have it hauled
off and didn't care who got the oil.
So, twice a week I bring a steel trash can to the deli and they fill it with
hot, and I mean hot, oil. It's about 14 gallons each time and it is actally
very clean (quality restaurant :-)) . The temp of the oil is about 280 deg F
when I arrive home.
The processing is best done at about 120 F, so I dilute the hot stuff with
cold (from past deliveries) until the right temp results.
On a table right by the door in the garage I have two 12 gallon clear
plastic storage tubs, which I now fill with 30 liters each of the 120 F oil.
For each of the tubs I prepare 6 liters of methanol with 150 mg of lye (Red
Devil drain cleaner is pure sodium hydroxide=lye). I stir the methanol and
lye until the lye is completely dissolved (about 15 minutes) in a 2-gallon
glass jug (cookie jar, I guess).
Next, I pour the methoxide into the warm oil and stir using a wooden spoon.
There are three phases to this part, first a clear layer is formed on top,
more stirring and the whole mixture becomes muddy brown and the final phase
is a clear light brown liquid. The stirring takes 1/2 hour. The occasional
french fry is pick out with the spoon, some end up in the glycerine.
That's it, after a day or so (I let it sit until next oil pick-up), a 1 inch
layer of glycerine accumulates on the bottom of the tub. The rest is
biodiesel, a amber colored liquid, which has the viscosity of hot cooking
oil. I filter it through a 5 micron filter sock before storing it in the
empty containers I also get from the restaurant. These are the 5-gallon
cardboard enclosed plastic jugs that the oil comes in.
This biodiesel is "unwashed", which is to say that it contains a small
residue of methanol and lye. I use it like this and per "From the fryer to
the fuel tank" book, it's ok.
For more info on this and the washing procedure, just google it, lots of
hits.
I use the deuce with the crane often just at low rpm, say 1,200 and it
starts right up with very little smoke. It does smell like french fries or
something like it. People get a kick out of it.
I now have over 1,000 highway miles on a percentage of biodiesel varying
from 10% to 95%(currently). I have 70 hours on the hour meter with bidiesel.
Biodiesel is not good for ambients below 60 deg F, so I'll be switching over
in a couple of months, I guess.
Performance: Slightly fewer miles/gallon, 8.5 vs 9.5 for petro diesel.
Slightly cooler EGT and a little less turbo boost. (my compensator is not
bypassed). The engine has a -1D turbo (non whistler).
Cost: About $0.75/gallon.
Time: About 2 hours (including pickup) for 18 gallons of finished product.
That usually twice a week.
Let me know if you want a sample, we can work something out for say a gator
aid bottle mailed USPS (no hazmat charge). That goes for the glycerine
degreaser too.
The methanol comes from a gocart fuel dealer(?) for $2.50/gallon. Red Devil
from the local grocery store. Drano doesn't work, it's not pure.
The glycerine mix at the bottom of the tub is a great degreaser. I tested it
on the oily front axle of the deuce and after rinsing with water, the axle
came out clean and free of oil. Got about 10 gallons of that stuff.
Bjorn
MVPA19212
The Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
PS. When steelsoldiers(dot)com gets back on line, check for more in the
"Alternate fuel, biodiesel" section.
BB
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