As an Environmental Engineer, I can«t turn my head on some of the previously discussed issues, but I must agree with Keith. As backyarders, maybe industrial-level safety should merely be reduced to good ventilation and other low-budget precautions. You usually can«t get explosion-proof devices without sky-rocketing your costs.
The again, I«m still in the theory process, and haven«t yet performed a batch of BD (hopefully this -southern- summer or fall at the latest). So please don«t laugh at my suggestions if the practice has shown they are not feasible. Regarding the thermostat, just to mention one thing, I had thought of using a small diameter copper piping inside the reactor. A small fish-tank pump (hopefully would resist 55 deg) could push the water into the piping from a separate water container. A fish-tank thermostat would heat the water to 55 deg in this separate water tank. So 55 deg water would flow through the piping into the container. Please someone tell me if this idea is too obtuse (I don«t know if copper piping can be used in the reactor)... but still, the idea is that this can be built away from the reactor, and in the worse of cases, small explosion-proof boxes can be built to house these electric devices. That is, any hermetic container can have a couple of holes made to let the tubing through, and these holes can be hermetically sealed later. The rest is just proper ventilation. I«m just thinking out loud, because I still lack the experience, but I think there are home-made solutions regarding explosion safety. There«s not much I can say on VOC«s and all the rest of the environmental concerns, but most R&D must leave these issues aside to be able to get somewhere. It«s like saying developing countries demand to emit an amount of CO2 to be able to develop. Christian. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Addison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 9:20 AM Subject: Re: [biofuel] washing machine and biodiesel > Hello David > > >M Rolan wrote: > > > > > > Tell me please on wich pieces should I be carefull > > > >If you're using the methoxide process, do not use equipment that is not > >"intrinsically safe for use in potentially explosive atmosheres". > > > >washing machine motors have carbon brushes on a commutator which are very > >efficient spark generators > > But many people use electric motors of some ilk to stir their BD. And > water pumps, and thermostats, and more. Haven't heard of any > accidents yet. So what would you suggest? Industrial-level safety > that would pass the official inspectors' tests? For backyarders? > > >Solenoid valves - sealed against explosive methanol vapours? > >water pump - ditto plus pressure > >thermostat - and if it fails? > >static protection - you have none > > > >And so it goes on. None of this addresses the toxicity of methanol nor the > >environmental implications of waste water, VOC emissions or glycerol > >disposal. > > You're talking about a commercial operation here. We've just been > discussing the toxicity of methanol, we've just established that the > environmental implications of waste water are essentially a > non-issue, we've just agreed that glycerine "disposal" is also a > non-issue because it's too useful to dispose of. > > Are you saying we should all go full-scale commercial or give up? I'd > vouch that many or most of the biodiesellers on this list are as > aware as or more aware of environmental issues than commercial > operations (which will comply as much as they have to, because they > have to, not because they care), and we all insist on full safety > precautions - but this kind of safety overkill will just price us > right out of the operation. And it is overkill. And seems to be > rather contrary to your sig, below. > > Best > > Keith Addison > Journey to Forever > Handmade Projects > Tokyo > http://journeytoforever.org/ > > > >------------ > >Recycling - not a chore more a way of life > > > >Dave Preskett [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >The BioComposites Centre > >University of Wales, Bangor > >Deiniol Road > >Bangor > >Gwynedd > >LL57 2UW > > > > > >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > >Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. > >To unsubscribe, send an email to: > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. > To unsubscribe, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Your use of Yahoo! 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