The immersion heater is a 115V type (NOT the 240V type)used for the common water heater (I also got another one to convert the lower element to 115V instead of the 240V it comes with)and can be acquired anywhere they sell water heaters,and usually right next to where they are displayed, such as Home Hardware or such large hardware stores. The heater is a round screw in type and the thread does not match any regular drum thread well, special thread and all that, (hense the need to use LOTS of pipe tape) so what I did was to get a "conversion" flange (used to convert heaters with a square heater "hole" to a round one) that is square with a screw in hole that accomodates the screw in the heater element perfectly (it is made for it)and then I had the brother-in-law weld the square flange into the side of the metal pre-heat drum, and all I had to do is screw in the heater element. I also had him weld a drain tap as far down as possible on the same drum, using a bushing so all that was left to do was to screw in the drain tap.(you can use any type of drain tap you want that fits your needs; I used one that accomodates a water hose adapter so that it can be easily removed and transported ect...) The idea for the square conversion attachment came from a plumber that happened to be at the store when I explained what I wanted to do to the clerk who looked at me like I'd fallen off a distant planet... I have not yet attached the thermostat from the water heater's upper element (which I have to disable anyway) but that is on the list. I also am in the process of building my first processor, and it is paycheque to paycheque which comes around every two weeks like many people, but during the time it is taking it allows time to think and rethink the plans and possibilities and continue to scour the threads here for any improvements I can make while still in the building stages. A treasure house of information this list is, so avail yourself of everything you can from those who have gone on before and have learned what works and what doesn't. Trial and error is a great teacher, but learning from the experience of others is much less frustrating :)
Luc --- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, "Brian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Luc, > > What type of immersion heater are you using for your pre-heat tank? > I've heard that you can get water heater immersion heaters cheap and > screw them into a drum bung using a flange. I haven't really looked > into this locally, but everything I'm finding on the net is $200 US > and up. I know that there is a cheaper solution out there. > > I'm still in the process of gathering parts for my processor. This > time of year is tough for me financially, with several recurrent > annual bills coming due at the same time. Makes gathering parts a > little slower than I would like it to be. I also continue to have > difficulty with incomplete reactions with test batches, and have > finally decided that my NaOH is hydrated. It's the only variable > left to change, so I'm heading to the store to get some Red Devil > and trying another test batch this weekend. I will be making > biodiesel soon. > > Brian > > --- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, "biobenz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Because it is simple, works well, is reliable, is compact and not > > dependant on flash or bells and whistles to sell itself, it rates > > top shelf in my mind.Something does not have to be stamped "made > in > > (pick your industrialsed country)" for it to be a quality product > > and this is proof of that very thing. Straight functionability is > > always best, and that is something the "3rd" world definetly has > up > > on the "industrialised" world. I saw something similar in Fiji > > during one of two pass-throughs in the 70's and didn't pay much > > attention as I saw it as just the way they did things and it > worked. > > This is also where I was first introduced to the "hot" variety of > > peppers as the Fijians as well as the large Indian population > there > > cook quite spicy.Very fond memories of that experience. > > Children play in the streets with broom sticks and bottle caps and > > have a great time at it, while most even speak three languages, > > English, Fijian and the local Indian language (forgive me I am not > > sure if it is Hindi or what, my ignorance). > > Thanks for all that info, I shall avail myself of it's treasures > > soon. > > Your processor gave me some good ideas too (me likes) that could > be > > incoporated into my cabinet version of the "Appleseed" one. I > could > > convert the "wash Tank" into a settling tank and then have > exterior > > tanks for washing and have a real production thing going. The > > organic farmer I deal with here has already said that we could > work > > something out for giving it (the processor-in-a-cabinet)a home so > > perhaps we can work something out in that department as well. He > has > > the space that I do not which is why I designed the thing to fit > > into a cabinet to start with due to my space limitations, although > > the versatility of it allows for expansion and modifications into > > something bigger with little effort.He has tractors that run on > > diesel for his farming purposes and so, enter biodiesel and he is > > already of a mindset for alternative solutions, so a win win > > situation. > > I already had the pre-heat tank idea incorporated (complete with > > immersion heater), but the addition of a settling tank would > > definetly be a boon and potentially open up volume possibilities > as > > well as solve the clogging of the pump issue as the settling would > > be done away from it. Again, win win. > > > > I too tried to contact the Petromax people in Florida without > > response. I figure that if they don't have enough decency to > answer > > a simple email then should have more pressing questions about > > functionability then I will be on my own and that doesn't work for > > me at all.$100.00US plus for a lantern with no customer service is > > not the way I like to do things. > > > > Anyway, great job on the processor and thanks for the info pages. > > > > Luc > > PS: I shall continue to drool in secret.....;)for now. > > > > > > --- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > >Ok, so you got a fancy dancy stove that uses biodiesel and we > are > > > >now all drooling, sooooo, do you also have a contact > > adress/website > > > >where we can get one too? Please? Ta! > > > > > > > >Luc > > > > > > :-) Drool away, see if I care! Heh! > > > > > > But you're wrong, it's NOT fancy dancy, it's common-or-garden, > > that's > > > the whole point. Ramjee told me the price in India was US$8 > equiv. > > We > > > could get them here in Japan, which exports them, but the price > > was > > > $100-$120, and that for a much smaller one, sort of camping > style, > > a > > > toy, not kitchen style. It seems the ones they export to 3rd > World > > > countries they don't supply on the domestic market, as so often > > with > > > Japanese companies, very frustrating. > > > > > > The main reason we needed it was because so many people from 3rd > > > World countries have asked us for a solution for using > > > locally-produced biofuels, ie produced at village-level, in > > kerosene > > > cookers. We're much interested in this subject of 3rd World > > cooking, > > > there's quite a lot about it on our website. (In fact we're much > > more > > > interested in this than in helping people in the rich countries > to > > > make biodiesel.) Solar box cookers are one solution: > > > http://journeytoforever.org/sc.html > > > Solar box cookers: Journey to Forever - how free solar energy is > > > saving lives, saving trees, fighting poverty and hunger in the > > Third > > > World, how to make a solar box cooker, school project > > > > > > Improved woodstoves are another: > > > > > > http://journeytoforever.org/at_woodfire.html > > > Wood fires that fit - Appropriate technology > > > > > > http://journeytoforever.org/teststove.html > > > Cookstove for schools: Journey to Forever > > > > > > Biogas is another. But there isn't one single complete solution. > > > There's still a lot of basic development work to be done on > > improved > > > woodstoves, especially on the IDD woodgas variety, one of the > more > > > promising types. For instance, this was reported in New > > Scientist: "A > > > new kind of cooking stove for Kenya is an example. Some > Englishmen > > > invented a stove that could be made of local clay and which was > > much > > > more economical of wood than what had been used. They went to > > Kenya > > > and persuaded the locals to build 250 of them over several > years. > > At > > > the same time a kerosene stove made in Japan was introduced and > > > 10,000 were sold through ordinary commercial channels. The > > kerosene > > > stove was not made locally, and the fuel had to be imported." A > > solar > > > cooker some Americans attempted to introduce in Lesotho was even > > more > > > of a flop. In both cases, it wasn't so much that the cookers > were > > a > > > flop, the projects trying to introduce them were. > > > > > > Anyway, since so many 3rd World people have demonstrated a > > preference > > > for kero stoves, one (of several) approaches is never mind the > > > stoves, how to substitute for the fuel? Basically, two problems, > > and > > > two possibilities. The problems are two kinds of stoves (at > > least) - > > > pressure stoves ("roarers") and wick stoves. The two main > > > possibilities are biodiesel and SVO. Biodiesel is technically > the > > > better option, or at least the easier one. It's said biodiesel > > won't > > > travel up a wick, but it will, if you get the wick right, and > the > > > level of fuel in the reservoir relative to the wick right too. > So > > > will SVO, though it's not as easy and it helps to pre-heat it. > > Todd's > > > talked of a donut-shaped affair, which confirms what we've been > > > working on too. But first we needed to know whether biodiesel > will > > > burn in an ordinary, generic-type, kero pressure stove without > > > modification. Thanks to Ramjee, we can say the answer is an > > > unqualified "Yes". Great news! Now, how to get it to burn SVO? > > Next > > > problem, followed by developing stoves or adaptations to > existing > > > stoves for burning biodiesel and/or SVO in wick stoves. > > > > > > On the ground, biodiesel is not the best solution - SVO will > > always > > > be more easily available at village-level than biodiesel will > be. > > On > > > the other hand, there are many good reasons for starting > biodiesel > > > projects, or biodiesel-SVO projects, in villages, with the usual > > > provisos of all development projects - see our Community > > development > > > pages: > > > > > > http://journeytoforever.org/community.html > > > Community development: Journey to Forever > > > > > > http://journeytoforever.org/community2.html > > > Community development - poverty and hunger: Journey to Forever > > > > > > Hence our "fancy dancy" stove that uses biodiesel, Luc. > > > > > > But so what, eh? - where can you buy one? These stoves below are > > sold > > > in the US, and advertised as also burning diesel fuel, they'll > > > certainly burn biodiesel very happily. I'm not sure offhand just > > who > > > sells them there, you'll have to search a bit. No use writing to > > > Lovson - well, you can try, but I couldn't get a response from > > them: > > > http://www.lovson.com/lightengineering.html > > > Brass Stoves,Petromax Lantern Exporters,Kerosene Stoves > > > India,Stoves,Kerosene Pressure Lantern,Indian Stoves,Kerosene > > > Lantern,Brass Stoves,Petromax Stoves Exporters,India > > > > > > That "Petromax" Lantern by the way, is a generic Petromax-type > > > lantern, not a genuine Petromax. BriteLyt makes those (and they > do > > > work on biodiesel, and on ethanol). > > > http://www.britelyt.com/ > > > http://store.britelyt.com/ > > > > > > Anyway, don't you like our processor? > > > > > > Best > > > > > > Keith > > > > > > > > > >--- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > > > Journey to Forever 90-litre processor > > > > > http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_processor10.html > > > > > > > > > > "This is a cheap, simple, safe and very effective biodiesel > > > > > processing set-up that you can easily build yourself. It's > > easy to > > > > > make high-quality biodiesel this way. > > > > > > > > > > "We've used 90-litre kerosene water-heater tanks, but any > > similar > > > >or > > > > > bigger tank with a tight-fitting removable lid would do..." > > > > > > > > > > Full details, photos, how to use, etc. > > > > > > > > > > Best wishes > > > > > > > > > > Keith ------------------------ Yahoo! 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