'Lo again L. >Actually the one I used for this test was open, but for what all >purposes is, outside. My full blown processor is completely closed >and fumeless, this is the pre-heat drum which had it's immersion >heater welded too high on the wall and I had to use a hotplate >(electric) and the heat died off way too soon, which is what leaves >me to think it was heat related, not process related. In any case I >am redoing the batch again this Friday only this time I am having >the heater on the drum MiG welded lower so that I can better control >the heat all throughout the process, again for all practical >purposes, outside. The unit is housed in a pump house and I redid >the doors into a barn door configuration so that they open wide >right in front of where I am working. Now if I can find one of those >ring closures between now and Friday I will install that as an added >precaution. The methoxide is being injected via a combination >of "Methoxide the Easy Way" >http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_aleksnew.html#easymeth and >JtF's use of an aquarium air pump to pump in some pressure to the >carboy's vent inlet which I have rigged with a delrin sleeve in the >cap. A delrin sleeve is a copper tube about an inch or so long (2- >2.5cm) that is flarred at the one end so I drilled out a hole >through the cap and vent inlet area just big enough to not allow the >flanged part to go through and then I screw down the cap with this >sleeve between it. It is just the right size for an aquarium air >line to attach and once the cap is firmly screwed down it is air >tight too (no fumes).
Sounds good. We just rigged it with epoxy putty, which works fine, but I'll check out delrin sleeves, thanks. Re your next point, KOH, among its other advantages, only takes about 15 minutes to mix the "Easy way". Or say an hour if you're lazy. >Up until now it was not a simple matter to get hold of KOH that was >reliably pure or whose purity was easily attainable (the numbers >aren't on the container, go figure)so I went with the NaOH instead, >but then I was offered some lab grade (99.9%) KOH after having >bought the sodium so I have yet to have a go using that.. It won't be 99.9%, lab grade is 92%, which is the maximum, or 90% or 85%. We use 85%, which is what we get from our very nice chemical suppliers, and it's just fine. You have to allow for the lower purity than NaOH when doing your calculations. It's detailed at Journey to Forever. >Another reason,I believe, it solidified so much is that, as I said, >it is in a pump house, and the temps at night went down to 13C and >it being in an open drum didn't help nor did the fact that it is >pretty crappy oil (titrated to 10gr/liter)so there was A LOT of "by- >product" :). Yuk. Yes, that'll probably solidify with NaOH. >Anyway, I am having another whack at it this weekend toping off the >processed oil with some fresh WVO, only better quality this time, to >make 20 liters again (I like round numbers)and re-titrating it to >4.75gr/liter and we shall see what the results will bring. > >De-gunking the lower plumbing in a water heater style processor >requires applying heat from the tank's immersion heater carefully so >as not to stir up the mixture again and having to have it re-settle. What a schlepp. But I guess it's a schlepp in any processor. >In order to not have the pum[p and exterior plumbing get gunked up I >have installed two isolation valves that will allow me to completely >drain the pump and plumbing once the processing is complete, yet >retain the settling inside the tank. That sounds good. I doubt the pump would mind, but indeed the plumbing wouldn't be very cooperative. I get the idea it might not be too easy to free up plumbing blocked with solidified glycerine cocktail just by using the immersion heater in the tank. Mark talks of using hair-dryers and hot water and so on. >Once it has settled, I can drain the glycerine via a hose BEFORE it >gets to the pump and then the BD can be pumped into the wash bin >using the clear pump afterwards.(Also washing out any possible small >residues en route) OR I have it set up so that I can easily >incorporate a second settling tank a la JtF 90 liter processor >http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_processor10.html using a >secondary tube to send it there again using the same pump where it >can settle while I do another batch and simply let it settle in the >processor itself. I find that can get a bit gruelling, though it's a useful option to have. In moving house etc recently we didn't make any biod for a few weeks, and ended up with much more WVO than we like to have on hand, so I've been processing it steadily, one batch after another. But instead of having a batch in the settling tank and doing a second batch straight away to settle in the processor, I just have one batch in the settling tank. As soon as one of the two washing tanks is free, I transfer the (now settled) biod from the settling tank to that wash-tank, then process a new batch and settle it in the now-empty settling tank. This new batch will end up in the other wash-tank. This does a batch every two or three days, which is fast enough, and it's a lot more relaxed than handling two batches at once. This makes more use of the two wash-tanks than of the settling tank (it could just settle in the processor), but it staggers it nicely, so you're only dealing with one batch at a time rather than two. This is still with bubblewashing, by the way. We've used stir-washing quite a lot, but the two wash-tanks aren't properly set up for stirring yet. Next job. Or forthcoming job anyway. >I have a seperate wash tank adjacent to the >processor so I can wash two batches at once, the one with a bubbler >and the other with a pump or whatever and use up the bubbler one >first and use the other one later. >I don't think I can get away with 160 liters in a 200 liter >wash/settling tank with the water needed to properly wash it or with >the by-product that will accompany the two 80 liter batches, so then >I may just do a 100 liter batch and toss it in the extra settling >tank and then do another smaller one (80 liters) and let it settle >in the processor, or another 1oo liter for the main processor to >handle.(it's flexible) Yes! You lost me! But maybe I lost you too. Anyway, it's flexible, which is very nice! >The wvo is no problem as I have two suppliers >that told me I can help myself to as much as I want, so that end is >covered. You seem well-prepared. Good luck. Best Keith >Thanks for your input. > >L. > > > >--- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >Good day; > > > > > >I made a "test" batch of 20 liters the other day and when I >checked > > >it for quality using the method described at journeytoforever > > >http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_vehicle.html#quality it > > >returned "good fuel" with clear and distinct seperation of >unwashed > > >fuel in less than 30 seconds. > > >The problem is that when I poured out the BD into a bucket (as the > > >glycerine had solidified at the bottom of the drum)it was "lumpy", > > >as if gelatine clumps were floating around in it. > > >Is this due to the temp having dropped off during processing or > > >perhaps incomplete reaction even though the quality test came back > > >positive ? > > > > > >Any input ? > > > > Wash it and see. Let it settle first though, then decant it >carefully > > into the wash vessel. > > > > Sorry if you've already gone ahead in the meantime. If so, please >let > > us know the result. > > > > By the way, if you use KOH instead of NaOH the glycerine cocktail > > won't solidify, which you might find an advantage. Your >processor's > > closed, no? - ie, unopenable. I'm sure you know this, but I'll say >it > > anyway... "Closed" is usually taken to mean closed during >processing > > so no fumes escape. Two types - those with lids and those with no > > lids, or "sealed". We've no experience of sealed processors, but >it > > seems to me it'd make solidified glyc more of a nuisance. Either >way > > it'll be a nuisance if it gunks up the plumbing at the bottom of >the > > tank. > > > > Best wishes > > > > Keith > > > > > > >Thanks > > > > > >L. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Yahoo! 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