Quote:
Originally Posted by zu!
All this makes for very interesting reading! Thanks!
If I understand correctly, all one needs to do to get rid of water and other impurities not filtered by the filters is to let the oil stand? What does one then do with all this sludge? You can't just throw it down the drain, and you definitely can't pour it in your tank...so what does one do? I read just one post that suggested feeding it to pigs, but surely not everyone has a pig farm nearby  |
No, not always . To remove suspended water, the ambient temperature is important. Sometimes, the oil needs to be heated and then let to settle.
there are three techniques to do this which have been talked about at other forums, specifically the info pop biodiesel forum and Frybrid's forum. heat and settle, heated/unheated upflow, and centrifuge. they all have tradeoffs, and you situation will determine which is best.
but all techniques require you to test for three things to be sure you oil is good:
1.) water level in oil (search for 'Hot Pan Test' to be under 500ppm, preferably under 100ppm
2.) FFA level to assess risk of polymerization in the tank and engine (see about FFA 3M test strips, biodiesel titration etc.). the higher the FFA in the oil, the closer it is to polymerization, and it may pose a problem. tons to read on this subject.
3.) particulate matter by running through the necessary filters. the is the easiest one.
the sludge can be given to a renderer or, the most common thing to do is pack it milk cartons with sawdust and burn for heat. a biodiesel maker can also use it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zu!
Also, for winter use in the dark cold months in Canada, would it be safe to use WVO with a 50-50 blend in a single tank?
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Probably not. In Canada, doesn't regular diesel have problems when it's really cold?
My personal philosophy is that if you want to run WVO, do the 2 tank approach. It is really nice to have the two systems independent. It means that in all outside weather conditions, at startup and shutdown your engine is as the factory intended it (running on diesel). Plus, when you're running the WVO, you are running it at the exact same conditions (injection temperature, blend etc.) year round.
That said, there are some folks who have single tank blends down to a science and do well with them. But I don't know of anyone in the far north who runs any sort of single tank thing during the winter months.
HTH,
dd