Oh Boy!
Where do I start?
I have nearly 50,000 miles on waste fryer oil (wvo) and have helped nearly a hundred folks convert diesel cars, trucks, tractors, gensets, and pumps.
The wvo must be prefiltered to 5 microns and dewatered to assure that it will not clog filters or damage injector pumps. This is relativly simple. I have a prefilter/dewaterer unit I built for $65 that sits in the 2'x2' corner of my unheated garage and supplys my 20 gallon per day needs. I also heat with the prefiltered wvo.
You cannot simply pull up to a grease dumpster and filter as you pump it into your tank...the filtering required is too fine to accomplish that fast. Filtering on the move is also not much of an option since no one has been able to do this ...though many have tried.
The "issue of the "grease" being thicker, not atomizing properly upon injection" is easily addressed by heating the wvo as it is used using coolant/vegoil heat exchangers and small aux. 12vdc inline heaters. I live in MN and the issue of solidified wvo in lines, tanks, and filters is also easily addressed with similar heat sources.
I also make biodiesel. IMO it is much easier to convert a vehicle to wvo than make biodiesel. And the cost difference is significant. $1.35 vs 8 cents per gallon. It is a no brainer for me.
It is not illegal to use wvo as fuel. A federal "road tax" exemption exists for up to 1,200 gallons of on road use fuel per year. Most states either choose to not enforce the "road tax" on wvo fuel or are more than willing to accept a per year esitmate of the amount of wvo fuel you use along with your check. Mine has given me an exemption for up t the 1,200 federal exemption level.
I spend less time on tending my "processing unit" than I do pumping my tank ful of nearly free fuel.
And the cost of converting my vehicle AND the fuel processor was less than $250.
If you want more info feel free to email me at
danalinscott@yahoo.com or check out the FAQ page on
my website