Idea for Final Heat Exchanger for WVO - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

BlackSheep5 · #1 03-13-2007, 07:00 PM

I was thinking of a way to make a final heat exchanger for VO,

what about wrapping some sort of metal tube around the exhaust pipe about 10 times, right below where it attaches to the exhaust manifold and run VO though it before into the injection pump.

would it get too hot? if so what about just a few wraps around it?

DeliveryValve · #2 03-13-2007, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackSheep5

I was thinking of a way to make a final heat exchanger for VO,

what about wrapping some sort of metal tube around the exhaust pipe about 10 times, right below where it attaches to the exhaust manifold and run VO though it before into the injection pump.

would it get too hot? if so what about just a few wraps around it?

It way too hot and you can't control it. Your better off using engine coolant, it is stable heat source.

Old300D · #3 03-14-2007, 11:23 AM

The idea behind heating vegetable oil is to just get it up to engine temperature so it pumps and flows through filters nicely. Exhaust is much hotter than that -- getting oil too hot can create other problems such as overheating the injection pump and oil polymerization.

grindMARC · #4 03-14-2007, 10:13 PM

Had I bought a 20 plate FPHE instead of a 16, I am pretty sure I would be able to run WVO on just 3 coolant-based heater elements (hotfox, heated head filter and FPHE) -- in single digit winter days winters. I added a vegtherm to get me through the really cold days.

Mojool · #5 03-14-2007, 10:28 PM

i opted for a vegtherm 20a 12v heat exchanger...not sure if it'll work yet, but i wanted to try the electrical heater as i have a coolant loop now, and it's not getting AS hot as it needs to be......i know i could get it up to temps with the final coolant exchanger..but.....well i want to go with electric to see if it speeds things up.

http://www.plantdrive.com/shop/home.php

pizzachef · #6 03-15-2007, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmarzan

It way too hot and you can't control it. Your better off using engine coolant, it is stable heat source.

Ditto that.

Have you seend frybrid's final heat exchanger?

You could make a poor man's version out of rubber heater hose and aluminum fuel line (similar to their supply and return HIH lines) and coil it up like the final heat exchanger. You'd have to make a terminus on each end out of a pipe T.

hotwheelbill · #7 03-15-2007, 07:51 AM

I use ,what someone here posted before, the stock trans cooler under the radiator and run an after market trans cooler. Works great for me, but I'm in North Florida too

vstech · #8 03-15-2007, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pizzachef

Ditto that.

Have you seend frybrid's final heat exchanger?

You could make a poor man's version out of rubber heater hose and aluminum fuel line (similar to their supply and return HIH lines) and coil it up like the final heat exchanger. You'd have to make a terminus on each end out of a pipe T.

that heat exchange looks identical to a standard ice machine water coil, or a water source heat pump condenser... I wonder if the parts could be purchased cheaper from an HVAC supply house...
John

pizzachef · #9 03-15-2007, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

that heat exchange looks identical to a standard ice machine water coil, or a water source heat pump condenser... I wonder if the parts could be purchased cheaper from an HVAC supply house...
John

I'm not familiar with those. The one shown in the pic is a concentric pipe (HIH) exchanger with fuel flowing one way through the inner pipe and coolant flowing the other way through the outer pipe...its tough to see if from that pic, I put another closer view below. Is that how the items you mentioned work too? I think Frybrid gets those exchangers made custom for the application, and I think they're aluminum to resist reactivity of the WVO.

How do the tranny coolers work? Is it similar to a radiator? If so, how do you run hot coolant past the WVO?

rrgrassi · #10 03-15-2007, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pizzachef

I'm not familiar with those. The one shown in the pic is a concentric pipe (HIH) exchanger with fuel flowing one way through the inner pipe and coolant flowing the other way through the outer pipe...its tough to see if from that pic, I put another closer view below. Is that how the items you mentioned work too? I think Frybrid gets those exchangers made custom for the application, and I think they're aluminum to resist reactivity of the WVO.

How do the tranny coolers work? Is it similar to a radiator? If so, how do you run hot coolant past the WVO?

The trans cooler in the radiator is supposed to cool the hotter tranny fluid. It's kind of a joke because you are using hot coolant to cool hot tranny fluid.

In this case, cold veggie oil is run through the hot water. Effectively heating the veggie oil and adding a bit of cooling action to the radiator.

sailor15015 · #11 03-15-2007, 10:48 AM

I like that tranny cooler idea. Imagine if you ever got contamintation between the oil and cooling system though

. I have an aftermarket tranny cooler in my veg tank and the lines that run under the car to supply it are wrapped around the veg feed line. Once it gets to the engine bay it goes through a heated water filter/separator, and finally through a VegTherm for final heating. The tranny cooler in the tank alone will heat about ten gallons of oil to about 120*F in about 15-20 minutes so the VegTherm only has to push it the last 30 or so degrees.

vstech · #12 03-15-2007, 11:18 AM

hmm, aluminum you say... I belive the HVAC parts are steel outer jacket, surrounding a copper inner line. not sure if they make it in aluminum. I will check one of the old ones I have in my shop.
John

rrgrassi · #13 03-15-2007, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vstech

hmm, aluminum you say... I belive the HVAC parts are steel outer jacket, surrounding a copper inner line. not sure if they make it in aluminum. I will check one of the old ones I have in my shop.
John

Anything contacting veggie oil, metal wise, needs to be aluminum or stainless steel.

Old300D · #14 03-15-2007, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrgrassi

Anything contacting veggie oil, metal wise, needs to be aluminum or stainless steel.

I found that copper works fine with WVO, at least the stuff I use. I soaked some copper tubing both in WVO and biodiesel for over a year with no effect whatsoever. Biodiesel, on the other hand, immediately turns copper green.

rrgrassi · #15 03-15-2007, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old300D

I found that copper works fine with WVO, at least the stuff I use. I soaked some copper tubing both in WVO and biodiesel for over a year with no effect whatsoever. Biodiesel, on the other hand, immediately turns copper green.

I have not converted my car personally, but I do remember seeing a grease car kit being disassembled on the Frybrid site. The pics they took of the copper tubing looked like a big green slime stick.