Basic History of Biodiesel Fuel
Biodiesel fuel has been around since 1853. However, it was not fully used commercially until the early millennium. It is credited to E. Duffy and J. Patrick and it was recorded that the very first diesel-propelled machine ran on August 10 of 1893. Thus, the same day was aptly named International Biodiesel Day.
There is this German man named Rudolf Diesel who made an engine that was propelled by peanut oil. This was his experiment on biofuel for machine usage. Although peanut oil is not qualified as a biodiesel fuel because it did not undergo the actual process of making biodiesel fuel, it was viewed as the future of the power of natural feed stock to be used as an alternative to fuel based on petroleum. However, Rudolf was successful in running an engine using this type of biofuel.
Another person who should take the credit for biodiesel is G. Chavanne. It was in 1937 when he received a patent for a process called transesterification. This is the process used for converting feed stock to biodiesel. The blends of biodiesel fuels are marked on the percentage of blends. A 20% blend is called B20. A 30% blend is called B30. The B stands for blend.
Basically, biodiesel is made from animal and plant fats that are then mixed with methyl or ethanol. Glycerol is also used. Called fatty acid methyl or FAME, biodiesel has gains popularity of its practically year in and year out. The number of countries that have heavily invested in this have grown since the 1970s.
BIODIESEL FUELS 101
People have always heard biodiesel fuels and all that in school and form other fellow truck drivers but few really understand its essence and component. Biodiesel fuel is a kind of diesel that is not made of petroleum. This means that this has natural compounds such as fats and oils. That is why it is also called fatty acid methyl or FAME.
The creation or development of this oil is credited to G. Chavanne in 1937. He was granted a patent for creating a process of transforming vegetable oil into a fuel. This process is known as alcoholysis—a process known today as transesterification. This is called so because biodiesel fuels l is a mono-alcoholic mixture. Vegetable oil and fatty acids are mixed with ethanol, to be specific.
Ideally, the mixture should of biodiesel fuels be made of the vegetable oil and glycerol. Glycerol is also known to many people as glycerine. This is a chemical compound that is made of lipids. It is non-toxic and it is odorless. However, it was preferred by many that ethyl is used instead of glycerol because glycerol is a sugar based alcohol.
Biodiesel is measured in terms of the B Factor. This letter “B” mean blend. If a biodiesel fuels blend is 15%, then the blend is known as B15. If it is 20%, then the biodiesel blend is called B20. This is not ideally used 100% because it will cause complications in the vehicles. This is because biodiesel burns fast. And as such, there is a need to replace filters often.
How to Build Biodiesel Processor?
Before you read about making biodiesel processor steps, its better if we know first what is biodiesel processor?
From a dictionary tell us that biodiesel processor is a combination reaction vessel and still for producing biodiesel from vegetable oil. many people want to try to use biodiesel fuel to their diesel engine but they do not know how to make a biodiesel fuel. Is that complicated to make a biodiesel?
Here you will get a basic step to build a biodiesel processor, the best thing is you could build that in a corner of a garage, using waste vegetable oil as the main ingredient. Read the details of the steps from the article below:
How to Build a Single Tank Biodiesel Processor
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Now, almost everyone has heard of biodiesel, but few know that this environmentally friendly diesel fuel replacement can be made in a corner of a garage, using waste vegetable oil as the main ingredient. One only needs three basic ingredients to make biodiesel: methanol (or ethanol, if you’re a corn lover), oil (new or used), and lye (caustic soda). This article will tell you how to build a simple, straightforward single-tank biodiesel processor out of materials you may be able to round up for free.
Steps
- Here the few common items listed under “Things You’ll Need.”
- Assemble the drum.
- Cut a large opening (about half the top) in the top of the steel drum. You may also be able to find a drum with the top already removed.
- Drill a 1.5-inch hole in the bottom of the drum. You will attach a pipe to it shortly.
- Weld the 1.5-diameter pipe in the hole at the bottom of the drum.
- Attach the 1.5-inch brass ball valve to the pipe. This is the drain valve. Brass is not necessary, but it offers the greatest durability.
- Drill a hole in the side of the drum at the bottom, same size as the heater element. You can find heater elements in old hot water heaters or purchase them at a hardware store.
- Fit the heater element properly, making sure it is not touching the side of the drum.
- Wire up the heater element.
- Assemble the chemical mixer.
- Attach one pulley to the rolled steel rod.
- Attach the other pulley to the spindle of the electric motor.
- Weld the propeller to the other end of the rolled steel rod. You can use cheap shelf brackets as propellers.
- Attach the rod, pulley and propeller assembly to one side of the hinge. This will allow you to be able to move the propeller/mixer when necessary.
- Weld a piece of angle iron across the top of the drum. This angle iron (or similar) offers support for the mixing apparatus.
- Weld the unattached side of the hinge to the angle iron so the propeller and rod assembly sits in the middle of the drum. The hinge should swing the propeller and rod back and forth.
- Mount the electric motor on the side of the drum. You should be able to mount the motor directly to the drum without it tipping the drum (unless your motor is from an old Cadillac or something).
- Fit the belt to the pulleys and tighten by wedging a block of wood into the hinge. A tight belt is necessary to mix the biodiesel.
- Fashion a simple wooden measuring stick with 10 litre increments. The measurement stick will aid in processing biodiesel.
Tips
- Think of your single tank processor as a large blender. One can easily make a blender batch of biodiesel, and the processor described above is simply a large rendition of a blender.
- If you don’t have access to a small motor, there are other options. One can use a drill with a propeller in the chuck to mix the biodiesel. There have even been models of single stage biodiesel processors that mount a bicycle on top of the drum, effectively stirring the biodiesel by mounting the stationary bike and peddling away!
- This is just one version of a simple biodiesel processor. You can use other items that you may find cheap or free. The basic idea is that you need a large, durable container, a mixer, and a way to heat the oil while mixing. Use your imagination!
- If you don’t know how to weld, you can fashion a container that uses threaded pipe or industrial adhesives.
- It is essential to have a leak free container to ensure that the ingredients’ proportions are correct and to keep messy vegetable oil from creating a slick out of your garage.
- Consider placing your entire processor on a stand with wheels. This will make your single stage processor portable and adaptable to most any space!
Warnings
- Both ethanol and methanol are highly flammable liquids, and unfavorable conditions may result in flash combustion.
- Lye is a caustic ingredient, and contact with skin–especially wet skin—-will result in severe chemical burns.
- Research how to correctly and safely process biodiesel before making your first batch.
- Make sure that your heating element is never in direct contact with flammable materials. Use the heating element to preheat oil prior to the addition of methanol or ethanol.
- Place your processor in a well-ventilated area. The mixed chemicals will result in fumes that can be hazardous to your health. If the processor is going in a garage or outbuilding, make sure to place the processor near a door or a window that will open.
- Making biodiesel is addictive. Creating your own single stage processor may make you an oil baron.
Things You’ll Need
- 55 gallon drum.
- 1/2 or 3/4 Hp (small) electric motor. An electric drill will also work.
- Two pulleys which produce 250 rpm and a max of 750 rpm at mixer blade. You will not need the pulleys if you use a drill to power the propeller.
- A belt for the above.
- 12 inch rolled steel rod. The rod can also be shorter or longer—it just needs sufficient propellers to mix the contents of the entire drum.
- Two steel shelf brackets (for the blade).
- 1 1/2 inch (38mm) brass ball valve.
- A hinge and a spring to act as a belt tension device.
- 2000-watt electric water heater element. Lesser or greater wattages will simply increase or decrease the time to pre-heat the oil.
- A water heater thermostat.
- 1 1/2 diameter piece of steel pipe 3-5 inches long with male threads on one end.
- Assorted tat: angle iron, wood, screws etc.
Related wikiHows
- How to Make Lye
- How to Calculate Your Car’s Fuel Efficiency (MPG)
- How to Save Money on Gas
- How to Help Prevent Global Warming
- How to Recycle
Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Build a Single Tank Biodiesel Processor. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
-
|
|
