Making Biodiesel

YuccaFlatsRanch · #1 03/30/08, 08:26 PM

Just happened to be watching the weather channel this afternoon (I know - get a life) and they had a guy who was supposed to have a doctorate of something making biodiesel. He had a gallon jar of clean veggie oil and added 1/3 by volume (I think) of methanol to it and 1 teaspoon of Potassium Hydroxide and shook it up. Let it stand and had biodoesel and glycerine.

The show is on again at midnight central time on weather channel on DIsh Network. I think I will record it to be sure.

It can't be that easy, nor done with that little bit of equipment.

Jack T. · #2 03/30/08, 08:34 PM

It is that easy, and the equipment needed is quite simple. A guy I work with makes it in his garage. . .basically a couple 55 gallon drums and a mixer. I don't remember the exact amount of *stuff* he uses, but it doesn't take much.

What I found odd that the biodiesel has to be "washed" before it can be used.

Ken Scharabok · #3 03/30/08, 10:24 PM

Biodiesel and Biofuel has been a frequent topic on the Alternative Energy Forum.

New vegetable oil costs significanty more than pump diesel. If it is used, then it needs to be processed.

Also problems in use. While it can be mixed with straight diesel, the mix needs to be adjusted to temperature to prevent jeling. If run straight, vehicle needs to be modified to have a separate vege-oil tank, with heater. Typically vehicle is started on diesel, switched to vege-oil once warm, then switched back to diesel a couple of miles before shutdown.

No easy answers.

BillHoo · #4 03/31/08, 01:15 AM

you also have to change the fuel lines from the standard rubber hoses to new vinyl ones. Vegetable oil will make rubber osften up and disintegrate.

Otherwise, if you live in a climate that rarely goes below 40 degrees F, you can use straight veggie oil, or WVO (waste vegetable oil). The mix is for colder temperatures. Some mix with regular gasoline (dangerous), or kerosene (safer, more expensive), or other chemicals.

Quint · #5 03/31/08, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Scharabok

Biodiesel and Biofuel has been a frequent topic on the Alternative Energy Forum.

New vegetable oil costs significanty more than pump diesel. If it is used, then it needs to be processed.

Also problems in use. While it can be mixed with straight diesel, the mix needs to be adjusted to temperature to prevent jeling. If run straight, vehicle needs to be modified to have a separate vege-oil tank, with heater. Typically vehicle is started on diesel, switched to vege-oil once warm, then switched back to diesel a couple of miles before shutdown.

No easy answers.

Also simply obtaining used vegetable oil isn't easy like it used to be. A couple of guys I know who were big into making their own bio-diesel several years ago no longer do it because they can't get free fryer oil anymore.

quadcam79 · #6 03/31/08, 01:34 AM

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_mike.html

and one on "Dirty Jobs"

WisJim · #7 03/31/08, 07:54 AM

Some of this discussion is getting "biodiesel" (which is some kind of vegetable oil that has been processed and can be used as a direct substitute for diesel, with some regard for different gelling properties, etc) confused with "straight vegetable oil", which is just well-filtered and dewatered vegetable oil, and which requires the seperate tank and also usually requires that the engine be started on regular diesel until it warms up enough to properly liquify the straigt veggie oil.

Biodiesel requires that the vegetable oil be modified, and running straight vegetable oil requires some vehicle fuel system modifications. Remember that both methanol and potassium hydroxide can be hazardous.

And, as mentioned, this has been discussed numerous times, especially on the Alternative Energy forum here at HT.

Ken Scharabok · #8 03/31/08, 08:00 AM

You can actually buy bio-diesel at some places, such as truck stops. It is 20% soybean oil and 80% disesel. Willy Nelson is still pushing it and has a production (mixing) plant somewhere in the Southwest.

According to one source I read if you run diesel just adding one gallon of new vegetable oil per fill-up will significantly reduce engine wear. I do that in my Ford 3000 backhoe.

Have been told some bulk supermarkets (Cosco or such) sells soybean oil in 5-gallon containers at not much more than diesel.

wy_white_wolf · #9 03/31/08, 08:18 AM

Just be careful using homemade Biodiesel. The government still wants taxes on what you make and use yourself.

ai731 · #10 03/31/08, 08:38 AM

There's a good website about small-scale biodiesel production here:

http://www.chemistryland.com/Biodies...nBiodiesel.htm

YuccaFlatsRanch · #11 03/31/08, 09:48 AM

"Just be careful using homemade Biodiesel. The government still wants taxes on what you make and use yourself."

I am waiting for the first lawsuit on this where someone brings up the lack of "Road Taxes" being paid by electric cars. I think our system of government is based on equal treatment under the law. In my humble opinion miles driven are miles driven regardless of the fuel used. All should either be taxed or not taxed the same. Otherwise get out of my face.

Batt · #12 03/31/08, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YuccaFlatsRanch

"Just be careful using homemade Biodiesel. The government still wants taxes on what you make and use yourself."

I am waiting for the first lawsuit on this where someone brings up the lack of "Road Taxes" being paid by electric cars. I think our system of government is based on equal treatment under the law. In my humble opinion miles driven are miles driven regardless of the fuel used. All should either be taxed or not taxed the same. Otherwise get out of my face.

I concur with that, however, I think it was done somewhere just recently You can always find some government flunky somewhere to really mess up the works, Particularly if one answer is more PC than the other.

Wisconsin Ann · #13 04/01/08, 06:08 AM

We've made biodiesel. it's easy, if a bit time consuming unless you put together a larger automatic system. add the ingredients, turn it over a few times, let it sit, separate the glycerin from the biiodiesel, wash the biodiesel (put in water, shake, let it sit until it separates) filter, wash again.

first few times you run a vehicle with pure, or high percent biodiesel, y ou'll have to change your filters. biodiesel acts as a cleaner and gets a ton of soot/oil/er...icky stuff....out of your fuel lines and engine.

engine ends up running a lot more smoothly. at least our always have

Ken Scharabok · #14 04/01/08, 07:26 AM

In my Ford 3000 backhoe the exhaust went from blackish to whitish. However, after about the second tank of say 12/1 diesel/vo, a lot of the fuel fittings began dripping. Apparently the mix had dissolved much of the crud which had sealed them.