burning some waste veggie

[reblawyer]

Just wanted to report to everyone on my use of waste veggie oil in the deuce. I still haven't gotten a complete two tank system set up but I've been burning 20 % waste veggie in my deuce for about a month now. Starts first time every time and no problems with the fuel filters. I am filtering settled oil from a local chinese restaurant (very happy to give it to me) through heavy denim fabric. I bring the oil up to about 190 degrees to cook out any water and then let it cool to about 120 before running it through a single layer of denim fabric. Seems to be working out fine. I always add the oil while the engine is running so will have a chance to mix in a little better. With diesel at 2.83 a gallon I'm glad to have any free fuel I can get. If anyone has an extra tank out there that they want to part with, let me know, that is the only missing component in my two tank system.

 

[area52]

Cool, any problems with filters clogging up?

How are you heating the oil?

 

[gringeltaube]

WVO

Yes, it works, even if 20% is very conservative. A friend of mine has been burning over 50% WVO in his LDS465-1A for almost one year now, no problems reported. Now he's building his own two-tank system to try out 100% WVO!
Our diesel cost us one Dollar per liter and it's low cetan, high sulfur quality!!!

Gerhard

 

[cranetruck]

RE: WVO

Reblawyer, good luck with your experiments! In time, you will probably notice that if you let the oil sit for a week or so, very little filtering is needed, I just screen it now through a 100 micron screen, which is a lot faster than the 5 micron/denim some people are suggesting and the water will settle to the bottom along with the hydrogenated stuff (white streaks in the oil as you are pouring it).
I save the bottom portion in each cubie for biodiesel production.

No problems yet with the filters, changed them only one time since I started to use bio fuels. The primary filter was cleaned and reinstalled, it had debris from the rusty fuel tank and no evidence of clogging from the fuels.

Well, if you read the post about biodiesel/veggie oil, you know my story. I use the two heated tank system, so that I can run BD/WVO all year. Been running on a mix for 18 months now, about 7,000 miles plus many hours of running the crane at 1,200 rpm or so and the current mix is 25% BD and 75% WVO. See avatar.

Crane operation adds a lot of hours, 30 or more in the last week alone at a rate of about 3/4 gallon of fuel/hr.

I like to be able to start and stop on regular diesel/kero so that the system is not exposed to the acidic WVO when not used with the lines and filters filled with "regular" fuels.
Always runs great and without smoke. The only difference is a lower EGT and boost with the BD/WVO mix, I can floor it in a hill and not exceed 1,100°F. Performance is not noticably effected. The exhaust sound is not as harsh either.
If you listen to the exhaust when driving on regular diesel, there is a "crackleing" sound when the EGT gets close to 1,200°F and the boost gets up to 10 psi or so. That crackling sound is absent or drastically reduced with BD/WVO....

 

[ken]

I use coffie filters in the tube for the fuel tank. I just pull the fuel cap off and pull the tube with the brass filter out and push some coffie filters aginst the screen. Then dump it in. I've tried 50/50 mix with no problems yet. It's warm enough here to run it with out heating it. It gets down to 80 deg at night. When fall arrives this will probally be a different story. Bjorn's right, If you let it settle for a few days most of the trash/water will go to the bottom. Anybody know how many microns coffie filters are?

 

[reblawyer]

I've read that there may be damage to the piston heads when using too much oil before the engine heats up, anyone experineced that? I think I may take a stab at increasing my veggie levels, at least during these summer months. I haven't had any problems with filters clogging.

 

[Deuceswild]

With diesel at 2.83 a gallon I'm glad to have any free fuel I can get. quote]

reblawer,

Diesel fuel here in Wisc. ( my section of the state ) is at 3.16 per gallon , and that is less expensive than low grade regular unleaded gas. Perhaps I'll have to start thinking more about the WVO alternative.

Jeff

 

[SasquatchSanta]

RE: Re: burning some waste veggie

A word of caution "Heads Up" about finding sources for waste veg oil.

But first --- just so this isn't misunderstood, --- I 'm all all for burning waste veg oil and in fact I'm cconsidering buying some centrifuged and polished restaurant grease from a local renderer.

You may ask "why would anyone buy WVO when you can get it for free at a local restaurant?

Here's why. Just about all restaurants are serviced by and therefore have agreements with rendering companies. While restaurant grease (WVO) is considered as waste product by most, to renderers its a valuable commodity. Renderers usually supply tanks for their clients to store waste fats and oils in. Others supply barrels.Renderers pay for their raw materials. Be careful in removing oil from the tanks or barrels because most of these guys (renderers) are very agressive about prosecuting.

The only reason I'm bringing this up is because I don't want to see anyone get in what could be embarrasing "and serious" trouble for taking what you may consider to be waste product.

I worked in the Rendering Recycling and Vegetable Oil extraction and refining industry for 33 years and I've seen unplesant senarios unfold over what the industry calls grease theft many times. Because restaurant grease is a valuable commodity there was a time when the renders were hit hard by grease theft, so much so that the industry was successful in getting laws passed in many states prohibiting hauling raw product without a state permit. In some states fines can be stiff.

I have been out of the loop for about seven years but I would think the best and safest place to get product would be at a local renderer. Mondern renderers are sophisticated and can probably give you exacrtly what you want. It's not uncommon for poultry renders to fuel their truck fleets with poultry fat.

 

[wreckerman893]

Injecting cool or cold WVO into a diesel engine can cause "coking" or a buildup of carbon on the pistons and other parts. That is why it is a must that you have a good heat exchanger and switching system. I have buddy that ran an F-250 Powerstroke on bio diesel and then straight WVO. He home built his heat exchanger and switching system and the truck was running fine when he sold it. When the veggie is hot enough and filtered and dewatered correctly the diesel engine doesen't know the difference.

 

[reblawyer]

Hey Santa, thanks for the input. We don't have any renderers nearby here but I might try to contact one to see what kind of prices they offer. I am in perhaps a unique position because the folks that own the Chinese places in our little town are neighbors. Most of the time they drop the stuff off to me in the buckets the oil originally came out of. Its only about 10 gallons a week but plenty for my needs. We have a nice symbiotic relationship going on, they don't have to pay for removal, I get free fuel. I agree, don't take the oil out of the outside vats, my understanding is once it is in a renderers container it belongs to the renderer.

 

[SasquatchSanta]

Hello Essayons,

I didn't want to come off wrong here I just see that with fuel prices going ofer $3.00 more and more people are going to be drawn to WVO and I can imagine how the renders are circling their wagons. For the fun things to know department --- Griffin Industries has a big rendering plant in Jackson MS. With Corp offices in Cold Springs KY the Griffin's are very astute in the world of alternative fuels. I "believe" they even sell a black box that allows chicken fat to be used in a diesel. I also believe they supply the fuel for the Cincinnati city buses.

This is going to be interesting to watch as it all unfolds as it's going to go from a few "home-brew" enthusiasts to a major main stream fuel. I've got a call into some of my contacts concerning buying small quantities of fats and oils.

Have fun with the home-brew