mixing wvo and wmo, so far so good

[bill2444]

I was reading a post a little while back about long term mixing of wmo and wvo. Can't seem to find it now, but here is my account as to how its working out so far. I had made a 275 gallon (IBC storage tank) batch. I had mixed about 40% wvo to 60% of straight wmo. I did this in 50 gallon batches which were heated past the boiling point of water and held there for about 2 hrs. They got mixed very well with all the convection currents in the heating drum. Then filtered down to 1/2 micron nominal ( bag filters) before being pumped into the IBC.
That was in Feb. of 2011
Now in june 2011 the oil appears to be just like when i had pumped it in. No polymerization or junk going on.
I have just ran thru 100 gallons at 100% thru the deuce, and things are working great. No plugged filters ( i use a 2 micron for final) or residue in the tank. Just more exhaust smoke when compared with 100% wvo, but it still has a good smell.
I will report back when i run thru the rest of the IBC. I have been averaging about 200 miles a week of seat time in the deuce.

 

[wreckerman893]

I would thin it down with some gasoline to help it go through the in tank pump and the IP.......maybe 10 gallons in a 50 gallon batch...it will thin it down and give it some more heat value.

 

['48Chevy6]

I would thin it down with some gasoline to help it go through the in tank pump and the IP.......maybe 10 gallons in a 50 gallon batch...it will thin it down and give it some more heat value.

I agree that getting it thin enough for the IP is of prime importance.
I have no experience with WVO but 5 gallons gas added to 45 gallons WMO has been working really well for the last several months.
Two and a half gallons of RUG added to the same quantity hydraulic oil when we can get it.
All filtered through the seven step program before it ever makes through the three inboard deuce filters.

Tim

 

[bill2444]

Good point, I should have mentioned that i use a seperate coolant heated tank with heated fuel lines to a seperate electric pump up to a pollack switching valve just after the stock fuel filters. That way i have a dedicated filter just for alt. fuels and stock filters and pump for diesel. This has given me a very short purge time for running alt fuels out of IP at shutdown.
for those of you that are using the stock tank.
i would follow wreckermans recomendations. I think he has been actually using alt. fuels, while i was still dreaming about it.

 

[cranetruck]

When it gets cold (=Michigan Winter)...heating is the only solution along with a second 100% diesel fuel tank for starting...

 

[s1036s]

Bill lets see more details on your setup... any pictures

 

[bill2444]

Here are a pics of my set-up. I took some of the insulation off of the fuel and coolant lines that run from the tank to the filter for some more clarification. Unfortunatly my camera battries died only after 4 pics, so i will try to get some more up tomorrow. The tank is a golden fuel 100 gal. tank with a built in heat exchanger in the bottom (bought used) I use a "Hot Fox" coolant heated pick-up tube ( works awsome- hot oil even when fluid in tank is still cold) It then goes into a marine Racor 1000 fuel filter/water seperator. It is wrapped in a 12v silicone heating blanket and it has a on demand 12v heating element inside. The housing is wrapped in insulation. There is a 12v pump inline after the Racor to help feed the IP. The fuel lines are run with the feed and return coolant lines and insulated together to heat and maintain temp up to the pollack switching valve (12v) The valve ties in between the IP and stock fuel filter. The stock fuel filters only see diesel fuel from the stock diesel tank. ( when switched to aux tank the diesel is pumped thru pick-up side of the IP and returned to diesel tank while running) The Racor filter only sees fluid from the aux tank. lastly i have a veggi therm 12v inline fuel heater if needed for very cold temps right at the Ip ( silver unit behind IP in the pic)
Not pictured yet i have a seperate fuel level guage for the aux tank. A fuel pressure vacum guage for monitoring the Racor filter. and a 12v battery disconect switch for aux 12v circuts. So far i have around 4000 miles on 100% wvo, wmo, and now using a mix of the two.

 

[bill2444]

I should note that i start and warm up the engine on diesel. Then switch over to aux fuels for driving. and on my 5 min idle before shut down i switch back to diesel to purge IP of aux fuels. I have used this set-up regularly this winter running 100% wvo, wmo at temps of minus -15F and up to hottest day so far around 80F

 

[s1036s]

That is quite the contraption. So when you switch on the fuel pump for the veggie system, do you also have a switch to turn off the stock intank pump.
Also when running on the veggie or alternative fuel side and having the return fuel go to the stock tank, how much ends up in the tank? Ever overfill or anything. Were did you tap in for coolant lines? I am assuming you are using the deuces coolant to help heat the lines etc.... Thanks for taking the time to post pics and explanations

 

[Jimma]

Cool set up. I do agree with wreckerman that you should thin it with some gasoline. I do about 10% gas as he mentioned and have been running wvo and wmo for about 14 months now without a problem. I put about 4000 miles on the truck this year on the stuff. However, when it gets cold I begin to blend some diesel back in to aid in quicker starts.

 

[mightymanx]

Wow I would have thought that WMO and MVO would have stratified after mixing I learn somthing new every day.

Thanks for the report.

 

[bill2444]

Reporting back in: I have burned thru my second 80 gal tank full of wvo/wmo mix. After looking at the tank, it is still clean with no deposits. My racor fuel filter element is still in good shape ( 2 micron ) after 80 gal.
I kept track of millage this time and i am getting around 6.5 mpg on the used oil mix. With no apparent power difference between diesel and used oil mix. I have one batch of wmo/wvo mix left to go thru then its on to straight wmo.

 

[bill2444]

Sorry i missed those earlier questions: With my switching solenoids i leave my stock in tank pump running as it flows thru the pick-up side of the I.P. then thru the stock fuel filters, and it goes back to the stock diesel tank. It then functions as a fuel polisher, as the fuel is constantly moving and being filtered/water settling to bottom of filter can, as i drive on alt fuel tank. ( I figured these components would be working anyway if i was driving on diesel) I have never have anything overfill yet, but there is a very small amount of alt fuel that does get mixed in at the time of switching back to diesel at cooldown. That would be the 8"- 10" of fuel line that has alt fuel in it and which the excess that is not used up by the I.P. and is sent back to the stock tank. As in normal operation when the I.P. sends unused fuel back to the tank thru the return line.
I estimate in everyday driving maybe a gallon a month of alt fuels will make its way back to the stock diesel tank. Nothing that has been a problem yet, but i only have been using about 4-5 gallons a month of diesel out of the stock tank driving it everyday, so before winter i probably should use up the fuel in the stock tank and replace with some fresh fuel.

 

[66Reo6X6]

Thanks for the update.

 

[bill2444]

Jim, I'm using (2) 6 port pollack valves to do the switching of fuel lines. And use the blue silicone 3/8" fuel line with the better fuel injection clamps. The pollack valves have hose barb fittings so i also use some brass threaded tee blocks where i need to tie into the deuce factory lines. the tees give me a good place to tie in gauge ports as well.

 

[houdel]

A very well engineered setup! How long do you run on diesel at startup before you switch over to alt fuel?

 

[bill2444]

My fdc is bypassed. I let the truck come up to operating temp before i switch over to alt fuels. And let it go thru it's idle down time switched back to diesel to purge system of alt fuels.

 

[LowTech]

We have one of each, and they both run UMO. I've noticed no dif other than she can run away from me on hills (think I may have to turn her fuel down ) My is non-bypassed, but that will change. I'm about to do that mod soon.