Biodiesel

[C.tins]

Hi people, I'm looking into biodiesel and cannot find for the life of me find out how much fuel you could reasonably expect to make out of a 44 gallons of used vegetable oil. Any help or info would be greatly appreciated.

[Andrew Morris]

Start with 200 litres of oil. Add 20% of oil volume in methanol. Bank on 80% yield from your 240 liters of mix.

[C.tins]

Thanks Andrew. Do you have much experience with this. Do you know a good kit to start with?

[3-Gees]

Hi Ctins,
There's plenty of info on the net re Bio-Diesel, if you wan't to produce good quality fuel, look at "Mike Pelly's two stage " method, this converts all the oil to fuel, whereis a single crack will only react about 75% of the oil ,leaving 25% raw veggie oil in your fuel:o. The two stage method makes great fuel and if done correctly,then washed and dried, can be used in any diesel engine.!, as long as components such as filters and lines are bio compatable;)
Cheers Gregg.

[illinbah]

Be careful with Biodiesel made from vegie oil. The mice love it. When I was making and using it I had the rubber fuel lines of my D1 eaten out. Also it has to be let stand for several weeks to let the water settle out. I learnt the hard way and had to have the fuel pump rebuilt. I gave it away as the used vegie oil became too hard to source. When I changed over to a D3 they specify NO Boidiesel. I am not sure why.
I am currently looking into the Millettia Pinnata (Diesel Tree). The seeds can be cold pressed and the resulting oil extracted is suppost to be able to be used in diesel engines with no further processing only filtering. Time will tell.

Paul Andrews

[Didge]

I reckon you'd need more than just a few trees laddie :)

[superquag]

Hi people, I'm looking into biodiesel and cannot find for the life of me find out how much fuel you could reasonably expect to make out of a 44 gallons of used vegetable oil. Any help or info would be greatly appreciated.

Start here, do lots of reading...

Forums (http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/cfrm/f/498605551)

Or, going right back to basics and nice easy way to get started...

World Famous Dr Pepper Technique (Pat Pend) - Topic (http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=447609751&f=719605551&m=857600061)

Much of the biodiesel info is AUSTRALIAN in origin, despite what you might think after reading some American sites. - Check the above site and go way back in time/history to see what I mean. "Tilly" and "Neutral" are two of the Very Useful & Wise contributors, with "Biocruiser" being the inventor of the Mist Washing system.

Bottom lines... Filter, remove water from feedstock, titrate, use sufficient methanol, mix furiously.... and water-wash/dry/filter the end result.
The best quality (met and exceeded all the European standards) bio I've ever seen was made in a single reaction, carefully bubble-washed, dried and filtered.


<James in Perth.> :angel:

I used to make batches from 200 litres oil, 50 litres methanol and would end up with (Very roughly) between 160 and 190 litres of 'perfect' biodiesel.
- Yield depended on oil quality and type (canola, sunflower, cottonseed and the dreaded palm-oil...) Also waste, leaks, spillages and how extra-fussy I was !!!

[Witchdoctor]

Be careful with Biodiesel made from vegie oil. The mice love it. When I was making and using it I had the rubber fuel lines of my D1 eaten out. Also it has to be let stand for several weeks to let the water settle out. I learnt the hard way and had to have the fuel pump rebuilt. I gave it away as the used vegie oil became too hard to source. When I changed over to a D3 they specify NO Boidiesel. I am not sure why.
I am currently looking into the Millettia Pinnata (Diesel Tree). The seeds can be cold pressed and the resulting oil extracted is suppost to be able to be used in diesel engines with no further processing only filtering. Time will tell.

Paul Andrews

You would not put Pongamia oil in your D3 you WILL have big trouble! Pongamia oil cold pressed then filtered can be used directly in an old tech diesel engine with no ill effects.
I have spent the last 6 years researching Pongamia oil and its uses & this is the future in BioFuel.

Watch this space!

Didge,

One Hectare of the Diesel trees will produce around 5000Lt of Bio-Diesel every year for 70 years.

Cheers
David

[Vanja]

I've heard so much about Biodiesel but never tried it for my car. I'm afraid it can harm engine or something else. But recipe sound really cheap and easy, even easier then I've read at fuel review by evolutionwriters essay writing (http://myessayservices.org/review-about-evolutionwriters-com-services/), so maybe I'll try it. Thank you for the topic.

[RANDLOVER]

Barnawartha biodiesel plant bounces back to life, as industry calls for more government support - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-17/biodiesel-bounces-back-as-barnawartha-plant-reopens/11318966)

They are going to start making Biodiesel in commercial quantities in Aus again. I wonder if Freedom Fuels will stock the B-20 again?

[RANDLOVER]

.......... When I changed over to a D3 they specify NO Biodiesel. I am not sure why.
I am currently looking into the Millettia Pinnata (Diesel Tree). The seeds can be cold pressed and the resulting oil extracted is suppost to be able to be used in diesel engines with no further processing only filtering. Time will tell.

Paul Andrews

I have been running mostly B-100 in my D3 for the last 6 odd years I've owned it, with no trouble at all.

[JDNSW]

I suspect the blanket ban by some manufacturers on biodiesel is simply lack of certainty on composition and properties, especially that some biodiesel can break down under the pressures involved in modern common rail systems.

[Homestar]

Barnawartha biodiesel plant bounces back to life, as industry calls for more government support - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-17/biodiesel-bounces-back-as-barnawartha-plant-reopens/11318966)

They are going to start making Biodiesel in commercial quantities in Aus again. I wonder if Freedom Fuels will stock the B-20 again?

That's great news. We haven't been able to get decent quantities for ages - well, since they shut down last time actually. Will be onto this to see when the supply chain can start delivering it in decent quantities.

Like John said, we are cautious about allowing bio diesel to be used in our equipment due to the lack of any certainty of how it was produced or stored. With the Barnawartha plant coming back on line, we'll be able to supply to our customers directly again.

[RANDLOVER]

I'm glad to hear your customers are still keen to use bio, despite all the scare campaigns and ignorance on the matter.

[Blknight.aus]

IME, depending on your processing...

you lose between 10 and 20% of your initial quantity of oil Depending on how you process depends on how much waste you have. adding in the methanol you can actually wind up with more L of fuel than L of oil you started with (but still less than your total of methanoil and WVO.)

Guess who learnt that the hard way when a process batch overfilled a 44.

My weigh in on the Bio in unit or common rail diesels.

If the bio is perfect then its good to go, however as the bio degrades the heat and pressure in the fuel system (particularly the injectors) is high enough to break down the bio so it no longer lubricates properly.

That said, I run old school diesels, I process my fuel as WVO, filter it, dewater it mix it with a little diesel to keep it liquidy enough to get through the LP lines then pump it to exhaust via the engine.

[Homestar]

I'm glad to hear your customers are still keen to use bio, despite all the scare campaigns and ignorance on the matter.

There is a growing call for it on large Federally funded projects because it meets one of their ‘green’ KPI’s. Biodiesel is one of the easiest ways to tick that box. 😉

[rick130]

Interesting.
The Caltex servos from Tamworth through the New England used to stock I think 10% bio?
Anyone remember exactly?
I used it when I could get it in the Defender and Patrol (Tdi & TD42T) as the engines seemed smother and appeared to get better mileage?

[superquag]

Depends on the feedstock, canola being one of the better, though I used a lot of cottonseed.
Then there's the 'quality' of your esterification process, and of course, washing / drying/storing, - it's hydroscopic.

Despite that, my Jap-import Mazda 4WD van (Bongo) devoured a LOT of experimental litres of diverse quality.. only hassle was a clogged fuel filter - bio WILL shift a lot of **** off the tank walls and lines - which only happened once.

But if any of the flexible fuel lines and seals etc are made from rubber... bio will eventually soften and leak. The 'fix' is VITON based material, also to be used in IP seals and 'O' rings. Has been standard in European engines for a long time now.

The other thing of interest is cetane rating. Some light reading on the matter... Biofuels - Types of Biofuels - Biodiesel (http://biofuel.org.uk/biodiesel.html)

And here too:- Petroleum Diesel Vs. Biodiesel in Engines – SeQuential (https://choosesq.com/blog/comparing-engine-wear-petroleum-and-biodiesel/)