the offical biodiesel reactor post

[dobyg75]

Ok so i have been searching for pictures of home made bio diesel processor because i want to make my own processor because im still in college and don't have 4grand to spend on a new one so if any one has a home made system post some pictures so we can all get some great ideas how to make or improve reactors thanks Bryan

 

[Wildchild467]

dude, keep drinking. i made my own WMO filter set up and almost blew up a 55 gallon drum. hahaha

 

[stampy]

Having made biodiesel a few times I can tell you look on ebay for conical bottom tanks. I bought 3 for 250$. You will need a heated barrel for settling out water also. A black barrel in the sun is fine but better to have a water heater element in it or still better a strap on drum heater. Being so far north you might consider insulating well also. You will need 2 pumps and multiple valves, for feed in and out. One pump should be just for waste oil in and the other should be for de-watered waste oil and circulating, eventually you could remove the finished biodiesel with it also. You will need a methanol/lye in reactor also. Sorry I don't have any pictures. the best thing to do if you are serious is to buy "from the fryer to the fuel tank" This is one of the best books out there on the subject, and yes they have pictures and diagrams. Making biodiesel isn't rocket science but it isn't easy either, it's messy and expensive to get started. Having said that you may want to look at blending centrifuged WVO with diesel. You shouldn't run a newer direct injection diesel from blended fuel but older indirect injection diesels run great on it. I have may years in a Benz 300sd and now in my Blazer. You still have to dewater and there is the cost of the centrifuge but it's loads easier and no caustic chemicals or expensive Methanol to buy.

 

[Wildchild467]

crap is gonna hit the fan, thats half the fun of this hobby!! its all fun and games unti somebody gets knocked down, knocked out or knocked up!

 

[Katahdin]

I'll sell you mine for a good price, I'm about 50 miles SE of you. I used it one year to make bio for my oil burning furnace but have since switched over to firewood, which I have lots of. I don't have much time to make bio since I'm trying to restore a 66' M109, 67' MGB and learn to weld at the same time. Its an Appleseed kit processor with a then-new 50 gallon hot water heater. PM me if you want to check it out.

 

[dobyg75]

thanks for the info but im looking to see if there are any home made ones around i have barrels and i can get pumps i just want to see how other people set there systems up

 

[dobyg75]

Having made biodiesel a few times I can tell you look on ebay for conical bottom tanks. I bought 3 for 250$. You will need a heated barrel for settling out water also. A black barrel in the sun is fine but better to have a water heater element in it or still better a strap on drum heater. Being so far north you might consider insulating well also. You will need 2 pumps and multiple valves, for feed in and out. One pump should be just for waste oil in and the other should be for de-watered waste oil and circulating, eventually you could remove the finished biodiesel with it also. You will need a methanol/lye in reactor also. Sorry I don't have any pictures. the best thing to do if you are serious is to buy "from the fryer to the fuel tank" This is one of the best books out there on the subject, and yes they have pictures and diagrams. Making biodiesel isn't rocket science but it isn't easy either, it's messy and expensive to get started. Having said that you may want to look at blending centrifuged WVO with diesel. You shouldn't run a newer direct injection diesel from blended fuel but older indirect injection diesels run great on it. I have may years in a Benz 300sd and now in my Blazer. You still have to dewater and there is the cost of the centrifuge but it's loads easier and no caustic chemicals or expensive Methanol to buy.

how does the centrifuge work i have not read up on them but i know how to make it from wvo i have made small batches usually a gallon or two oh and im running it in a 1989 f-250 so im not worried about the newer direct injected engine i do want to know if the 1994 to 1998 7.3s can run on bio or wvo

 

[area52]

search the web for "appleseed reactor". Uses an old water heater.

 

[Wildchild467]

conical bottom tanks would be real nice with my WMO set up also. i always think of all the crud that must be on the bottom of that tank and wonder if it could be all drained out. i'd like to see pictures of these set ups! maybe it will give me new ideas to fine tune my WMO system

 

[dobyg75]

the apple seed reactor is what im looking for does any one have any how too's with this system?

 

[area52]

.2 second search on the net:

AppleSeed Processor

 

[hedgehog69]

website

thanks for the info but im looking to see if there are any home made ones around i have barrels and i can get pumps i just want to see how other people set there systems up

I used to be a member of a small COOP. A group of us began this after the previous administration invaded Iraq. You can go to www.ybdc.org and see what we put together. I am not sure how current the pictures are....they replaced and updated the Appleseed processors not long ago.

Personally...I use an 80 gal electric hot water heater for a processor. I tried to load some pictures for another post a week or two ago, but had problems.

 

[phil2968]

I'll sell you mine for a good price, I'm about 50 miles SE of you. Its an Appleseed kit processor with a then-new 50 gallon hot water heater. PM me if you want to check it out.

The apple seed reactor is what I'm looking for. Does any one have any how too's with this system?

Maybe you should ask a man that has run one. Just sayin'.

 

[Katahdin]

I think you'll find all the good detailed guides are copyrighted, this one came with my kit, I'd recommend it. If you're serious about making Bio its worth the 30 bucks.

Also, here's the Steelsoldiers.com of Bio Diesel Making:
biodiesel discussion forum

Unfortunately, you're a couple years too late for another good resource. "Girlmark" would come to NH and give cheap classes on home biodiesel production and you could build an AppleSeed kit in her class. Unfortunately she seems to have dropped off the radar screen of late. I built my kit in her class.

 

[dobyg75]

Thanks for the info

 

[hedgehog69]

I think you'll find all the good detailed guides are copyrighted, this one came with my kit, I'd recommend it. If you're serious about making Bio its worth the 30 bucks.

Also, here's the Steelsoldiers.com of Bio Diesel Making:
biodiesel discussion forum

Unfortunately, you're a couple years too late for another good resource. "Girlmark" would come to NH and give cheap classes on home biodiesel production and you could build an AppleSeed kit in her class. Unfortunately she seems to have dropped off the radar screen of late. I built my kit in her class.

I had completely forgotten about 'girlmark"....she did a class for our COOP outside of Iowa City. A very nice gal and willing to share knowledge.

 

[Katahdin]

Yeah, Girlmark put on a very good 2 day hands on class. I think a lot of SS members would get a kick out of her. When I met her she was driving across the country giving classes from a GMC Cargo Van (6.x diesel) towing her Appleseed reactor behind her and making biodiesel as she went.

This reminds me, Dobyg75, the site of the class was Tuckaway Farm in Lee, NH. (59 Randall Rd). The farm owner was building a large portable biodiesel reactor onsite (18 foot trailer maybe) in conjunction with a UNH Durham Project. They were makeing their bio from sunflowerseeds grown onsite. Looks like they give tours of the project, this one was held last year.

The reactor was impressive to see. Girlmark, however, was not too happy with it. The reactor was being built with plastic conical tanks for the settling and washing processes, problem being plastic just fuels the fire if one should break out. Girlmark was a strong proponent of the original all steel and enclosed Appleseed design for safety reasons.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

One hint I will give- when I built my Appleseed processor, I found an old waterheater, that had the safety valve in the middle right on top. Then I took that out and flipped the tank over, and that was my low drain. A waterheater tank is convex (domed) on the top and concave on the bottom. So the bottom drain never really gets all the glycerin out of the tank. If you flip it, you get a better drain.

I don't have pictures of my setup, I had my hard drive crap out on me a couple of years ago, and the processor is all taken apart and stored in my old bus. I deliver 5k of WVO 2 or 3 times a week to big time bio processors now, so I don't have to do any work, but reel out their dispensing hose.

 

[dobyg75]

I like that idea of the upside down water heater i will have too look in to that what Brand is your water heater?

 

[hedgehog69]

I like that idea of the upside down water heater i will have too look in to that what Brand is your water heater?

Same here...haven't tore a water heater apart since shop class at high school. My 80 gal had 2 'heaters'....I disconnected the top one. Would be no problem to disconnect the other one after turning it over