Homemade centrifuge/pump V3.0

[Stretch44875]

Two heating oil tanks hold the finished oil. They are tilted so any water will settle out. I can jack them up to drain any crud out.

The 55 drum seems to work well. Only problem is the oil is dropping to much in temperature by the time it gets through the centrifuge. Being 10 degrees out does not help. Also my electric valve is leaking, may have to find a different one. I noticed when I run the element on 220v, it does steam some from the barrel. The steam stops after a little while, nice to know the water is getting boiled out.

 

[GPappy]

Unfortunately, I seem to have lost the pics of building the centrifuge. If you go to the simple centrifuge page, or wolverine tech page, you can get an idea of how to build the rotor. I used a large hydraulic cylinder sleeve for the outside, then welded in and machined the top/bottom on a lathe. Rotor has 2 small holes near the inside to drain the dirty oil out when it stops. I took the rotor to a engine machine shop and had it balanced.

Biggest difference is the belt drive. 1in shaft mounted in bearings with a pulley is all.

Bottom of the pressure pot has a 3/8 pipe threaded towards the outside for draining the clean oil, a old cooking pot with the bottom cut out is what the rotor spins inside, inside that is a another pipe threaded in to drain the dirty oil, and then the 1in shaft that holds the rotor. It comes through a 1 1/4 pipe nipple threaded in the middle.


Dennis

Dennis,

Thanks for the response. I will look at some of the pictures available and see what I can come up with. It sounds like a fun project on the lathe so I think I may play and see what happens. I was thinking that a belt drive might be better than direct drive also.

Greg

 

[derby]

Stretch, If You loose another element in your pre heat tank maybe try a cattle water tank heater. A guy i work with has used one for WVO for years and it will get it to 160-170 deg. in an hour or so.

 

[ALFA2]

Just got a dumb qestion, it would help if someone knows if is thre a rule against runing wmo/ATF on the road in AZ ? From what I could find it is OK to run generators, pumps and other devices off road or on stationary sights in AZ, but not too much info about it on the road.
Please let me know.
Thanks.
ALFA2

 

[big1096]

Just got a dumb qestion, it would help if someone knows if is thre a rule against runing wmo/ATF on the road in AZ ? From what I could find it is OK to run generators, pumps and other devices off road or on stationary sights in AZ, but not too much info about it on the road.
Please let me know.
Thanks.
ALFA2

I'm not in Arizona, but I would say that there is probably a road fuel tax in place. As a matter of fact, I found this:

Motor Vehicle Division

States in general don't like when you find a way of keeping some of your own money.

 

[Stretch44875]

Jeez, talk about a thread hi-jack.

If you did not buy it from a gas station/fuel company, it is untaxed fuel. If somebody official looks or dips the tank, you get to pay the fine. Some claim you can call it an additive, since some states do not have a limit on how much additive can be in the fuel.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Regarding the ALTERNATIVE FUELS and FUELS TAX question.......

In TEXAS, there are MANY good reasons to register your Historic Vehicle as a FORMER MILITARY VEHICLE.

Legal Disclaimer: I am NOT an attorney, and I am NOT sharing LEGAL ADVICE, but in fact am sharing what I have been advised by LEGAL COUNSEL as it applies to my own specific situation. Your circumstances may not be the same as those described below.

IN TEXAS, there is a "TOKEN FEE" of just $10.00/year for registration (this is simply a "paperwork charge" as NO LICENSE PLATES are issued, etc.). The Legislative Debate that resultied in the creation of the FORMER MILITARY VEHICLE (FMV) classification of registration based its reasoning on the fact that ANY ANTIQUE VEHICLE (of which FMV's are a subclass) is, first and foremost, an ANTIQUE that just happens to be able to be moved on the public highways under its own power. It is EQUAL to a Grandfather Clock, Grandma's Old China, or a Ming Vase... just that you don't need a separate vehicle to move it, you can just drive it between "exhibitions".

Again, IN TEXAS, Antique Vehicles registered as FORMER MILITARY VEHICLES are EXEMPT from any form of INSPECTION (as could be conducted on any other vehicle) simply because, by LEGAL PROCLAMATION of the TEXAS LEGISLATURE, accepted and endorsed by the TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES though its issuance of a FORMER MILITARY VEHICLE registration, your FMV is an ANTIQUE COLLECTIBLE.... NOT MOTOR VEHICLE.

THEREFORE, it is legally defensible that ANY operation of your TEXAS FORMER MILITARY VEHICLE is an EXHIBITION of its APPEARANCE, DESIGN, PERFORMANCE, CAPABILITIES, TECHNOLOGIES, GEOMETRY and FUNCTIONALITY. This would include its use to haul NON-COMMERCIAL cargo (from Home Depot or to the Dump, etc.) or its USE OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS as EXHIBITONS OF ITS PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES AND TECHNOLOGIES. FURTHERMORE, since in the State of TEXAS, a FORMER MILITARY VEHICLE IS NOT A "MOTOR VEHICLE" (remember, it's just a plain ol' ANTIQUE") in the eyes of the TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE, any attempt to enforce MOTOR VEHICLE FUELS TAX LAWS would in itself constitute a CRIME by the citing OFFICER as a MISAPPLICATION OF LEGAL AUTHORITY provided that he/she is so informed at the time of attempted citation. The citing OFFICER could be prosecuted for, and responsible for ALL COURT COSTS resulting from, overstepping his/her authority in such a circumstance.

CONCLUSION.... We (me and my wife) can run WHATEVER FUEL that our Multi-Fuel Engine equipped M35A2 registered as a TEXAS FORMER MILITARY VEHICLE will burn as an EXHIBITION of its DESIGN, PERMORMANCE, CAPABILITIES and TECHNOLOGIES without fear of citation, prosecution or harassment by misguided Officers of the Tax Laws.

 

[ALFA2]

Thanks, this clears it up alot, sounds like Texas has a sweet deal for MV's, I sure hope they chage that law here in AZ, as to exempt blended fuels for home, or not-for-sale use...
Sorry for the off topic.

ALFA2

 

[Stretch44875]

Just a slight update. Filtered about 200 gallons so far. Still losing some temperture by the time the oil reaches the bowl, about 30 degrees. Need to up the barrel temp a little, it's about 160. Did find a copper float to get my float switch working, now I need a piece of 1/4 threaded rod, out of aluminum. And the heater element still needs replaced, but it's working.

But, it's running very nice. Got the gate valve tuned in, ran 30 gallons in 18 hours. Little on the slow side, but nice to know it's being filtered will. Just 30 gallons will leave a 1/8-1/4 wall of black tar in the centrifuge.

Takes about an hour to start running. I run the oil through fast at first, to warm everything up, and then pump it back into the heated barrel. Then I can walk away. Other than cleaning, I can run continuously by moving oil around with the pump.

Much happier with this setup.

Dennis

 

[Stretch44875]

Another small update. Replaced the hot water element that was grounding out with a new one, and added a thermostat on both power wires to it. Trying to make it redundant so if a thermostat gets stuck on, I don't heat the oil up too much and catch on fire. Still need to add a overtemp switch, had one on it, but it tripped too low.

Got the temperature at 180 now. Also been using a propane torch to preheat the bowl. Filtered around 175 gallons last weekend, started on thrusday, and it ran till sunday night. Finally got the float switch figured out and working, so it will shut itself off when it runs out of oil. Also replaced the insulation around the heated barrel, I had overfilled it and soaked the insulation. I haven't had to replace fuel filters on the trucks since using this setup.

 

[nk14zp]

Any updates? I will soon start my own thread after i get things moved around.

 

[Stretch44875]

Just ran 160 gallons through. clean storage tank is full, time to drive the trucks some. Need to pick up 4 more barrels of oil. Working nice.

 

[dikwks]

Bump! Now that is what you call a set up. Complete and automated as well.

 

[Stretch44875]

Had my first break down. Been running constantly for over a week, had to filter 300 gallons. Vibration got loud, so pulled the rotor thinking I had a bad bearing. Shaft was spinning inside the bearing, was .005 undersized. So I moved the shaft up a little, and put some Loctite on it. Much quieter.

Also added a overflow to my heated tank. Accidentally over filled it a couple of times, got tired of cleaning up the mess, and replacing insulation. Over flow goes back to dirty barrel. Also heated oil expands a lot, that caused one mess.

 

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Thanks for the update. Yes, processing waste oils can be messy, so I do everything that I can to avoid those messes, but no matter how careful we are, and anticipate all possible variables in our design, it happens anyway.

 

[Hainebd]

Any idea on cost per gallon? Electric, disposal, clean up and acquiring the oil. Are you settaling out the water and antifreeze or boiling out?

 

[Stretch44875]

Water gets pumped out before filtering, usually don't have any. I figured cost is around 25 cents a gallon on electric cost, but that is an old number. It's probably less now that I have it tuned. Oil is free. I pick it up at a local factory, and I usually have to be in town anyways, so hauling cost is low.

 

[Beyond Biodiesel]

If you blend gasoline with any waste oil, then the water and radiator fluid will settle right out. When the waste oil is thinned with gasoline, or some other solvent, then it will centrifuge better.

 

[UNIMOG-GUY]

Dennis,

Do you have any pics of the oil before and after? How much of the carbon and ash is left?

 

[Stretch44875]

Still looks black before and after.