Hello Mark, Tomas and all >Tomas, > >Where could I buy one at this price? > >I centrifuge all materials before washing on a >lab level, so using the Alfie unit would give a >level of automation. > >One problem you are having is residual glycerol >contamination in the wash water causing it to >cloud very quickly.
Yes, as already pointed out. Not settling for long enough before the wash, or not washing enough. >I find separating the two >phases (ME and Glycerol) first such that they are >both clear allows for a far cleaner wash. >Further, I also find neutralising the pH wash >water allows for a long term clear final product. >Phosphoric acid will on a very small volume level >crack the soaps back to FFA. > >I have two trains of thought on this - > >1) I use ~10% by volume wash water pH neutralised >on a automated closed loop system. It needs to be >washed only once and the amount of H3PO4 used is >in relative terms quite small. The wash water >clears and hence can be recycled time and time >again. But remember the soap will return back to >FFA. The pysical volume with respect to the final >bio-diesel is very small indeed, maybe 0.001% >v/v. How did you calculate that? If it's that small an amount of FFA, then that little soap wouldn't make that much difference in washing, seems to me. >2) Wash the biodiesel with tap water say 2 or 3 >times until the final stage water is clear. Spent >water has to be put down the drain, which is a >waste. No it doesn't, and no it isn't. You should reuse it - use the 2nd wash water for the next batch first wash, the 3rd wash water for the next batch 2nd wash and so on. So you're using each wash three times, only the 3rd wash is fresh. The first wash can't be reused, but it doesn't have to go down the drain either. A simple grey-water system will handle it well. We currently feed it to water hyacinths and duckweed, and compost the plants. Next step will be to reclaim cleansed water from the water hycinths and duckweed. >In either case, the final glycerol can be pH >neutralised with H3PO4 under closed loop control, >the Sodium Phosphate precipitate removed via >centrifuge, the water and ME separated via >centrifuge. The final product is clear ME, >neutral Glycerol and a compact solid fertilizer >base. If you believe in "fertilizers". Even if you do, mopst phosphates are applied to phosphate-rich soil, and most of what's applied quickly becomes unavailable to plants, like the rest. Phosphates are made available by biological action via the soil micro-life. Keep the micro-life happy and you don't need phosphates, nor any other "fertilizers". Anyway, what do you mean by "neutral Glycerol"? You've accounted for the catalyst in the by-product cocktail, but not for the soap/FFA, which is probably most of it, and not for the excess methanol. I don't understand the perceived need for centrifuges etc etc etc. What for? It increases the production rate? I don't think so - maybe it shortens the production *time*. Well, so what? Settling, washing, bubble-drying will take maybe 4-5 days from starting processing to finished, clear fuel. So if you have space to store 4-5 days' production, that's all you need. If you've got your processing right, that is - if you find a need for all this just for a "cleaner wash" it might help to pay some attention to optimizing your process. Whatever, what I've seen of centrifuges so far doesn't exactly impress, and nor does the price. Best Keith >Mark > >===== >Mark Schofield >M.Sc B.Eng DHE AMIMechE >t 07944 401662 >e [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Autogas Conversions and LPG Pumps ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Remanufactured Ink Cartridges & Refill Kits at MyInks.com for: HP $8-20. Epson $3-9, Canon $5-15, Lexmark $4-17. Free s/h over $50 (US & Canada). http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=6351 http://us.click.yahoo.com/0zJuRD/6CvGAA/qnsNAA/9bTolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
