Mark, You described what I need to do to construct this tank in great detail and appreciate that, plus it avoids multiple follow-ups (and the posting delay). Thanks for the design!
I have my pump from Harbor Freight on order and will be constructing your "$150.00 Fumeless Processor" in the days ahead using many of the photos and illustrations that you and fellow Biodiesel folks provided. I have lumpy WVO stuff from last month and needed to heat it before entering the processor. Your post provided that solution... A question regarding purchasing a new electric wtr heater unit...Do you recommend any models, size, etc.? I'm going to purchase a new unit, as I'm looking to get real production for my vehicle in the shortage time possible. Having completed several successful 15-17 liter batches, we are hoping to improve productivity and efficiently, so a mere 15 liter production isn't a full-time job! -Kevin ----- Original Message ----- From: "girl_mark_fire" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 8:33 PM Subject: [biofuel] preheating WVO for water heater reactorRe: Kevin Shea > My suggestion for folks who only have thick oil available or people > who need to dewater is the following (sorry no photos of this design > available yet): > > take a closed-head (ie with two bungs rather than the type with a > removable lid) drum and turn it upside down. > > Cut off what used to be the bottom- the plain end without bungs.I cut > them using a sawzall. > > Take the end with bungs, and attach plumbing this way: > > smaller bung: use threaded pipe, a ball valve, and hose to turn the > small bung into a drain for this tank > > bigger bung: > get a plumbing adaptor called a 'bushing' that goes from a 2" to a 1" > plumbing size > buy an electric water heater heating element (they are in many > hardware stores), a small aluminum c-clamp, a selftapping screw, an > electric plug, and some electrical cord (I use heavier 12 gauge or 10 > gauge only). > > > Thread the water heater element into the bushing. I wrap the threads > with teflon tape, and I don't use the rubber gasket that comes with > the element. > > Wire it as follows: white and black wires of the cord go to either > screw of the heating element, it doesn't matter which as long as > you're using the white and black wires > green wire: that's the ground. This is important. You want to make a > way to attach the green wire to the barrel in case there's a short and > someone's touching the barrel. > > I take the selftapping screw and drill it into the small aluminum > c-clamp. I then make sure I have a few inches of green wire sticking > out from the heating element assembly, and I wire the green wire to > the selftapping screw. Presto, you've got a barrel ground clamp. > > wire the plug according to standard US wiring nstructions: gold screw > on the plug gets the black wire, and silver screw on the plug gets the > white wire, and GREEN screw on the plug gets the green wire. > > assembling: use LOTS of teflon tape and thread the bushing/heating > element into the 2" bung. Assemble the drain valve into the 3/4 inch > bung. > > Take the c-clamp and clamp it securely to the rim of the bottom of the > barrel. > > > Insulate the whole thing as well as you possibly can- you';ll save a > LOT of energy if you use adequate insulation. I use 5 or 6 inches of > bubblewrap insulation sometimes on these barrels. > Be aware that the terminals on the heating element are electrically > live- don't ever grab the barrel while the element is plugged in. I > now also use a sort of cover on it- a rubber/plastic housing from > another replacement plug, which is clamped over the cord and keeps > fingers out of the live terminals. > > I'll post some photos on Veggieavenger.com/media sometime. > > the way this barrel works with the water heater reactor is that you > can connect the barrel's drain tube to the drain/fill tube of the > reactor, close off the reactor's other lower valves, and turn on the > pump to fill the reactor. The good thing about the oil heat barrel is > that you can use to fill the reactor with thick or solid oil, or you > can use it to store WVO before you make a batch. Again, this lets you > use the reactor's nonselfpriming pump for every step of the process... > > Running 240V elements on household 120V current will give you 1/4 the > wattage, but 120V replacement elements (1500 or 1650 watts) are > available as well. > > Mark > > --- In biofuel@yahoogroups.com, "Kevin Shea" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > Mr Shea, I saw your message and I also was wondering about a > > > seperate "processor" for incoming raw if you will, wvo. I came up > > > with a poly drum that I had with two 4500 watt water heater > > > elements. If you go with a thermostate, you won't get them hot > > > enough, least mine didn't, so I went w/o it and set them on a > > > reostate (a30amp one is strong enough) and I can get 225 degree > plus > > > out of it. My barrel has sides strong enough to run the elements > > > into and > > > > Thanks for the info. > > Where do you get the two 4500 watt heaters? Canabolized water > heater? > > I saw the horror when heater elements heat too much on poly drums or > poly > > conacle tanks. Why not go all metal on the incoming raw WVO tank? > Is 225F > > too hot for poly? I'm pretty sure 140F, poly starts to "melt" away. > I > > assume the 225F is in the water heater module temp? > > > > > > > the set up and it works great. I do 25 gals at a time and thats 5 > > > gal of meth/lye mix at a time and get around 22 gal or so back. > > > > Sounds like 25 gal batches is the way to go for me. I can just pour > the 5 > > gal meth from the container, since I purchase meth in 5 gal pails-no > need to > > measure! > > > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Biofuels list archives: > http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ > > Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. > To unsubscribe, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! 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