Steve, There are a number of good reasons to not use a reactor as a wash vessel.
1) Water contamination during reaction stages. 2) Expended time evacuating a reactor of all water prior to reaction stages. 3) Undersized vessel for water washes. (110 gallon reactor yields ~91 gallons fuel, leaving only enough room for 19 gallons of water, erego the introduction of flush washing, aka "mist washing") 4) Mist washing in such a set-up generally doesn't include separation/settling of micro-droplets of fuel from the wash water, leaving some fuel to be discarded with the wash. Could probably come up with another half-dozen associated/downstream problems. But those are the predominant ones. Todd Swearingen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Keith Addison" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Friday, June 18, 2004 11:33 PM Subject: Fwd: Re: [biofuel] Washing 1 liter batches > From steven mesibov: > > >-------------------- > >FROM: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >DATE: Fri, 18 Jun 2004 06:19:32 -0700 (PDT) > >SUBJECT: Re: [biofuel] Washing 1 liter batches > > > >Keith, Todd, et. al., > > > >I have read so much on the need for washing and the different methods and > >on the fact that violent washing is okay if you process correctly that it > >just occurred to me: > > > >Why not use the reaction vessel for washing as well as the initial mixing? > > Would pump washing (especially if you used something like Lyle's at > >Piedmont Static In-Line Mixer by KoFlo) be acceptable? It would certainly > >save on having another large container for small operations. > > > >Steve > > > >--- Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Hello Brian > > > > > > >Hello. I am just starting in the production of my own > > > >biodiesel. I have made several 1 liter test batches, > > > > > > Good for you! > > > > > > >but I'm not sure how to wash them. I can't find > > > >anything online particular to small batches, but I > > > >have found sources that say bubblewashing will be too > > > >violent and cause emulsification. > > > > > > People who say bubblewashing's too violent and set off on a quest for > > > ever-gentler washing methods (eg "mist" washing) have taken a wrong > > > turn before they start. Gentle washing techniques only mask the real > > > problem, which is that the stuff isn't processed properly in the > > > first place, they need to improve their processing. > > > > > > Emulsification doesn't normally happen with well-processed fuel. It's > > > caused by either (or probably both) too much soap and poor > > > conversion, leaving diglycerides and monoglycerides, which are > > > emulsifiers. If your fuel's properly made you won't be able to > > > emulsify it no matter how violently you agitate it. That is what you > > > should be aiming for. > > > > > > See "Emulsification" and "Emulsion Explained" here: > > > http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_bubblewash2.html#emuls > > > > > > So, some suggestions. First, take about 150ml of your finished, > > > unwashed fuel and do this with it: > > > Quality testing > > > http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_vehicle.html#quality > > > > > > Let us know what happens. > > > > > > Second, you can bubblewash it, in a 2-litre PET bottle. From Todd: > > > > > > >You can use the pop-up cap found on water bottles at your grocer as the > > > >"valve" for drainage. > > > > > > > >This turns any PET bottle into a separative funnel. > > > > > > > >It takes a little practice to get the "valve" to trickle properly, but > > > it > > > >does work superbly. > > > > > > More details on how that works here: > > > http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/BIOFUEL/13265/ > > > > > > You know those pop-up caps? Maybe made for cyclists or something. > > > We've used something a little different (I think), a screw-on pop-up > > > cap with a straw through the middle that goes right down to the > > > bottom of the bottle, with an air-inlet gap around the straw, and the > > > cap closing both the straw and the air-inlet. Do your bubblewash, > > > remove the air-stone and air-pipe from the pump, screw on the pop-up > > > cap, turn the bottle upside down and allow to settle. To drain off > > > the settled water, hold the bottle (still upside down) over the sink > > > or something, lift the cap; the water comes out the air-inlet gap, > > > air goes up the straw to the top (bottom) of the bottle, and draining > > > is smooth without any glug-glugging that'll splash and prevent a > > > clean separation. If you can't find something like this you could > > > easily rig it with some thin air-pipe and epoxy putty. If you can't > > > find an air-stone small enough to fit the neck of the PET bottle, cut > > > the neck off; when the wash is finished decant it all into another > > > PET bottle and use the pop-up cap as above. > > > > > > HTH > > > > > > Best wishes > > > > > > Keith > > > > > > > > > > > > >Will someone share > > > >a success story? > > > > > > > >Thank you, > > > > > > > >Brian > > > > > 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! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Yahoo! 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