Todd posted a good reply to this question a few months ago. It's here:

http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/BIOFUEL/38094/
Date: 2004-09-03
From: Appal Energy
Subject: Re: [biofuel] pump size

Best wishes

Keith



I have a 1" clear water pump hooked up to an eighty gal hot water heater.
I used all 1" plumbing for my manifold with 1" full port valves.
The tank opening is still 3/4" but there should be ample pressure
pushing the oil through the opening.
How long should I have to run the processor to get full reaction?

Thank you,   Jeremy

You're referring to this? "Re: New method for the production of home made bio-diesel":

<snip>

I am building the Appleseed reactor and so far I have spent about $200 on
lab gear (glass ware, pH meter, scale, etc.), and three steel 55 gal drums.
Still looking for a suitable 50-60 gal water heater for which I will most
likely spend $50 - $100 from a local used plumbing shop.  If you have a
recycled construction materials yard there that would likely be a good
source for wood or steel for racks and frames as well as the plumbing
supplies.  I have decided to go new on the pump and vacuum pump since it
would be difficult to determine the actual condition of used one.  Beside,
you may not know what it had been used for which might introduce
contamination into your process

Be aware that the 1" clear water pump usually recommended for these reactors is too small for that size water heater. Those pumps will handle at most a 25-gallon reactor. So you'll have to extend the processing time considerably to get a complete reaction, or use a bigger pump. Or at least try using the 1" clear water pump at its full 1" capacity, rather than stepping it down to 3/4", which will probably mean changing the fittings on the tank.

Also be aware that the arrangements on these processors for draining the glycerine by-product do not achieve good separation and you're quite likely to get some glyc along with the biodiesel to be washed in the wash-tank, compounding the washing problems you'll have if the process isn't completed properly.

So don't just blindly follow the instructions as it seems most people building these reactors do. Think about it yourself, figure it out, step by step.

Best wishes

Keith

80 gallons is definitely too big for that pump when it's fitted as recommended by the people who promote those processors, ie, stepped down to 3/4". I'd say it's also too big for it at 1", especially as you have a 3/4" inlet.

I don't understand this:

The tank opening is still 3/4" but there should be ample pressure
pushing the oil through the opening.

What's the difference between having the tank opening at 3/4" on the one hand, and having the pump itself stepped down to 3/4"? Do you think giving the oil a head-start to build up some speed (and pressure?) in a length of 1" pipe will make any difference? I don't know (though I doubt it), I'm asking.

How long should I have to run the processor to get full reaction?

I don't think there's any formula that can tell you that, there are too many variables. For instance, we might tell you something that was correct for an 80-gallon tank using that pump that we happened to know of (though we don't), but if your tank had different dimensions (say short and fat rather than tall and thin) it probably wouldn't work. You'll have to find out by trial and error. Use these tests:

Quality testing
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_vehicle.html#quality

I'm not knocking the pump, by the way, we use one, for 60 litre batches, and it's great. I probably am knocking the people who recommended it for use with 200-litre tanks and more - and then kicked up huge unseemly smokescreens of denial and obfuscation when it was suggested here that it was too small for such a tank... only to admit it very blithely four months later on another list, as if it all the fuss they'd made here had never happened. Yuk. Too much ego, not enough of what makes people human, IMHO.

Best wishes

Keith

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