Charles,
Originally you wrote:
"I have just scaled up to a 150l processor ..... "
"I have done as suggested on JtF and scaled up slowly, learning as I go.
Unfortunately, my first couple of big
batches (using creamy canola oil) have not gone so well"
At what point did you start having problems?
In other words how did you progress? (25L? 50L? etc.) leading up to
150L.
I would suggest that you learn and then perform quality tests described
at JTF (in addition to the "wash test") as you scale up. Checking to see if
the BD is soluble in methanol (JTF: "Quality Testing") is as easy as
performing the "wash test". Pass or fail, use the methanol from the test in
your next batch.
Using quality tests on my BD as I scaled up allowed me to tweak the
process (volume of WVO, temp, time).
The limit for my processor seems to be about 91L.
Following misinformation from another group, I scaled up to 130L
batches, only to find out, after learning about quality testing at JTF, that
I was NOT making quality fuel.
My batches passed the "wash test", but failed upon reprocessing (1L), and
also failed the methanol solubility test.
This poor quality fuel (incomplete reactions) had been poured into my
into my heating oil tank ---> roughly 30% BD : 70% petro. While I was away
the burner failed to start. Fuel had "leaked" out onto the floor. The
service tech told my wife that the nozzle had some "crap" on it ---->
sputtering fuel that dribbled out onto the floor. The electrodes also had
some coking.
I suspect that poor quality fuel can be burned in a boiler, but may
need preheating and pump pressure increased. I had to replace the nozzle
twice more as well as clean the electrodes, while adding only quality BD to
the tank. After using good BD I had no problems w. a 30% blend, w/o any
modifications to the burner.
I now use 100% biodiesel to heat my house and to heat water. At about
50 - 60% BD I had some start-up problems, corrected by increasing pump
pressure, nozzle change, and decreasing air flow.
I've never tried to reprocess a BD-petro blend.
Best of luck,
Tom
----- Original Message -----
From: "Charles List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <biofuel@sustainablelists.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2006 8:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Help needed!
> Hi again
>
> Unfortunately no-one has answered my last post- have I found an
> insurmountable problem?!
>
> Going back a few steps and trying to figure out what's going on, I've
> done some more 1l batches on the original WVO I used in my process,
> using 9.5g of 90% KOH I got three layers- lovely bio for the top 1/2
> (which passed the wash test and burnt fine), then some original oil
> unreacted, then some glycerine. Using 10.8g KOH I got very dark "bio"
> on top, which passes the wash test but doesn't burn, then glycerine
> at the bottom (looks like the right amount), but no oil un-reacted! I
> have trawled the archives but I can't seem to find anything that will
> help. I realise that I have some incomplete reactions happening but
> I am confused by the continually different results.
>
> Charles
>
>
> On 13/06/2006, at 8:30 AM, Charles List wrote:
>
>> Hi all
>>
>> I have just scaled up to a 150l processor. I am using a 200l drum and
>> have an old swimming pool pump that pumps at 1l per second- which
>> seems pretty speedy! I have done as suggested on JtF and scaled up
>> slowly, learning as I go. Unfortunately, my first couple of big
>> batches (using creamy canola oil) have not gone so well, I am happy
>> with my titrations and measurements but I realise that my
>> temperature control has not been too good as the thermostat on my old
>> spa-pool element heater had too wide a differential and was letting
>> the mixture fall to 45degrees C before coming on again.
>>
>> My problem is this- my first batch came out very dark brown- almost
>> black- but it passed the wash test, so, confused, I washed it, dried
>> it and it was a very clear, dark brown. As it is now winter down here
>> in NZ and the snow is falling, and I only had 50l of petro-diesel
>> left in my boiler tank, I chucked 50l of my black "biodiesel" in.
>> Against my better judgement, but I didn't know what to do! Almost
>> immediately my boiler stopped, leaking black fuel on the floor. So- I
>> drained my tank and tried a 1l batch test on the petro/bio mixture to
>> see what would happen. I used 150ml methanol and 5.8g 85% KOH as my
>> base amount on my test batch. Unfortunately nothing happened, 12
>> hours later, no separation, no split, no more glycerine! Has the
>> petrodiesel stuffed it up? What can I do?
>>
>> Charles List
>>
>> --
>>
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