Running diesel engines on vegetable oil is nothing new, fact is Rudolf Diesel made his engine to run on peanut oil. Diesel fuel (DERV) was only made popular as a fuel by accident. So with that in mind, let us get back to basics.
There are some cars running around on the roads in this country that can and do run perfectly well on plain old simple cooking oil. Some of you may think it hard to believe but that is up to you. I know that my car will run on cooking oil because it does. Incidentally, I have little or no time for nay sayers and non-believers, just because some 'bloke in the pub' says it will "Blow your engine up", doesn't mean it will. Do more research than listening to just him.
Anyone who has a diesel engined car should look into whether their car can run on vegetable oil or bio-diesel. Some modern cars can run on neither, but that is the price you pay for modern technology.
You can legally make and use 2500 litres of bio-diesel a year for personal use without incurring duty or taxes (the same limit is also there for using cooking oil).
Anyone interested in finding out more?
Bio-Diesel and Cookin Oil in you car.
Re: Bio-Diesel and Cookin Oil in you car.
Yes please.
I know that SVO (straight vegetable oil) can be used in a diesel car in the height of summer, but it congeals in the dead of winter. Some clever people make, sell and use special engine converter kits that use the diesel to start the engine and to end the running time, but use the SVO in the middle of running time using the latent heat of the engine to make sure the fuel stays runny.
The other method, if my facts are correct, is to use chemistry.
That's the method that I think people need to learn more about.
However, Mythbusters demonstrated that just filtering the used vegetable oil with all the carbon black bits in it worked ok, but they do live in hot sunny California, and we live in cold rainy Britain.
I know that SVO (straight vegetable oil) can be used in a diesel car in the height of summer, but it congeals in the dead of winter. Some clever people make, sell and use special engine converter kits that use the diesel to start the engine and to end the running time, but use the SVO in the middle of running time using the latent heat of the engine to make sure the fuel stays runny.
The other method, if my facts are correct, is to use chemistry.
That's the method that I think people need to learn more about.
However, Mythbusters demonstrated that just filtering the used vegetable oil with all the carbon black bits in it worked ok, but they do live in hot sunny California, and we live in cold rainy Britain.
reperio a solutio
Resident and Co-Ordinator of AREA 2
Area 2 = Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Bucks
Resident and Co-Ordinator of AREA 2
Area 2 = Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Bucks
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TeeDee
Re: Bio-Diesel and Cookin Oil in you car.
Alexr wrote: You can legally make and use 2500 litres of bio-diesel a year for personal use without incurring duty or taxes (the same limit is also there for using cooking oil).
Anyone interested in finding out more?
Yes please , I know nothing about Bio-Diesel and need the educationment.
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luxor
Re: Bio-Diesel and Cookin Oil in you car.
dittoYes please , I know nothing about Bio-Diesel and need the educationment.
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Vespa
Re: Bio-Diesel and Cookin Oil in you car.
I know many cars can and do run on vegetable oil, when I looked into using it to power mine I found that I couldn't. Not because the engine would blow up or melt, but because the fuel pump wasn't suitable.
There was a list of vehicle that could run on SVO some where on the internet but I can't find it now.
There was a list of vehicle that could run on SVO some where on the internet but I can't find it now.
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the-gnole
Re: Bio-Diesel and Cookin Oil in you car.
I think it is the Peugeot fuel pumps that go well with Bio-D and SVO or WVO. Though I'm not sure which one it is, I'm still looking though.
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the-gnole
Re: Bio-Diesel and Cookin Oil in you car.
Bosch (VE or VP series) seems to be the best pump I've seen mentioned
Look at this place for chemicals
http://www.trinity-research.co.uk/index.php
Look at this place for chemicals
http://www.trinity-research.co.uk/index.php
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Alexr
Re: Bio-Diesel and Cookin Oil in you car.
Very good so far.
Firstly, forget car manufacturers and let us look at the engines. Most diesel engines have similar injection pumps, made by either Bosch, Lucas or Nippon Denso (there are others . . .).
Most Bosch pumps can tolerate SVO (straight Vegetable oil) quite happily, similarly Nippon Denso because in true Japanese fashion, they copied the Europeans (think British bikes). Most Lucas pumps will run on SVO but due to the way the internals are lubricated, the pumps tend to give up. Not to worry as most Bosch and most Lucas will run on Bio-diesel.
HDi and Common Rail diesels are a bit choosy about what fuel they drink. I tend not to entertain such motors.
Making Bio-diesel.
The structure of a triglyceride, also called triacylglycerol (TAG), is a chemical compound formed from one molecule of glycerol and three fatty acids, The idea of making Bio-diesel is to remove the glycerol from the fatty acids. This is done by using a catalyst, generally caustic soda. The caustic soda needs to be in an alcohol solution (Methanol) in order to react with the oil molecules and the reaction needs to take place at about 55 degrees C.
Laymans terms.
With fresh oil, heat the oil to 55c. Mix the caustic in the methanol. Mix the solution (now called Meth-oxide) into the oil until the reaction has taken place. Leave to settle for a while (over night is a while). The Glycerol molecules settle to the bottom of the reaction vessel. Draw off the tri-esters from the glycerol. This is the Bio-diesel.
My personal equipment is an open topped 205ltr drum with a lid. A central heating pump to circulate the oil in order to mix it and a gas ring to heat the oil. The drum has a 22mm pipe flange four inches from the bottom, a inline tap and a flexi pipe to the central heating pump. From the pump, a 22mm pipe to the top of the drum. The drum is on bricks so the gas ring can be placed underneath it and lit to heat the oil. A kitchen thermometer tells me when it is warm enough.
Ingredients:
100 litres oil
20 litres methanol
500 grams caustic soda
Method:
Heat the oil to 55c. If there is any water in the oil, it will make a spitting noise. if there is water present, keep heating it until it evaporates. Mix the Methanol and caustic. These are VERY nasty chemicals - VERY! So take care, use protective gear and goggles. I gently add the caustic to the methanol in a 20 litre container and gently agitate for while the oil is heating up. (If you spill this stuff on you, you won't feel it, it just eats through. Wash any splashes off you with copious amounts of water.) When the oil is at 55c. turn off the heat source. Leave it to cool for a few minutes to ensure there are no hot spots or glowing red metal parts. Gently pour the meth-oxide into the oil, open the tap and turn on the pump. The circulating oil will mix and the chemical reaction will take place. This takes about an hour. After an hour, turn off the pump and leave the mixture to settle overnight. (At this point, I always put a cloth over the exit of the pipe and blow back through the pump so there is nothing in the pipe and pump.) Next day, draw off the now bio-diesel from the top by using a 2 litre jug and filtering it through a folded J cloth into some 20 litre storage bottles. Again, these are left to settle for a week or so, just so any sediment drops to the bottom.
At this stage, the fuel can be polished or washed to remove any lasting signs of soaps and methanol. Some people are using hardwood sawdust and others are using posh chemical resins. Some people do a water wash (as water sinks through the fuel, it removes impurities) and some do none of the above.
The fuel should be clear. Any cloudiness is possibly water in the oil or in the methanol.
In short, 5 parts oil, 1 part methanol, 5 grams caustic per litre of oil. 55c. All the fives! The more acidic your oil, the more caustic is needed. My recipe is a general rule of thumb that works for me.
Open for questions . . . .
Firstly, forget car manufacturers and let us look at the engines. Most diesel engines have similar injection pumps, made by either Bosch, Lucas or Nippon Denso (there are others . . .).
Most Bosch pumps can tolerate SVO (straight Vegetable oil) quite happily, similarly Nippon Denso because in true Japanese fashion, they copied the Europeans (think British bikes). Most Lucas pumps will run on SVO but due to the way the internals are lubricated, the pumps tend to give up. Not to worry as most Bosch and most Lucas will run on Bio-diesel.
HDi and Common Rail diesels are a bit choosy about what fuel they drink. I tend not to entertain such motors.
Making Bio-diesel.
The structure of a triglyceride, also called triacylglycerol (TAG), is a chemical compound formed from one molecule of glycerol and three fatty acids, The idea of making Bio-diesel is to remove the glycerol from the fatty acids. This is done by using a catalyst, generally caustic soda. The caustic soda needs to be in an alcohol solution (Methanol) in order to react with the oil molecules and the reaction needs to take place at about 55 degrees C.
Laymans terms.
With fresh oil, heat the oil to 55c. Mix the caustic in the methanol. Mix the solution (now called Meth-oxide) into the oil until the reaction has taken place. Leave to settle for a while (over night is a while). The Glycerol molecules settle to the bottom of the reaction vessel. Draw off the tri-esters from the glycerol. This is the Bio-diesel.
My personal equipment is an open topped 205ltr drum with a lid. A central heating pump to circulate the oil in order to mix it and a gas ring to heat the oil. The drum has a 22mm pipe flange four inches from the bottom, a inline tap and a flexi pipe to the central heating pump. From the pump, a 22mm pipe to the top of the drum. The drum is on bricks so the gas ring can be placed underneath it and lit to heat the oil. A kitchen thermometer tells me when it is warm enough.
Ingredients:
100 litres oil
20 litres methanol
500 grams caustic soda
Method:
Heat the oil to 55c. If there is any water in the oil, it will make a spitting noise. if there is water present, keep heating it until it evaporates. Mix the Methanol and caustic. These are VERY nasty chemicals - VERY! So take care, use protective gear and goggles. I gently add the caustic to the methanol in a 20 litre container and gently agitate for while the oil is heating up. (If you spill this stuff on you, you won't feel it, it just eats through. Wash any splashes off you with copious amounts of water.) When the oil is at 55c. turn off the heat source. Leave it to cool for a few minutes to ensure there are no hot spots or glowing red metal parts. Gently pour the meth-oxide into the oil, open the tap and turn on the pump. The circulating oil will mix and the chemical reaction will take place. This takes about an hour. After an hour, turn off the pump and leave the mixture to settle overnight. (At this point, I always put a cloth over the exit of the pipe and blow back through the pump so there is nothing in the pipe and pump.) Next day, draw off the now bio-diesel from the top by using a 2 litre jug and filtering it through a folded J cloth into some 20 litre storage bottles. Again, these are left to settle for a week or so, just so any sediment drops to the bottom.
At this stage, the fuel can be polished or washed to remove any lasting signs of soaps and methanol. Some people are using hardwood sawdust and others are using posh chemical resins. Some people do a water wash (as water sinks through the fuel, it removes impurities) and some do none of the above.
The fuel should be clear. Any cloudiness is possibly water in the oil or in the methanol.
In short, 5 parts oil, 1 part methanol, 5 grams caustic per litre of oil. 55c. All the fives! The more acidic your oil, the more caustic is needed. My recipe is a general rule of thumb that works for me.
Open for questions . . . .
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Alexr
Re: Bio-Diesel and Cookin Oil in you car.
The dangerous part is the methanol and the caustic.
Methanol is very volatile, burns with an invisible flame, burns very quickly and also is very toxic by inhalation, ingestion or touch (entering through the skin). They reckon 35ml is enough to ruin you for ever. Hence why it should be treated with respect and caution.
Caustic soda is very corrosive. Contact will burn the skin, eye contact will burn your eyes. Not just a warm sensation of burn, I mean destroy you. Hence why it too should be treated with caution and respect.
Mix the two together and they're a formidable way of getting rid of living tissue. It is a good idea not to breathe the vapours in.
Yes, I forgot to add . . Always have adequate ventilation. Wear protective clothing and rubber gloves, face mask and goggles.
That is about the most dangerous part of it, other than burning yourself with the flames of any heating method.
Pouring these chemicals should not be rushed, to avoid splashing or 'glugging' from the mixing container.
Other than that, it is safe.
Methanol is very volatile, burns with an invisible flame, burns very quickly and also is very toxic by inhalation, ingestion or touch (entering through the skin). They reckon 35ml is enough to ruin you for ever. Hence why it should be treated with respect and caution.
Caustic soda is very corrosive. Contact will burn the skin, eye contact will burn your eyes. Not just a warm sensation of burn, I mean destroy you. Hence why it too should be treated with caution and respect.
Mix the two together and they're a formidable way of getting rid of living tissue. It is a good idea not to breathe the vapours in.
Yes, I forgot to add . . Always have adequate ventilation. Wear protective clothing and rubber gloves, face mask and goggles.
That is about the most dangerous part of it, other than burning yourself with the flames of any heating method.
Pouring these chemicals should not be rushed, to avoid splashing or 'glugging' from the mixing container.
Other than that, it is safe.