An average backyard mechanic can make a homemade biodiesel processor in four hours.
Making biodiesel fuel kits can come in handy for a diesel powered vehicle. The main components are readily accessible and can be "brewed" with minimal knowledge of the chemical processes involved. The average backyard mechanic can make a biodiesel processor in about four hours.
Instructions
Making a biodiesel fuel processor kit
1. Build a processor. Mount the large tank on a solid platform, then connect the bottom of the smaller tank to the top of the large tank with a valved pipe. The platform can simply be lumber 2x4s, or more elaborate stands made of steel and concrete. The objective is to raise the tank up, so that the bottom valve can be accessed. The smaller tank should be mounted above the large one, so that the smaller tank can be emptied into it. The pipe can be attached with screw-type standard plumbing adapters. There should be an exit valve at the bottom of the large tank, with a pump and hose connected to it. Hot water heaters make ideal units for this purpose, as they already have the design necessary and are inexpensive.
2. Obtain a source of use cooking oil or compatible biodiesel oil. Most people use waste grease from local restaurants, but most plain vegetable oils will work. Pour filtered grease into the large tank to about 75% capacity.
3. Mix around 7 grams of lye to several gallons of methanol in the smaller tank. The amount of lye should be adjusted to the pH level of the waste oil, so it should be tested before mixing. The lye serves as a binder for the methanol and waste oil, so the higher the pH of the oil, the more lye should be used. Once the lye is dissolved into the methanol, open the valve to dump the mixture into the waste oil tank.
4. Stir the waste oil with the combined lye/methanol mixture until it is mixed thoroughly. It can have an internal pumping mechanism to do this over the course of the brew time, but simply stirring the mixture by hand is acceptable, as long as it is done completely.
5. Allow 24 hours for the oil to "brew" completely. The chemical process going on inside the tank will produce a byproduct, glycerin, that should be disposed of properly. Recycling the glycerin as a compost activator is common. The process is much like brewing beer, as the glycerin will settle to the bottom of the tank and can be pumped out before it hardens.
6. Once the glycerin is removed, pump the remaining biodiesel product to a filtered storage tank or directly into the vehicle. A simple cranking hand pump can be attached to the lower valve, and a long hose can place the fluid into storage.
7. Filter any particles or unwanted glycerin in the fluid. Simple mesh coffee filters can suffice to filter the finished biodiesel product, or more professional filters can be installed inline. Some final top layer particles may exist, and should be discarded. The tank will require cleaning and drying before using for the next batch of biodiesel.
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