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HomemadeBiodiesel
Thisbookletisfreeandcanbefreelydistributed

DarrenWood Friday,5May2006

T ableofContents
Introduction GoldenRules GetstuckinTheoldBlenderMethod BiodieselFacts ThreeChoices UsingBiodiesel HowtobuildyourfirstBiodieselreactor MakingBiodiesel Finally 1 2 3 5 8 13 15 29 39

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Introduction
Thisisaquickdescriptionofthepurposeofthis booklet and whyIvepreparedit.
Thepurposeofbookletistooutlinesomeoftheproceduresandequipmentneededfor home biofuel production and usage. It is a compilation of information readily available fromthe webinacompressedform.Yourebasicallygettingallthejuicybitsitstaken me a while to find on the web. All content is published with open source or by the authorsdirect consent. If you do chose to pass thisinformation onplease make sure youmaintainanyauthorsreferences. Mr. Rudolf Diesel at the 1898 Paris Exhibition showed a compression ignition engine designedbyhimthatranonpeanutoil,hisvisionwasoneofregularpeopleproducing theirownfuelfrombiomass(likevegeoil)asasourceofpowerfortransportation,thus removingtheirrelianceonlargecompaniesforfuel.(Ah,ifonly!!) In alater1912 speech, Rudolf Diesel said, "the use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today, but such oils may become, in the course of time, as importantaspetroleumandthe coaltar productsofthepresenttime." Seemalittleprophetic?Withthecostofpumpdieselataround$1.23thisseemslikean attractiveoption. TodayinNewZealandthiscouldbeaworkablereality.Cooperativesarethewaytogo andmostlyruralNZcouldreallybenefitfromthis. Theinformationcontainedinthisbookletiscompiledfromavarietyofsourcesallofitis free information and there are no secrets in biodiesel production as the basic transesterificationprocess hasbeenknownforyears. Thefollowing processes arestraightforwardand relativelyeasy,butthereare3thingsto rememberwhendoinganyofthesmallprocesses below

SafetySafetySafety
OKcopyinthisbookletiseithercopiedfromfreewebsitesormyownsonocopyrights here!!!

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GoldenRules(nevertobebroken)
Alwayswearyoursafetyequipment NeverhaveChildrenorPetsnearby Alwayshaveproperventilationforyour experiments NeverBreaththefumes Alwayshaveatapwithrunningwaternearbyora hosepipe Ifyouspillanythingstopwhatyouaredoingand turn everything offandcleanitup Washany chemicalsthatcomeintocontactwith yourskinimmediately Alwaysapplycommonsensewhenusingthese highlycorrosivechemicals,takecareofyouand yours. Ifyouareworriedandthinkanythingisunsafe thendontdoit.
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OldBlenderMethod
Sounds silly I know but this is probably the best demonstration of how the process works, you willneedthefollowing 1. 1.5litreused glass blender withlid (cannotbeusedforfood afterwards EVER!) 2. 1pairoffulllengthsafetygloves 3. 1Pairofsafetygoggles 4. 1litre offreshcookingoil(Canolaismyfavorite) 5. 200mlofpureMethanol 6. 3.5gramsofCausticsoda(SodiumhydroxideRD1sellitbutkeepitsealeduntil youneedit) 7. Thermometer (againnottobeusedforanythingelse again) RightthenAllset?Goteverything?Goodthenletsgetcracking(dothisinyourgarage orworkshop as youdontwantthekidsorPetsanywherenearthesechemicals) Putonyourglovesand safetygoggles. Warm the oil to 50 degrees Celsius (Check with thermometer this wont take long so watchit) WhilstwarmingtheoilputtheMethanolintheblenderandaddtheCausticsoda(only 3.5GRAMS)dothisquicklyascausticsodatendstoabsorbmoistureveryquicklyand mixonalowspeedfor2minutesorso.Thisreactionproducesheatsomakesurethe blenderisaglassone. Addtheoiltotheblenderwiththemethanolcausticsodamixinit. Blendonamediumspeed(Rememberwedontwantanyspillage)forabout15minsor so. Youcanthenleavethesolutiontosettleintheblender(Itshouldnttakemorethanan hour)

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Youshouldendupwithtodifferentcoloredliquidsalightontoptheotherdarkerandat thebottom.Ifyoudid

welldone!youjustmadebiodiesel!!!(thetoplighterbit)

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BiodieselFacts
ThefollowingistakenformtheJourneytoforeversiteandIhaveleftthelinkstothatsite intactintheword(.doc)formofthisdocument Biodieselismuchcleanerthanfossilfueldiesel("dinodiesel").Itcanbeusedinany dieselenginewithnoneedformodificationsinfactdieselenginesrunbetterand lastlongerwithbiodiesel.Anditcaneasilybemadefrom acommonwasteproduct usedcookingoil.

Biodieselfuelburnsupto75%cleanerthanconventionaldieselfuelmade fromfossilfuels Biodieselsubstantiallyreducesunburnedhydrocarbons,carbonmonoxide andparticulatematterinexhaustfumes Sulphurdioxideemissionsareeliminated(biodieselcontainsnosulphur) BiodieselisplantbasedandaddsnoCO2totheatmosphere Theozoneformingpotentialofbiodieselemissionsisnearly50%lessthan conventionaldieselfuel Nitrousoxide(NOx)emissionsmayincreaseordecreasebutcanbereduced towellbelowconventionaldieselfuellevelsbyadjustingenginetiming Biodieselexhaustisnotoffensiveanddoesn'tcauseeyeirritation(itsmells likeFrenchfries!)(Ordonutsorsausagesdependsonthesourcereallyhad KFConce!) Biodieselisenvironmentallyfriendly:itisrenewable,"morebiodegradable thansugarandlesstoxicthantablesalt"(USNationalBiodieselBoard) Biodieselcanbeusedinanydieselengine Fueleconomyisthesameasconventionaldieselfuel Biodieselisamuchbetterlubricantthanconventionaldieselfuelandextends enginelifeaGermantruckwonanentryintheGuinnessBookofRecords bytravellingmorethan1.25millionkm(780,000miles)onbiodieselwithits originalengine(thisisanimportantbittoremember) Biodieselhasahighcetanerating,whichimprovesengineperformance:20% biodieseladdedtoconventionaldieselfuelimprovesthecetanerating3 points,makingitaPremiumfuel Biodieselcanbemixedwithordinarydieselfuelinanyproportionevena smallamountofbiodieselmeanscleaneremissionsandbetterengine lubrication:1%biodieselwillincreaselubricityby65% (Anotherimportant one) Biodieselcanbeproducedfromanyfatorvegetableoil,includingwaste cookingoil.

SeetheNationalBiodieselBoard'scompleteevaluationofbiodieselemissionsand potentialhealtheffects,inaccordancewiththemoststringentemissionstesting protocolseverrequiredbytheUSEPA(Acrobatfile,40kb):

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http://www.biodiesel.org/pdf_files/emissions.PDF Summary:

Theoverallozone(smog)formingpotentialofbiodieselisalmost50%less thandieselfuel. Sulfuremissionsareeliminated. Substantialreductionsofunburnedhydrocarbons(93%),carbonmonoxide( 50%),andparticulatematter(30%). BiodieselNOxemissionscanbeefficientlyeliminatedasaconcern. SubstantialreductionsofcancercausingPAH(80%)andnitritedPAH compounds(90%).

Dieselemissionsandcancer
AccordingtoaU.S.DepartmentofEnergystudycompletedattheUniversityof CaliforniaatDavis,theuseofpurebiodieselinsteadofpetroleumbaseddieselfuel couldoffera93.6%reductionincancerrisksfromexhaustemissionsexposure. Thestudy,"ChemicalandBioassayAnalysesofDieselandBiodieselParticulate Matter",1996,useda1995Dodge3/4tonpickuptruckwitha5.9litreCumminsB Turbodieselandtested100%ethylesterofrapeseedoil(REE),100%diesel2D lowsulfurfuelandblendsof20%REEand50%REEwiththe2Ddieselfuel.An EPAtestcyclewasfollowedthroughout.Intestaftertestthestudyfoundthehighest riskcamefrom100%dieselfuel,followedbythe20%REEblend,the50%REE blendand,lowestrisk,thepurebiodiesel. "Useofthe100%REEfuelproducedthelowestgenotoxic(DNAdamaging)activity inthetests.Blendedfuelsinthenoncatalystequippedengineproducedless emissionsthanemissionsthanthe100%dieselfuel...Theuseofthe100%REEfuel resultedinthelowestemissionscomparedtotheREEblendsand100%dieselfuels. "Thehighestrelativespecificmassmutagenicactivitycollectedduringeitherthehot orcoldtestcycleswastheparticulatemattercollectedfromthe100%dieselfuel emissions...Thelowestrelativespecificmassmutagenicactivitywasfromthe particulatemattercollectedfromemissionsofl00%REEfuel." NOTE:There'snothingspecialaboutethylesterofrapeseedoilbiodiesel,other typesofbiodieselhavesimilarresults.

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ChemicalandBioassayAnalysesofDieselandBiodieselParticulateMatter: PilotStudyFinalReportbyNormanY.Kado,RobertA.OkamotoandPaulA. Kuzmicky,DepartmentofEnvironmentalToxicology,UniversityofCalifornia,Davis, California,November1996.Acrobatfile,3.1Mb. UCDavisbiodieselstudysummary:theSummary,ResultsandDiscussion sectionsofthereport,inhtmlformat.

Greenhouseeffect
Usingvegetableoilsoranimalfatsasfuelformotorvehiclesisineffectrunningthem onsolarenergy.Allbiofuels,includingethanol,arederivedfromtheconversionof sunlighttoenergy(carbohydrates)thattakesplaceinthegreenleavesofplants. Plantstakeupcarbondioxide(CO2)fromtheatmosphereburningplant(oranimal) productsinanenginereleasestheCO2uptakebackintotheatmosphere,tobe takenupagainbyotherplants.TheCO2isrecycled,atmosphericCO2levelsremain constant.ThusbiofuelsdonotincreasetheGreenhouseEffectunlikefossilfuels, whichreleaselargeamountsofnew(orratherveryold)CO2whichhasbeenlocked awayfromtheatmosphereforaeons. InfactbiodieselcanactuallyreduceCO2levelsintheatmosphere:growing soybeansconsumesnearlyfourtimesasmuchCO2astheamountofCO2 producedintheexhaustfromsoybeanoilbiodiesel.

Energyefficiency
AccordingtoacomparativelifecyclestudybytheUSDepartmentofEnergy's NationalRenewableEnergyLaboratory,biodieselrequiresonly0.31unitsoffossil energytomake1unitoffuel. (AnOverviewofBiodieselandPetroleumDieselLifeCycles) http://www.ott.doe.gov/biofuels/docs/lifecycle.html "Bycontrast,ittakes1.2unitsoffossilresourcestoproduce1unitofpetroleum diesel,"thestudysays. Wewonderwhattheenergyefficiencyfiguresforbiodieselwouldbeiffossilfuels wereeliminatedfromtheequationandtheentireproductionprocesspoweredby biofuels,fromplantingtheseedstofillingthetank?

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Threechoices
Thereareatleastthreewaystorunadieselengineonbiopower,usingvegetable oils,animalfatsorboth.Allthreeworkwithbothfreshandusedoils.

UsethewasteoilljustasitisusuallycalledSVOfuel(straightvegetable oil)(meansconvertingyourcar) Mixitwithkerosene(paraffin)ordieselfuel,orwithbiodiesel(canstillclog injectors) Convertittobiodiesel.(Bestchoiceandhasworkedformeforover12 months)

Thefirsttwomethodssoundeasiest,but,assoofteninlife,it'snotquitethatsimple.

Biodiesel
BiodieselhassomeclearadvantagesoverSVO:itworksinanydiesel,withoutany conversionormodificationstotheengineorthefuelsystem justputitinandgo.It alsohasbettercoldweatherpropertiesthanSVO(butnotasgoodaspetrodiesel seeUsingbiodieselinwinter).And,unlikeSVO,it'sbackedbymanylongterm testsinmanycountries,includingmillionsofmilesontheroad. Biodieselisaclean,safe,readytouse,alternativefuel,whereasit'sfairtosaythat SVOsystemsaremostlystillexperimentalandneedfurtherdevelopment. Ontheotherhand,biodieselcanbemoreexpensive,dependingwhatyoumakeit fromandwhetheryou'recomparingitwithneworusedoil(andwhereyoulive).And, unlikeSVO,ithastobeprocessedyouhavetomakeit.Butthelargeandrapidly growingworldwidebandofhomebrewersdon'tseemtomindtheymakeasupply everyweekoronceamonthandsoongetusedtoit.Manyhavebeendoingitfor years. Andanyway,youhavetoprocessSVOtoo,especiallyWVO(wastevegetableoil, used,cooked),whichmanypeoplewithSVOsystemsusebecauseit'scheaporfree forthetaking.WVOhastobefilteredanddewatered,andprobablyshouldbe deacidified. Biodieselerssay,"Well,ifI'mgoingtohavetodoallthatImightjustaswellmake biodieselinstead."ButSVOtypesscoffatthatit'smuchlessprocessingthan makingbiodiesel,theysay.ToeachhisownIpreferthefactthatIcanrunitinmy enginewithoutmodifyingmyvehicle. x Needs Guaranteed Engine Cheaper processingtroublefreeconversion
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Biodiesel SVO/WVO

Yes Less

Yes No

No Yes

Sometimes Usually

Costsandprices:Biodieselersusingwasteoilfeedstocksaytheycanmake biodieselfor60centsUSpergallonorless.Mostpeopleuseabout600gallonsof fuelayear(about10gallonsaweek)sayUS$360ayear.AnSVOsystemcosts from$300to$1,200ormore.SowithanSVOsystemyou'llbeaheadinayearor two,whichisnotalongtimeinthelifeofadieselmotor.Butwillitlastaslongwith SVO?Toosoontotell.Probably,ifyouuseagoodsystem.

Biodiesel
Convertingtheoiltobiodieselisprobablythebestofthethreeoptions(orwethink soanyway). MostmajorEuropeanvehiclemanufacturersnowprovidevehiclewarranties coveringtheuseofpurebiodieselthoughthatmightnotbejustanybiodiesel. Someinsiston"RME",rapeseedmethylesters,andwon'tcoversoybiodieselinthe US,butthisseemstobemoreatraderelatedissuethanaqualitycontrolone. Germanyhasmorethan1,500fillingstationssupplyingbiodiesel,andit'scheaper thanordinarydieselfuel.It'swidelyusedinFrance,theworld'slargestproducer. VirtuallyallfossildieselfuelsoldinFrancecontainsbetween2%and5%biodiesel. NewEUlawswillsoonrequirethisEuropewide.SomestatesintheUSare legislatingsimilarrequirements.There'sagrowingnumberofUSsuppliers. BiodieselismoreexpensivethanordinarydieselintheUSbutsalesarerisingvery fastandpriceswilldropintime.IntheUKbiodieselistaxedlessthanpetrodiesel andit'savailablecommercially. Butthere'salottobesaidfortheGREATfeelingofindependenceyou'llgetfrom makingyourownfuel(andit'smorethanjustafeelingit'sreal!). Ifyouwanttomakeityourself,thereareseveralgoodrecipesavailableformaking highqualitybiodiesel,andtheyallsaywhatwealsosay:someofthesechemicals aredangerous,takefullsafetyprecautions,andifyouburn/maim/blind/killyourselfor anyoneelse,thatwillmakeusverysad,butnotliablewedon'trecommend anything,it'snobody'sresponsibilitybutyourown. Ontheotherhand,alotofpeoplearedoingitit'ssafeifyou'recarefuland sensible."Sensible"alsomeannotoverreacting,assomepeopledo:"I'dliketo makebiodieselbutI'mfrightenedofallthoseterriblepoisons."Infactthey're commonenoughhouseholdchemicals.Lyeissoldinsupermarketsandhardware storesasadraincleaner,there'sprobablyacanofitunderthesinkinmost households.Methanolisthemainoronlyingredientinbarbecuefuelorfonduefuel,
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soldinsupermarketsandchainstoresas"stovefuel"andusedatthedinnertable it'salsothemainingredientinthefuelkidsuseintheirmodelaeroengines.Sogetit inperspective,noneedtobefrightened.SeeSafetyforfurtherinformation.Learnas muchasyoucanfirst lotsofinformation isavailable.Makesmalltestbatches beforeyoutrylargebatches(seealsoTestbatchminiprocessor).Makeitwith freshoilbeforeyoutrywasteoil.

What'snext?
Learn.Youhavesomedecisionstomake.It'sallquitesimplereally,thousandsof peoplearedoingit,veryfewofthemarechemistsortechnicians,andthere's nothingalaymancan'tunderstand,anddo,anddoitwell.Butthereisquitealotto learn.Youshouldfindeverythingyouneedtoknowontheweboratthisaddress http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html#biodnew#biodnew Startoffwiththesimplestprocessthathasthebestchanceofsuccessandmoveon stepbystepinalogicalprogression,addingmoreadvancedfeatures

TheProcess
Vegetableoilsandanimalfatsaretriglycerides,containingglycerine.Thebiodiesel processturnstheoilsintoesters,separatingouttheglycerine.Theglycerinesinksto thebottomandthebiodieselfloatsontopandcanbesyphonedoff. Theprocessiscalledtransesterification,whichsubstitutesalcoholfortheglycerine inachemicalreaction,usinglyeasacatalyst. Weusemethanoltomakemethylesters.We'dratheruseethanolbecausemost methanolcomesfromfossilfuels(thoughitcanalsobemadefrombiomass,suchas wood),whileethanolisplantbasedandyoucandistillityourself,butthebiodiesel processismorecomplicatedwithethanol.(SeeEthylesters.) Ethanol(orethylalcohol,grainalcoholEtOH,C2H5OH)alsogoesbyvariousother wellknownnames,suchaswhisky,vodka,gin,andsoon,butmethanolisadeadly poison:firstitblindsyou,thenitkillsyou,anditdoesn'ttakeverymuchofit.Ittakes acoupleofhours,andifyoucangettreatmentfastenoughyoumightsurvive.(But don'tbeputoffit'seasytodothissafely.Safetyisbuiltintoeverythingyou'llread here.) Methanolisalsocalledmethylalcohol,woodalcohol,woodnaphtha,woodspirits, methylhydrate(or"stovefuel"),carbinol,colonialspirits,Columbianspirits, Manhattanspirits,methylol,methylhydroxide,hydroxymethane, monohydroxymethane,pyroxylicspirit,orMeOH(CH3OHorCH4O)allthesame
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thing.(But,confusingly,"methylcarbinol"or"methylcarbinol"isusedforboth methanolandethanol.)IntheUSyoucanusuallygetitatracetracks. Methylatedspirits(denaturedalcohol)doesn'tworkisopropylalcohol(rubbing alcohol)alsodoesn'twork. Thelyecatalystcanbeeithersodiumhydroxide(causticsoda,NaOH)orpotassium hydroxide(KOH),whichiseasiertouse,anditcanprovideapotashfertilizerasa byproduct.Sodiumhydroxideisofteneasiertogetandit'scheapertouse.Ifyou usepotassiumhydroxide,theprocessisthesame,butyouneedtouse1.4timesas much.(SeeMoreaboutlye.)YoucangetKOHfromsoapmakers'suppliersand fromchemicalssuppliers.Otherchemicals,suchasisopropylalcohol(isopropanol) fortitration,areavailablefromchemicalssuppliers.
CAUTION:

Lye(bothNaOHandKOH)isdangerousdon'tgetitonyourskinorinyoureyes, don'tbreatheanyfumes,keepthewholeprocessawayfromfood,andrightaway fromchildren.Lyereactswithaluminum,tinandzinc.Useglass,enamel,stainless steelorHDPE(HighDensityPolyethylene)containersformethoxide.(See Identifyingplastics.)

Biodieselfromwasteoil
Thisisthemostappealinganswerbutismoredifficult.

First,checkforwatercontent.Usedoiloftenhassomewaterinit,andwaterinthe oilwillinterferewiththelye,especiallyifyouusetoomuchlye,andyou'llendupwith jelly.Testfirstforwatercontentheathalfalitreorsoinasaucepanonthestove andmonitorthetemperaturewithathermometer.Ifthere'swaterinititwillstartto "snap,crackleandpop"by50degC(120degF)orless.Ifit'sstillnotcracklingby 60degC(140degF)there'snoneedtodewaterit. WasteoilneedsmorecatalystthannewoiltoneutralizetheFreeFattyAcids(FFAs) formedincookingtheoil,whichinterferewiththetransesterificationprocess. YouhavetotitratetheoiltodeterminetheFFAcontentandhowmuchlyewillbe requiredtoneutralizeit.ThismeansdeterminingthepHtheacidalkalinelevel (pH7isneutral,lowervaluesareincreasinglyacidic,higherthan7isalkaline).An electronicpHmeterisbest,butyoucanalsousepHteststrips(orlitmuspaper),or phenolphthaleinsolution(fromachemicalssupplier). Dissolve1gmoflyein1litreofdistilledwater(0.1%lyesolution).Inasmaller
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beaker,dissolve1mlofthecooledoilin10mlofpureisopropylalcohol.Warmthe beakergentlybystandingitinsomehotwater,stiruntilalltheoildissolvesinthe alcoholandturnsclear.Add2dropsofphenolphthaleinsolution. Usingagraduatedsyringe,add0.1%lyesolutiondropbydroptotheoilalcohol phenolphthaleinsolution,stirringallthetime,untilthesolutionstartstoturnpinkand staysthatwayfor10seconds.Takethenumberofmillilitresof0.1%lyesolutionyou usedandadd3.5.Thisisthenumberofgramsoflyeyou'llneedperlitreofoil.

Firsttitrationtook6mlof0.1%lyesolution(notverygoodoil),soweused6+3.5= 9.5gramsoflyeperlitreofoil:95gramsfor10litres. Thenproceedaswithnewoil:measureoutthelyeandmixitwiththemethanolto makesodiummethoxideitwillgetevenhotterandtakelongertomix,asthere's morelyethistime.Makesurethelyeiscompletelydissolvedinthemethanol. Carefullyaddthesodiummethoxidetothewarmedoilwhilestirring,andmixforan hour.Settleovernight,thensyphonoffthebiodiesel.

Washing
Biodieselshouldbewashedtoremovesoap,catalystandotherimpurities.Some peopleinsistonit,othersdon'tandarguethatthesmallamountsofimpuritiescause noenginedamage. Werecommendwashingit.Infactweinsistonitgoodqualitybiodieselmustbe washed. RightthisiswhereImgoingtojumpin,waterwashingisa2edgedswordifyouuse waterwashingfirstlyyouareremovingsoapsetcwhichisgoodbutyouareadding timeandmoisturetoyourfuelwhichisbadandapainasyouhavetothendryitby gentleheatingorsettlingforalongtime. PersonallyIuseitunwashedandhavehadnoissuesasitfiltereddowntoone micronbeforeitgoesinmytank.Imcurrentlyplayingwithdrywashingandwater washingincombinationandthisisproducingsomeexcellentresultbutsbutmore aboutthatonthewww.gobionz.comwebsitewhenitsfinished. http://www.gobionz.com

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Usingbiodiesel
Youdon'thavetoconverttheenginetorunitonbiodiesel,butyoudoneedtomake someadjustmentsandcheckafewthings. Petrodieselleavesalotofdirtinthetankandthefuelsystem.Biodieselisagood solventittendstofreethedirtandcleanitout.Besuretocheckthefuelfilters regularlyatfirst.Startoffwithanewfuelfilter. Checktherearenonaturalrubberpartsinthefuelsystem.Ifthereare,replace them.Vitonisbest. SeeBiodieselandyourvehicle

Safety
Wearproperprotectivegloves,apron,andeyeprotectionanddonotinhaleany vapors.Methanolcancauseblindnessanddeath,andyoudon'tevenhavetodrink it,it'sabsorbedthroughtheskin.Sodiumhydroxidecancausesevereburnsand death.Togetherthesetwochemicalsformsodiummethoxide.Thisisanextremely causticchemical.Thesearedangerouschemicalstreatthemassuch!Gloves shouldbechemicalproofwithcuffsthatcanbepulledupoverlongsleevesno shortsorsandals.Alwayshaverunningwaterhandywhenworkingwiththem.The workspacemustbethoroughlyventilated.Nochildrenorpetsallowed. Organicvaporcartridgerespiratorsaremoreorlessuselessagainstmethanol vapors.Professionaladviceisnottouseorganicvaporcartridgesforlongerthana fewhoursmaximum,ornottousethematall.Onlyasuppliedairsystemwilldo (SCBASelfContainedBreathingApparatus). Thebestadviceisnottoexposeyourselftothefumesinthefirstplace.Themain dangeriswhenthemethanolishotwhenit'scoldorat"roomtemperature"it fumesverylittle,andthisiseasilyavoided.Don'tuse"open"reactorsbiodiesel processorsshouldbeclosedtotheatmosphere,withnofumesescaping.All methanolcontainersshouldbekepttightlyclosedanywaytopreventwater absorptionfromtheair. Wetransfermethanolfromitscontainertothemethoxidemixingcontainerby pumpingit,withnoexposureatall.Thisiseasilyarranged,andanordinary aquariumairpumpwilldo(thesameoneyouuseforwashingthebiodiesel).The methoxideismixedlikethisMethoxidetheeasyway,whichalsohappenstobe thesafeway.Themixturegetsquitehotatfirst,butthecontaineriskeptclosedand nofumesescape.Whenmixed,themethoxideisagainpumpedintothe(closed)

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biodieselprocessorwiththeaquariumairpumpthere'snoexposuretofumes,and it'saddedslowly,whichisoptimalfortheprocessandalsoforsafety.

Onceagain,makingbiodieselissafeifyou'recarefulandsensible."Sensible"also meannotoverreacting,assomepeopledo:"I'dliketomakebiodieselbutI'm frightenedofallthoseterriblepoisons."Infactthey'recommonenoughhousehold chemicals.Lyeissoldinsupermarketsandhardwarestoresasadraincleaner, there'sprobablyacanofitunderthesinkinmosthouseholds.Methanolisthemain oronlyingredientinbarbecuefuelorfonduefuel,soldinsupermarketsandchain storesas"stovefuel"andusedatthedinnertableit'salsothemainingredientinthe fuelkidsuseintheirmodelaeroengines.Sogetitinperspective:becarefulwith thesechemicalswithALLchemicalsbutthere'snoneedtobefrightenedof them. OKhadenoughreading?ThenextpartIllcovertheBuildingaReactorpartandlist someofthethingsIhavedoneandwhereImplanningtogowithmyreactor.

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Howto buildyourfirstBiodieselreactor
OKnowthereallyfunbit
Right,therearemanywaystoapproachthisbutthereare2designsthatstandout forsimplicityandthefirst(andmyfavoriteasitrecyclesolddrums)isthisone. Thesespecsforreactorsareguidelinesaseveryonehasthereownideas.Sotake whatyouneedfromthemandaddthemtoyourowndesigns. IdidIhaveaveryweirdsetupthatissimilarbutagaindifferentfromboth.It dependsonwhatyouhaveathandandhowmuchtimeand moneyyoucaninvest! Readthisfirst http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_processor.html#intro

Howtomakeaconebottomedprocessor
Maybethebestthing(theonlygoodthing?)aboutfossilfuel petroleumisthatitcomesin55gallonoildrums,whichduly becomeempty,andmagicallytransformthemselvesintothe worldwidemainstayofappropriatetechnologyanddoit yourselftinkering.Andofbackyardbiodieselmakingthe perfectmixingvessel. Well,almostperfect.Theyneedabottomdrain,andfor perfectionthedrainshouldbeattheendofacone,replacing theflatbottomofthedrum. Here'showtomakeaconebottomforyour55galoildrum biodieselmixer.

MikePelly'sconebottomed 55galdrumreactor

Youneedcuttinggeartocutoutthedrumbottomandcuttheconetoshapefroma pieceofflatsteelsheeting,andweldingequipmenttojoinuptheconeandwelditto thebottomedgeofthedrum. Theproblemstendtoarisewhendrawingouttheshapeoftheconetobeonflat steel.Trialanderrordoesn'tworkverywell,usuallyleadingtoalotofannoying grindingtomakeitfit,orabotchedjob,wastedsteelandwastedtimeandeffort. Thisishowtogetitright. You'llalsoneedacalculatorandabigcompass.

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Ifyoudon'thaveacompassbigenoughtodrawthecircleyou'llneed,youcan improviseonefromasteelnail,afelttipmarkerpenandsomecordthatwon't stretch,orbetter,thinwire.Coilthewiretightlyroundthenailatoneendandround thepenattheother,closetothepointinbothcases,withthelengthofwirebetween themequaltotheradiusofthecircleyou'regoingtodraw.Takesometroubletrying togetitpreciselytherightlengthholdingitallinplacethenturningthepensothat youcoilalittlemoreoralittlelesswirerounditworkswell.Makealittledentwitha centrepunchinthecentreofthesteelsheetingforthepointofthenail,thencarefully drawyourcircle,holdingbothpenandnailfirmlyvertical. Use16or18gaugeflatsteelforthecone.A3/4",7/8"or1"valvewillbefine.

(Drawing not to scale.)

Youcanadaptthismethodtoanysizeofdrumjustbychangingthemeasurements andcalculatingaccordingly. Theouteredgediameterofastandard55gallondrumis223/4inchescheckit,

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thisisthecriticalmeasurement. Howdeepdoyouwantyourcone?Thedeeperthebetter,becausethedeeperitis thesteeperwillbethesides,andthebetteritwilldrain.Ifit's12"deep,thesidesof theconewillhaveaslopeofjustover45degrees,notverysteep.At15"deepthe slopeisabout52degrees,steeper.Butdeeperandsteeperalsomeansthewhole contraptionwillbehigher.Thedrumisnearly3fthigh,plus15"forthecone,plus anothercoupleofinchesforthevalve,acouplemoreforahoseconnection,andyou needenoughspacetoputabucketunderneathanother12"atleast...that's65" already,uptoyourchinifyou'reasixfooter. Sowe'vetakena12"deepconeasanexample.That'sthesecondcritical measurement. Inthediagram,"r"istheradiusoftheoildrumbottom,measuredtotheouteredge that'shalfthediameter,22.752=11.375". h=12""h"istheheight(depth)ofthecone. sh=16.535""sh"isthe"slantheight"ofthecone,thelengthoftheslopingside. YoucalculatethisbyPythagoras'stheorem,whichstatesthatthesquareonthe hypotenuseofarightangledtriangleisequaltothesumofthesquaresontheother twosides. Ifyou'reamongthemathchallenged,relax,it'seasyyourcalculatorwilldothe workforyou. Theredtriangleinthediagramisarightangledtriangletheanglebetweenthetwo sides"r"and"h"isarightangle,90degrees.Thesideoppositetherightangleis "sh",theslantheightofthecone,andthat'sthehypotenuse.Tocalculateitslength, squaretheothertwosides.Thatmeansmultiply12x12=144multiply11.375x 11.375=129.390625.Addthetwoanswerstogether:144+129.390625= 273.390625.That'sthe"sumofthesquaresontheothertwosides",whichequals thesquareonthehypotenuse.Sothesquareroot onthecalculatorof 273.390625isthelengthofthehypotenuse: 273.390625=16.53452827.Shorten ittothreedecimalplaces(addoneifthefourthfigureis5ormore)=16.535".That's theslantheightofyour12"deepconethethirdcriticalmeasurement. Tomakeaconeallyouhavetodoisdrawacircleonsomethingflat,cutapieslice outofitandjoinupthetwostraightedges.Butifyouwantthebottom oftheconeto fitsomethingspecific,andforittobeaparticularheight,youhavetoknowhowbig todrawthecircle,andhowbigtomakethepieslice. Theradiusoftheconecircleyouhavetodrawisthesameastheslantheightofthe
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conesh,16.535". Sonowyouknowthesizeofthepieceofflatsteelsheetingyou'llneed:16.535x2= 33.07"square.Somakeit3ftsquare. Takealongrule,oranythingwithastraightedgethat'slongenough,anddrawaline acrosstheplatefromonecornertotheoppositecorner,andasecondlinejoining theothertwocorners.Wheretheycrossisthecentreoftheplate.Drawyourcircle fromthatpoint,radius16.535".Okay,soyoucan'tmeasure.535"onyourruler.It comesto17/32",but9/16"willdo5/8"willalsodo,ormakeit1611/16",whichwill giveyouasmallmarginoferror.

Partsofacircle

Nowyouneedtoknowhowbigtomakethepieslicecutout. Theedgeoftheconemustfitthedrum.Sotheconecircleminusthepieslicemust matchthecircumferenceoftheouteredgeofthebottomofthedrum.Circumference =diameterxpiethat's onyourcalculator,orjustmultiplyby22anddividethe answerby7. Thediameterofthedrumis22.75",circumferenceis22.75x =71.5". Thediameteroftheconecircleis16.535x2=33.07,circumferenceis33.07x = 103.934". Thearc(asectionofthecircumference)ofthecutoutpieslicesectoris103.934 71.5=32.434". Nowyouneedtoknowtheangleofthecutoutsectorsoyoucanmeasureitoffwith aprotractor.Dividethearcbythecircumferenceandmultiplyby360:32.434 103.934x360=112.34degrees.Makeit1121/3degrees. Nowyoucandrawinyourpieslicethatyou'regoingtocutout.Here'saprotractor youcanprintoutifyoudon'thaveone.
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Usefultoknow:thevolumeofaconeis1/3 r h.Fora12"coneona55galdrum, that's7gallons(US). Twomorethingstoconsider:first,youmightwanttoleaveatabforsomeoverlap whenweldingthetwoedgesoftheconetogether,asmarkedbythedottedlineon oneedgeofthepiesliceinthediagram. Second,youmightwanttoprecutaholeforthevalve,asinthediagram.Orjust sawoffthepointoftheconeattherightheightafterit'sassembled.Dependingon whatkindofvalveyouget,you'lleitherweldthevalveondirect,oritwillscrewonto ashortlengthofsteelpipe,andyou'llweldthesteelpipeon.Whichever,standthe valveorpipeontopofthecone,straightup,anddrawalineunderitaroundthetop oftheconewhereyou'llmakethecut.Makesuretheholeisnarrowerthanthe outsidediameterofthepipe/valvesoyou'llhavesomethingtowelditonto. Ifyou'dratherprecutthehole,measuretheID(insidediameter)ofthepipeorvalve, addhalfthethicknessofthepipeorvalvewall.Saytheansweris7/8".Alltheangles arethesameasforcalculatingthecone,soyoucandoitproportionately:7/8"isthe diameterofthehole,divideby2fortheradius:7/16=0.4375.It'stheslantheight youwant:16.535x0.437511.375=0.636",whichisslightlymorethan5/8",so makeit5/8".Drawthecirclefortheprecutholeforthevalvewitharadiusof5/8". Beforeyoustartcuttingandwelding,doublecheckallyourcalculationsand measurements.Whenyou'resatisfied,makeyourcuts,thenwelditallupandyou're done.You'llfinditaloteasiertobendtheconeevenlytoshapeifyouusearollerof somekind.Thisisactuallyagoodreasonforprecuttingthevalveholebecausethe rollercanfitthroughtheholewhileyou'rerollingit.Tryapieceof7/8"steel waterpipeabouttwofeetlongormore. You'llalsoneedastandforit.Steelpipingorangleironwilldo,fourlegs,firmly weldedtothesidesoftheoildrumandjoinedbycrossstrutsjustabovethelevelof thevalve.Makeitstrongafullprocessorwillweighmorethan400lbs. Ausefulrefinementisasighttube,leadingfromnearthebottomofthecone verticallyupthesidetonearthetopofthedrum.UsetranslucentPEXtubing (crosslinkedpolyethylene)orhighdensitypolyethylene(HDPE),thinwalledfor bettervisibility,bothofwhichareheatandchemicalresistant1/2"ormoreID, preferablymore.Getrightangledplumbingfittings,drillholesforthemandweld themin.Usestrongstainlesssteelgemclipstoconnectthehosetothefittings,a goodideatousetwoclipsateachend,withheatandchemicalproofsiliconsealer asagasketcompound.

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Onceyouvedoneallthisjustaddyoucirculating/mixingpumpandextrapipesto giveyouaclosedmixingsystem.Ipreferpumpstomechanicalmixingbutitsyour reactor. Thisnextoneisverysimilartomycurrentreactorbutwithsomemodsofmyown.I usedadoubleskinnedplastic44Gallondrumasitwaseasiertoworkwiththan steelandhasprovedtobetoughandreliable.Illputpicturesonthewebsitesoon www.gobionz.com Thenextoneisfromthehttp://www.biodieselcommunity.org/gettingstarted/website rememberthisdesignshouldntbedoneasis,justuseitasageneraloutlinefor yourownideas.Thiscouldbebetterifthedrawwasfromthebottomandabetter pumpwasusedbutagainitsuptoyoutotrywhatworks. ThisdesignisalsoOpenSourcesopleasemakesureifyoucopythetextbelow youincludetheauthorsdetails.

Anoldwaterheatertankcanbeadaptedtomakeasafeandinexpensivebiodiesel homebrewingapparatus.AnHDPEcarboy(whitejuginphoto)orothertankcan becomeapassivesmallscalemethanolcatalystmixer,andaninexpensive centrifugalpump(bluemotorinphoto)fromHarborFreighttoolsmixesthetwo liquidstoenablethebiodieselreactiontotakeplace.Afteradayofsettling,the glycerolbyproductcanbedrainedoutfairlywellthetankshaveawinebottlebottom

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profile,withadrainatthe'pointed'edge,soseparationoftwoliquidscanbe reasonablyclean.Theprocessorcostsabout$150inplumbingandelectrical,and aboutadayorlessofwork.Thetankcanbeanancientlimecrustedonescavenged from adump,orcanbeboughtnewforabout$200more. Afterdrainingoffglycerol,thesamemixingpumpcantransferthebiodieseltoa 'washtank'forawaterwashtoremovemethanolandwatersolubleimpurities. There'sanextremelysimple'standpipe'designwhichrequiresnowelding,which makesaniceminimaltank,theSeanParks'StandpipeWashTank.Thestandpipe washtankcostsabout$30inplumbingtobuild.Peoplehavebuiltvariationswhich includeheating,waystouseplasticbarrels,andbuildinmistwashheads(whichonly worksforsmallerbatches). Thissystemhasdevelopedahugefollowinginthebiodieselcommunity,andthere arehundredsofhomebrewerswhohavebuiltorbuiltandmodifiedtheirs. below:SeanParks'StandpipeWashTank

PlansforbuildingtheAppleseed: therearemanypossibleplumbingvariations.Here'sthebarebonesoriginalanda partslist,andseveralvariations.PleasenotethatuntilrecentlyIhadanoutdated

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diagramherewhichyoumaystillfindreferencestoontheWeb.It'snowcorrected andsoisthepartslist:

simplest plans

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Here'showI nowbuild these,to wraparound thetank slightly (temperature gaugenot shown)

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Totheright andbelow areacouple ofvariations: separate sighttube andextra valveson eachtube(I nowconsider thesevalves unnecessary)

hereisthe plumbingfor my'bellsand whistles' variation, withthe temperature gaugeshown inoriginal packaging. Temperature gauge numbers MUSTstart at100For lower,not 130F.

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IpurchasethevalvesatHarborFreightTools,wheretheycostconsiderablyless thanHomeDepotandotherplaces.Lowes'ismypreferredbigboxhardwareforthe plumbing.LocalstoreslikeAceorTrueValuecanbecheaporcanbevery expensiveforplumbing,atrandom.HomeDepotismylastchoicetheirplumbing sectionisusuallyverydisorganizedandpricesarehigh.Avoidatallcosts. HarborFreightrunssalesontheironlineorretailstoreseveryfewmonthssopumps mayendupcostingabout$25and3/4"ballvalvescanbe$2whenonsale.valves willbankruptyouonthisprojectshoparound.Theyrangefrom$6atLowesto$12 atsomelocalstoresI"vepatronized,andyou'llneedlotsofthem.

ShoppingListandGeneralInstructions: (note:allplumbing3/4inchunlessotherwisenoted.Allplumbingblackironthreaded pipeifpossiblegalvanizedissometimestheonlychoiceforsomefittingsbutisnot preferredduetozinccontent): Themodificationsneededtoanelectricwaterheaterare: Removediptube(?)fromthetopcoldwaterinlet.Diptubesareunderneathany pipesorpipenipplesthreadedintotheheater.Thisistheworstpartoftheoperation undoinganyoldpiping.Ifitisatwoheatingelementwaterheateryoumightalso needtodisabletheupperelementandthermostattheupperelementisusually abovetheleveloftheoilyouareheating,andwouldburnoutifheatedwithoutbeing coveredbyliquid.Youwillalsoprobablyalsowanttomountthewaterheaterona standIusetwomilkcratesstackedtogetherandstrapittothewallstudsfor earthquakesafetyinearthquakecountry. Iusuallydisabletheupperheatingelementandthermostatinatwothermostatwater heaterprocessorbecausetheupperheatingelementwillbeabovethelevelofthe oilyoureheating. PartsList: Allplumbing3/4inchunlessotherwisenoted.Allplumbingblackironthreaded pipeifpossiblegalvanizedissometimestheonlychoiceforsomefittingsbutisnot preferredduetozinccontent: A.3"pipenipple B.3/4"x3/4"x1/2"tee Cclosenipplesyou'llneed7ofthem Dballvalves(3/4")buy5ofthem(verycheapatHarborFreight,moreexpensive elsewhere) Ecrossfitting(asortoffourwaytee,availableatLowes'butnotatallother hardwarestores.Substituteapairofteesandsomeclosenipplesifyoucant'find
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one) F.Bushing:3/4"by1/2"buy2 G.1/2"closenipple2 H1/2"ballvalve H21/2"swingcheckvalve I.NylonorBrass90degreethreadtobarbfitting:malethreadendis1/2"thread, hosebarbendis3/8"barb,plushoseclamp J.Lengthof3/8"vinyltubing3or4feet. K.straightor90degree1/2inchthreadedto3/8inchbarbednylonorbrassfitting, andhoseclamp L.3/4"HoseBarb(IuseplasticgreyPVConesthataresometimesinirrigation departmentsforabout30centseach) M.1or2feetofvinyltubingasadrain/fillertube.Makethisclearratherthanbraided hosesoyoucanseethroughitwell. N.Union(3/4"ofcourse) O1"by3/4"bushings2.ThreadtheseintothepumpwithTONSofthreadtapeor pipedopemorethanyouwouldnormallyuse.Thepumpthreadsarestraightthread ratherthantaperedAmericanpipethread,sotheyneedextrahelptopreventleaks. P.LengthofBRAIDED3/4"vinylhose.Donotuseunreinforcednonbraidedhose here.Preparetoreplacethishoseeveryfewmonthsasitdeteriorateswithheatand biodiesel. Q90degreeelbows2 R.lengthofpipenippleapprox12"18"(purchasecorrectsizeafterassembling everythingelse) S.2"longpipenipple2 TAutomotivemechanicaltemperaturegauge(not12Velectricaltype).Ipreferthe heavydutySunproonefromPepBoysovertheotherbrands/stores.Itshouldbe $15ish.Thenumbersshouldstartat100Forlowerinsteadof130F(theotheroption atthesestores).Thebiodieselhomebrewsupplystoressellsomealternatives. U.Properplumbingtoattachtowaterheater'spressurereliefventanddirectany fumesoutsideifusingapressurerelief. V.Waterheaterstrapping,orotherearthquakestrappingforattachingtheprocessor toyourwallstuds.Iusewebbingstrapping. W. Pump: Thisisa'1"ClearWaterPumpfromHarborFreightToolsorNorthern Tool$35partnumber1479.Thiscentrifugalpumpalsoallowsyour3/4"hose becomesighttube(soyouknowhowhightheoilleveliswhenfillingtheprocessor). Noncentrifugalpumpswon'tgiveyouthisfeature,inwhichcaseyouwillneedto insteadaddateeandanothertubeassighttubeGivethesighttubeashutoffvalve soyoudon'tdrainunreactedoilintoyourbiodieselwhenemptyingtheprocessor. Seeotherplanselsewhereinthisbookformoredetailsonhowthisworks. Youwillneedtobuyagroundedplugandalengthof14gaugepowertoolcordto wireupthepumpaswell. X Heatingelementsandthermostats: Disabletheupperheatingelementand thermostat.
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Disconnectpowerfromthewaterheaterbeforeopeningitselectricalpanels!Iturn 220Voltwaterheatersinto110voltsandaddaheavyduty110Vplugona12or10 gaugecord,becausewedontusuallyhave220Voutletseasilyaccessibleatthe siteswhereIwork.A220Vheatingelementoperatedat110Vwillputout1/4the poweroutput(watts).Inpracticethisusually meansthatthelowerelementwillheat fartooslowlyon110.Ipurchasea110Vreplacementelementinstead.Thermostats willworkateithervoltage (c)design2003MariaAlovert,publishedinBiodieselHomebrewGuide,Nov2003 edition Thisismyfavoriteathttp://home.swbell.net/scrof/Biod_Proc.html Itincludesfiltersandvacuumfillingthroughthefiltersandmethanolcollection,very efficient.Ithinkthisisthewaytogo.Automatethisandyoureonawinner.

Onceyougetgoingitsreallyonlylimitedtoyourimaginationandbudgetbutonceyou have got your head around the process requirements then the more innovative the better.

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If you want to really go for it then OFR or Oscillatory Flow Reactors are the key and meanyoucanprocesstoyourheartscontentwithaconstantflowreactormeaningthat isjustkeepsproducingaslongasyoufeeditingredients.

Oscillatory Flow Mixing (OFM) provides highly effective mixing in tube reactors by the combination of fluid oscillations and baffle inserts ... OFM is particularly suited to continuous processing. How it works, Research, Technology, Publications, and more, with diagrams and photographs. http://www.cheng.cam.ac.uk/ research/groups/polymer/OFM/

SolidCatalystreactorsarecomingtotheforerecentlyandsomemoreinfocanbefound here. http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/08/new_biodiesel_p.html Thisisaninterestingstoryaboutacreditcardreactorneedingnocatalystjustalcohol http://www.tbo.com/news/money/MGBWHTJE8ME.html

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Making Biodiesel Ingredients SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY

Wearproperprotectivegloves,apron,andeyeprotectionanddonotinhaleany vapors.Methanolcancauseblindnessanddeath,andyoudon'tevenhavetodrink it,it'sabsorbedthroughtheskin.Sodiumhydroxidecancausesevereburnsand death.Togetherthesetwochemicalsformsodiummethoxide.Thisisanextremely causticchemical.Thesearedangerouschemicalstreatthemassuch! Alwayshaveahoserunningwhenworkingwiththem.Theworkspacemustbe thoroughlyventilated.Nochildrenorpetsallowed. Mixture: Wastevegetableoil(WVO)usedcookingoil,fryergrease,animalfats,lard Methanol(CH3OH)99%+pure Sodiumhydroxide(NaOHcausticsoda,lye)mustbedry Titration: Isopropylalcohol(rubbingalcohol)99%+pure Distilledwater Phenolphthaleinsolution(notmorethanayearold,keptprotectedfromstronglight) "Phenol"or"PhenolRed"fromswimmingpoolorhottubsupplystoresmaynotbe thesameasphenolphthaleinitcanbeusedbutthedirectionsforusemaybe different Washing: Vinegar Water(OrDrywashwithmoreresearch)

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Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Filter WVOtoremoveanyfoodscrapsorsolidparticles. HeatWVOtoremoveanywatercontent(optional). Performtitrationtodeterminehowmuchcatalystisneeded. Preparesodiummethoxide. HeatWVO,mixinthesodiummethoxidewhilestirring. Allowtosettle,removetheglycerine. Washanddry.(thisisoptionalinmyopinionaslongasyoufilterandstand forlongenoughbutitsuptoyou) 8. Checkquality. Thisprocedureiscalledtransesterification,similartosaponification.Soundfamiliar? Saponificationissoapmaking.Tomakesoapyoutakeatransfattyacidor triglyceride(oilorkitchengrease)andblenditwithasolutionofsodiumhydroxide (NaOH,causticsodaorlye)andwater.Thisreactioncausestheesterchainsto separatefromtheglycerine.Theseesterchainsarewhatbecomesthesoap. They'realsocalledlipids.Theiruniquecharacteristicofbeingattractedtopolar moleculessuchaswaterononeendandtononpolarmoleculeslikeoilontheother endiswhatmakesthemeffectiveassoap. Intransesterification,lyeandmethanolaremixedtocreatesodiummethoxide(Na+ CH3O).WhenmixedinwiththeWVOthisstrongpolarbondedchemicalbreaks thetransfattyacidintoglycerineandalsoesterchains(biodiesel),alongwithsome soapifyou'renotcareful(moreonthatlater).Theestersbecomemethylesters. Theywouldbeethylestersifreactedwithbooze(ethanol)insteadofmethanol. Figures13showthesetworeactions.Thezigzaglinesinthetriglyceridediagram (Figure1)areshorthandforcarbonchains.Atbothendsofeachlinesegmentisa carbonatom.

Figure1

InFigures2and3thesezigzagsareshorthandedasR1,2and3.

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Figure2

Figure3

1.Filtering
FiltertheWVOtoremovefoodparticles.Youmayhavetowarmitupabitfirsttoget ittorunfreely,95degF(35degC)shouldbeenough.Useadoublelayerof cheeseclothinafunnel,orarestaurantorcanteentypecoffeefilter. (Thebetteryoucanfilteritnowthebetteryourreactionwillbelater)

2.Removingthewater
ManypeopleheattheWVOfirsttoremoveanywatercontent.Wasteoilwillprobably containwater,whichcanslowdownthereactionandcausesaponification(soap formation).ThelesswaterintheWVOthebetter. Thisishowtheydoit.Raisethetemperatureto212degF(100degC),holditthere andallowanywatertoboiloff.Usethemixertoavoidsteampocketsformingbelow theoilandexploding,splashinghotoiloutofthecontainer.Ordrainwaterpuddles outfromthebottomastheyform youcansaveanyoilthatcomesoutwiththe waterlater.(Immoreonthesideof70orlessasthiswillstillremovewaterwithout creatingtomanymoreFFAs) Whenboilingslows,raisethetemperatureto265degF(130degC)for10minutes. Removeheatandallowtocool. YoumaybeluckyandfindaregularsourceofWVOthatdoesn'tneedtohavethe waterboiledoff,inwhichcasedon'tdoitboilingmeansextraenergyandtime.
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PersonallyIdon'tboiloffthewaterfirst,I'dratheravoidtheextrastepintheprocess andsavetheenergyituses.Butunlessyou'resure,itmaybebettertobeonthe safeside.

3.Titration
Todeterminethecorrectamountoflyerequired,atitrationmustbeperformedonthe oilbeingtransesterified.Thisisthemostdifficultstepintheprocess,andthemost criticalmakeyourtitrationasaccurateaspossible. IMPORTANT:Thelyemustbedrykeepitawayfromwater,storeitinanairtight container. Makeupasolutionofonegramoflyetooneliterofdistilledwater.Makesureit dissolvescompletely.Thissampleisthenusedasareferencetesterforthetitration process.It'simportantnottoletthesamplegetcontaminated,itcanbeusedfor manytitrations. Mix10millilitersofisopropylalcoholinasmallcontainerwitha1millilitersampleof WVOmakesureit'sexactly1milliliter.TaketheWVOtitrationsamplefromthe reactionvessel(Figure5#1)afterit'sbeenwarmedupandstirred. Addtothissolution2dropsofphenolphthalein,anacidbaseindicatorthat's colorlessinacidandredinbase. IMPORTANT:Phenolphthaleinhasashelflifeofaboutayear,itisverysensitiveto degradationbylightsoafterawhileitwillstartgivingerroneousreadings. Usingagraduatedeyedropper(withincrementsmarkedintenthsofmilliliters)or someothercalibratedinstrument(frommedicalsupplyoutlets),whilecarefully keepingtrackoftheamounts,dropmeasuredamountsofthelye/watersolutiona coupleoftenthsofmillilitersatatimeintotheWVO/isopropyl/phenolphthalein solution. Followeachdropwithvigorousstirringofthesolution.IncoldweathertheWVO mightcongealandnotworksoyoumightneedtodothetitrationinaheatedroom.If conditionsarerighteventuallythesolutionturnspink(magenta),andstayspinkfor 10seconds.ThisistheindicatorcolorforapHrangeof89(seethephotographin theleftcolumnofthispage,"ColoroftitratedliquidsamplewhenatthecorrectpH"). It'simportanttofindtheexactamount,tojustreachthispHwithoutdroppingintoo much! It'sagoodideatodothisentireprocessmorethanoncetoensurethatyournumber iscorrect.I'vefoundthatdependingonthetypeofWVO,howhotitgotinthefryer, whatwascookedinitandhowlongitwasused,theamountoflye/watersolution
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neededtotitrateitisusually1.5to3milliliters.Youcanalsouselitmuspaperora digitalpHtesterinsteadofthephenolphthalein.Tryitwithfreshcookingoilfromyour kitchentoo,itshouldneedmuchlesslyetoreachpH89.

Thecalculation

Thenextstepistodeterminetheamountoflyeneededforthereaction.Takethe numberofmillilitersderivedfromthetitrationandmultiplybythenumberoflitersof WVOtobetransesterified. Thereisonemorethingtobeincludedinthecalculation.Everyliterofneat vegetableoil(freshneverbeencooked)needs3.5gramsoflyeforthereaction. SoforeveryliterofWVOtobetransesterifiedaddanadditional3.5gramsoflye. Example:Thetitrationdeterminedthatittook2.4milliliterstoreachpH89andyou'll betransesterifying150litersofoil. 2.4gramstimes150litersequals360gramslye Plus3.5gramstimes150litersequals525gramslye 360+525=885gramslye Ifthetitrationresultwas1.8milliliterstoreachpH89,thefinalamountoflyeneeded forthereactionwouldbe795grams. I'vefoundovertimethatthenumberofgramsoflyeneededperliterofWVOhas generallybeenbetween6and7.

Testbatches(REALLYIMPORTANT)makesureyoudo test batches first.

Thefirstfewtimesyoudothisprocessorifyou'replanningontransesterifyingalot ofWVOitisagoodpracticetofirsttryoutyourlyeamountsona1literbatchina kitchenblender.(RemembertheonefromearlierJ)Thisworksreallywellandyou don'tneedtoheatuptheWVOtoomuch,justenoughsoitwillspinwellinthe blender.Blendersareverythoroughatmixingtheingredientssoheatingisnotas critical. Startbymixingupthelyeandmethanolinablender(onethatwillneverbeusedfor foodagain).Firstmakesuretheblenderandallutensilsusedaredry.Formingthe exothermalsodiummethoxidepolarmoleculewillheatuptheblendercontainerabit. Keepmixinguntilallthelyehasbeendissolved.

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Oncethesodiummethoxideisprepared,addtotheblender1literofWVO.Make certainallyourweightsandvolumesareprecise.Ifyou'reunsureofthetitration resultnumbersthenuse66.25gramsoflyeperliterofusedWVO,or3.5gramsfor freshvegetableoil.Blenderbatchesneedonlyberunforabout1520minutesfor separationtobecompletedbeforeswitchingoff.Thesettlingtakessometimeto complete.Thesolutioncanbepouredfromtheblenderintoanothercontainerright afterswitchingofftheblender. Itisgoodtodoafewbatcheswithvaryingamountsoflyerecordedsolaterwhen checkingresultsonecanchoosethelyequantitythatdidthebestjob. Whentoomuchlyeisusedtheresultcanbeatroublesomegelthatistoughtodo anythingwith.(SeeGlopsoapThiscanberecoveredbutitsaonlyworthitifyou endupwithalot.)Whennotenoughlyeisusedthereactiondoesnotgofarenough sosomeunreactedWVOwillbemixedwiththebiodieselandglycerine.Thiswill formthreelevelswithbiodieselontopaboveunreactedWVOwithglycerineonthe bottom.IfthereistoomuchwaterintheWVOitwillformsoapsandsettleright abovetheglycerineformingafourthlevelinthecontainer.Thislayerisnottooeasy toseparatefromtheunreactedWVOandglycerinelayers.

4.Preparingthesodiummethoxide
Generallytheamountofmethanolneededis20%oftheWVObymass.The densitiesofthesetwoliquidsarefairlyclosesomeasuring20%ofmethanolby volumeshouldbeaboutright.Tobecompletelysure,measureoutahalfliterofboth fluids,weigh,andcalculateexactlywhat20%bymassis.DifferentWVOscanhave differentdensitiesdependingonwhattypeofoilitoriginallywasandhowlongitwas usedinthedeepfryer. Example:Whentransesterifying100litersofWVO,use20litersofmethanol. Themethanolismixedintoasolutionwiththesodiumhydroxide(lye),creating sodiummethoxideinanexothermicreaction(ieitgetswarmfrombondsforming). Keepallutensilsthelyecomesincontactwithasdryaspossible. CAUTION: Treatsodiummethoxidewithextremecaution!Donotinhaleanyvapors!Ifany sodiummethoxidegetssplashedonyourskin,itwillburnyouwithoutyourfeelingit (killingthenerves)washimmediatelywithlotsofwater.Alwayshaveahose runningwhenworkingwithsodiummethoxide. Sodiummethoxideisalsoverycorrosivetopaints.Lyereactswithaluminum,tinand zinc.Useglass,enamelorstainlesssteelcontainersstainlesssteelisbest.Used restaurantequipmentsupplystoresandscrapmetalrecyclingyardsaretwogood
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placestolookforthistypeofequipment.Brazeonplumbingfittingsfordrains,etc. whereneeded.

5.Heatingandmixing
Preheatwastevegetableoilreclaimedfromarestaurant'swastegreasebarrelto 120130degF(4854degC). Apropellerorpaintstirrercoupledtoa1/2inchelectricdrillheldsecurelyinajig worksfineasamixer. Toomuchagitationcausessplashingandbubblesthroughvortexingandreduces mixefficiency.Thereshouldbeavortexjustappearingonthesurface.Adjustthe speed,orthepitchorsizeofthestirrertogettherighteffect. Ifyouwantaquieterprocessor,anelectricpumpplumbedtoformamixingloopfor stirringtheWVOwoulddoanicejob.Mountthepumpabovethelevelthatglycerine willgelattopreventcloggingupthepump(seebelow). AddthesodiummethoxidetotheWVOwhilestirringstirthemixturefor50minutes toanhour.Thereactionisoftencompletein30minutes,butlongerisbetter. Thetransesterificationprocessseparatesthemethylestersfromtheglycerine.The CH3OofthemethanolthencapsofftheesterchainsandOHfromtheNaOH(lye) stabilizestheglycerine.

6.Settlingandseparation
Allowthesolutiontositandcoolforatleasteighthours,preferablylonger.The methylestersbiodieselwillbefloatingontopwhilethedenserglycerinewill havecongealedonthebottomofthecontainerformingahardgelatinousmass(the mixingpumpmustbemountedabovethislevel). Analternativemethodistoallowthereactantstositforatleastanhouraftermixing whilekeepingthebrewabove100degF(38degC),whichkeepstheglycerine semiliquid(itsolidifiesbelow100degF).Thencarefullydecantthebiodiesel. Thiscanbedonebydrainingthereactantsoutofthebottomofthecontainerthrough atransparenthose.Thesemiliquidglycerinehasadarkbrowncolorthebiodieselis honeycolored.Keepawatchonwhatflowsthroughthesighttube:whenthelighter coloredbiodieselappearsdivertittoaseparatecontainer.Ifanybiodieselstayswith theglycerineitiseasytoretrieveitlateroncetheglycerinehassolidified. Ifyouleftthemixtureinthetankuntiltheglycerinegelled,reheatthetankjust
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enoughtoliquifytheglycerineagain.Don'tstirit!Thendecantitoutasabove.
Figure6

Aproposedalternativeusingverylittleelectricityisillustrated inFigure6.Thissystemwoulduseafurnacetypeburnerrun onreclaimedesterstoheatitsreactionvessel.Thevessel's stirringactioniscreatedbythermoinversioncurrents generatedbythevessel'sexternalcoolingtubesandabaffled exhaustventthatrunsupthroughitscenter. Figure5alsoshowsablender(#3)usedtomixupthesodium methoxide.Whenmaking16liter(5gal)batches,Iuseayard saleglassblenderforthesodiummethoxidesolution(andfor nothingelse!),butIcan'tfititallinatonce,soImeasureout threeseparateportions.

Glycerine
TheglycerinefromWVOisbrownandusuallyturnstoasolidbelowabout100degF (38degC).Glycerinefromfreshoiloftenstaysaliquidatlowertemperatures. Reclaimedglycerinecanbecompostedafterbeingventedforthreeweekstoallow residualmethanoltoevaporateofforafterheatingitto150degF(66degC)toboil offanymethanolcontent(theboilingpointofmethanolis148.5degF,64.7degC). Theexcessmethanolcanberecoveredforreusewhenboiledoffifyourunthe vaporsthroughacondenser. Anotherwayofdisposingoftheglycerine,thoughagreatbitmorecomplicated, wouldbetoseparateitscomponents,mostlymethanol,pureglycerine(avaluable productformedicines,tinctures,handlotions,driedplantarrangementsandmany otherusesseeGlycerine)andwax.Thisisoftenaccomplishedbydistillingit,but glycerinehasahighboilingpointevenunderhighvacuum sothismethodisdifficult. Iwasabletofindsomeonewhocouldusemyglycerine(fordriedflower arrangements)throughtheIndustrialMaterialsExchange(IMEX)inSeattle.IMEX hasapublicationthatcomesouteveryothermonthwithlistings,lookingforand offeringalltypesofsurplusindustrialmaterials.Manyareashavesimilarexchanges. http://www.metrokc.gov/hazwaste/imex/ Theglycerinebyproductmakesanexcellentindustrialtypedegreaser/soap.One waytopurifyitisheatitto150degF(65.5degC)toboiloffexcessmethanol, makingitsafeforskincontact(takeprecautionswithfumes).Oncetheglycerineis
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backtoaliquidtheimpuritiessinktothebottomandthecolorwillbecomeamore uniformdarkbrown.Thiscanbecutwithwaterleavingitatancolor,less concentratedandsofterandeasiertohandlewhenwashinghands.Producedthis waythedegreasercouldbesoldinsqueezeorpumpdispensers. Otherideasfordisposingoftheglycerinearebreakingitdowntousablemethane gas,withamethanedigesteror,foramuchwilderidea,itcouldbebrokendownwith pyrolisis.PyrolisiswasusedextensivelytoruncarsonfirewoodinoilscarceEurope andelsewhereduringWorldWar2.Theprocessorhasaheatsourcethatheatsthe fuel(woodorglycerine)inanairtightboxwithoutoxygen.Thisallowsthefuelto releaseitsmethanewhilenotallowingittoburn.Themethaneistrappedinan inflatablestoragecontainerorcompressedintoatank.Thisisanareaofbiodiesel developmentthatwarrantsfurtherwork.

Soapresidue
Suspendedinthebiodieselwillalsobesomesoapyresidues.Thesearetheresultof Na+ionsfromthesodiumhydroxide(NaOH)reactingwithwatercreatedwhenthe methanolbondswiththeesterchainsalongwithanyotherwaterthatwas suspendedintheWVO. Ifthereactionproducesmorethantheusualamountofsoap,thishappenswhenlye comesintocontactwithwaterbeforeithasachancetoreactwiththeWVOinthis casetheexcesswatershouldhavebeenboiledofffirst.(SeeStep2,above, Removingthewater.) Thepartoftheprocesswhereit'svitaltokeepallwateroutofthereactioniswhen makingthesodiummethoxide.Keeptheblenderandallutensilsthelyecomesin contactwithasdryaspossible.Thechancesofagoodcleansplittingofestersfrom glycerinewithlittlesoapbyproductaremuchbetteronawarmdrysummerdaythan onadampwinterday.

7.Washinganddrying
Thereismorethanoneschoolofthoughtongettingthebiodieselfromthisstageto thefueltank.Oneistoletitsitforawhile(aboutaweek),allowingthemajorityofthe soapresiduestosettlebeforerunningthebiodieselthroughafiltrationsystemthen intothevehicle/homefueltank. Anothermethodistowashthesoapsoutofthefuelwithwater,oneormoretimes. Whenwashingbiodieselthefirsttimeit'sbesttoaddasmallamountofaceticacid (vinegar)beforeaddingthewater.TheaceticacidbringsthepHofthesolution closertoneutralbecauseitneutralizesanddropsoutanylyesuspendedinthe biodiesel.
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Figure7showsasimplewayofwashingusingatranslucentPVC typecontainerwithavalve34inchesfrombottom.For5gallon batchesusethose57gallonbucketsfoundeverywherethesedays. Ifatranslucentcontainercan'tbefoundonefabricatedwithasight tube(#6)oughttowork. Fillwithwateruntilitishalfwaybetweenthecontainer'sbottomand thevalve,thenfillupwiththebiodieseltobewashed.Afteragentle stirring(keepitgentle,youdon'twanttoagitateupsoaps)followed by1224hoursofsettling,theoilandwaterwillseparate,thecleaned oilcanbedecantedoutthevalve,leavingthedensersoapywaterto bedrainedoutthebottom(#5).

Figure7

Thisprocessmighthavetoberepeatedtwoorthreetimestoremovecloseto100% ofsoaps.Thesecondandthirdwashingscanbedonewithwater alone.Afterthethirdwashinganyremainingwatergetsremovedby reheatingtheoilslowly(Figure8),thewaterandotherimpurities sinktobottom.ThefinishedproductshouldbepH7,checkedwith litmuspaperorwithadigitalpHtester.

Thewaterfromthethirdwashcanbeusedforthefirstorsecond washesforthenextbatch.Theimpuritiescanbeleftinthereheater forthenextbatchandremovedwhenitaccumulates.Thesoapscan Figure8 beconcentrated,leftoverbiodieselcanbedecantedoutandwhat's leftisabiodegradablesoapgoodformanyindustrialtypeuses(degreasersetc.). Ihadsomesuccesswithtrappingtheconcentratedveryhydratedsodiumfromthis soap.ThewayIdidthiswasbypouringthesoapontoastretchedcheeseclothand allowingthewatertorunthroughleavingthesodiumonthecloth.Thisisasfaras I'vegonewiththissofarbutitseemsonecouldpressmuchofthewaterfromthe sodiumthenvacuumdessicatethissaturatedsodiumunderdryconditionsbacktoa usablesodiumhydroxide. Transesterifiedandwashedbiodieselwillbecomeclearerovertimeasany remainingsoapsdropoutofthesolution.

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Finally
Whoa a lot of information in there I know, but even if it sparks your interest to start playingaroundoreventrying biofuelinyourvehiclethenithasserveditspurpose. Rightthentestingyourfuelforqualityisthebiggy.Putyourbiodieselinaglassjar withsomewater.(afteryouvedrywash,waterwashed,filtered,settledordontcare etc.andshakeitfor10seconds.IfitthenseparatestoBiodieselatthetopandwater atthebottomyoureonawinner,putitinyourtankandgoforadrive. Ifitturnsintomussywhiteemulsionthenyouneedtoworkonyourwashing,filtering whathaveyou. ImhappytoreceiveanyquestionsbyemailandIllbepublishingaBiodieselsite withforumveryshortlysomaybesavethemforthen.

www.GOBIO.co.nz pleaseregisterontheforum.
Nowsomebackgroundonmeandmytruck. Im fromEnglandandloveNZwithapassion,Iworkinthecomputer industryand4wheeldrivingisahobbyalongwithseveralotherformsofmotorsport soImnotreehuggingenvironmentalist.Shootingandfishingarealsosomeofmy favoritepastimesbutIneverseemtogetroundtodoingthemasoftenasIwould like.(Whichnodoubtgoesforallofus) Idohavekidsandbelieveweareresponsibleforprovidingacleanenvironmentfor ourlittleonestogrowupin.(arealperktobiodieselisthereductioninparticulates thatcancauseasthmaandchestcomplaintsetc.)Alongwithmakingsurewedont turnoverapotentialbagofenvironmentalwormstoourgrandkids. FossilfuelsarerunningoutandwithsomelateralthinkingNZcouldadoptawider reachingbiofuelsprogramwiththebuyinoftheruralindustries. Mostofthisisdowntoprovidingtheinformationtothecorrectpeople.Thatsyouthe personreadingthisrightnow.Wecanusebiofueltechnologytosetanexampleto theworldbutonlyifwetakethebullbythehornsnow. Thereareinterestingdevelopmentstakingplaceinthebiofuelsarenaatthe moment,technologieslikealgaeco2filteringforpowerplantswhichproducea constantsourceofalgaeforproductionintoalgalbasedbiodiesel.

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Checkouthttp://www.greenfuelonline.com/emissions_to_biofuels.htmformoreinfo onthis. ThiswouldbegreatforthenewHelensvilleGaspowerstation! Maybeabiofueledgeneratorwithitsemissionsrunthroughfacilitylikethiswith sunlightandyoucouldbeclosetoselfsufficient. Orgrowingoilpalmsaslistinginhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel onyourown landtosupplyyouwithyourownbiodiesel! Myoldlandcruiserisa9180seriesVXltd4.2turbodiesel.ItsanautoandIhave runitonunwashedhomemadebiodieselforoverayearnowwithnoissues. (ApartfromhavingtodrainthetankonceasIgotmytapsmixedupandputglycerin inthetank!!) TheengineisquieterwhenrunonbiodieselandIllputa.wavfileonthewebsite whenitsreadycomparingthe2fuels(BioandDino)onvibrationandnoisealone. Theextrapowerisnoticeablewhendrivingandcomesinhandyforthoseespecially stickymudholes! RighthopeyouenjoyedthatandIllsignoffbeforeIstartramblingtomuch. FeelfreetopointoutanymistakesorerrorsandIllgladlycorrectthem. Forumandwebsitetofollowsoon

BiodieselBreakdown B100=100%Biodiesel(Mymixofpreferenceinmycar) B20=20%BiodieselblendwithnormalDinodiesel(thehighestmixyourlikelyto

seecommerciallyatthepump)

B5=5%BiodieselblendwithDinomuck(ThisistheEnforcedbiodieselstandard
forblendbythegovernmentforintroductionby2008asanalternativeandwill probablybemoreexpensivetoo!) Usefullinks http://www.gobionz.comGetit?(Kiwiownedandrunforkiwibiodieselers) http://www.gobio.co.nz
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http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel.html http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/gettingstarted/ http://biodiesel.infopop.cc

TheNationalBiodieselBoard'sBiodieselFuelFactSheets(Acrobatfiles) http://www.biodiesel.org/resources/fuelfactsheets/ TheBiodieselAssociationofAustraliaFAQsee"BiodieselFactSheets"and "PublicFAQ" http://www.biodiesel.org.au/ Orjustwww.google.co.nz Biodieselhomeproduction

BiodieselfactsNZS7500:2005NZStandard

OwifyourstillreadingthepictureintheframesisasmallislandofthecostofNorth WalesintheUKcalledBardseyorYnysEnlli(IfyoubefromWalesboyo)its pronouncedEnnisenthlyAnditsoneofthemostsereneandbeautifulplacesinthe world.AndIdlikeittostaythatway. http://www.bardsey.org/english/bardsey/welcome.asp?pid=1

DarrenWood Friday,5May2006

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