biodieselpictures.com

[Weldshop]

Now, before I weld up the top, I need to decide the best way to drop the flow into the tank.

Splash to the sides with resticted pressure;



Or...

Purge straight down into the center of it all;



This is only one cubie of oil.
The baffels are from thinking about a mixer prop - not happening.

Dropping into the center makes me think it would slam already mixed liquids down into the dead bottom while not getting oil from the sides.

Is there an Ideal method or spray head I can fab for this? I have one more antique ball cap, or I would buy a proven type.

Now is the time to get it right.

Brian

[Chris Farley]

I have experimented with my this very thing on my cone bottomed processor, since opening up the top is as easy as unclamping the lid. On my setup, I definetely get better mixing with it crashing straight down. I have not tried splitting up the flow like your metal ball thinger, but I have tried directing the flow onto the side, flowing out from the side, horizontally, and straight down. I have never had a failed 3/27 from straight down.

I think that the principle here is that having the oil crashing down in the center causes turbulance to be set up in a counterflow direction allong the sides, thus mixing with more force than the fluid flowing from the pump alone imparts.

[Weldshop]

Thanks Chris Farley,
that makes sense. It is quite turbulent.
5 gallons isnt much of a test, but I didnt want to put the whole 35 gallons in just to see the pressure.

Here's the cold upflow system;



I think I'm suposed to stop at the first 55 gallons and wait a bit to overflow the settled oil. A few days, maybe?
There are straining materials in carboy/funnel. The down pipe is at the 10 gallon mark.

It's getting cool out already.
We only have two seasons here. Long hot summer, and cool 4 month winter.

Brian

[Weldshop]

[Chris Farley]

How is that cold-flow barrel plumbed?

[Weldshop]

Hi,
The blue drum is put together just as John Galt has illustrated here;
http://www.frybrid.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2119&stc=1&d=1193006636

The downtube on mine is 1/2" and goes down to the 10 gallon mark you see in the picture.

It works just as John Galt says it should, once primed 55 gallons, what ever you put into the bottom, trades you even for settled top oil.

I want to trade the blue for a white one so I can see seperation. It will look better too.

How about a 3 drum conga line? Oof, that's alot of cinder blocks.

Brian

[Weldshop]

I timed the carboy funnel drainage.
I can pour a full fryeroil cubie into the funnel, and it takes 12-13 minutes to take all 5 gallons.

There is some screening material in the funnel, but not enuff to really slow the flow. 12-13 minutes has been consistant since the begining.
All ports and fittings are 3/4".
The downpipe is 10 gallons from the bottom.

(edit); Incidentaly, the sealed downpipe is 1/2" pipe. I guess that makes it a very gentle purge.

I have been slowly adding 3-4 settled cubies every other day.
The tote is now at 90 gallons full, and there is no visible waterline (whiteness??) in the bottom.

Well, that's good. I hope.
It's been going since the date posted above, two and a half weeks.
I have like 10 cubies left to add, but by the time I nurse them into the system, 8 more cubies will be picked up.

One blue barrel in the foreground is for dregs and nasty stuff. It will take a long time to fill.

I'm assuming that this is working well.
I hope Mr. Galt will check it out and add his $0.02.

Brian

[Weldshop]

This is what I've come up with.
It's basicaly an appleseed.
I left out the top valve for the sight tube, I dont think it's necessary. Nor the valve for the inlet up high from the pump.



In previous posts, you can see that the inlet is high and 90*s down at the center of the tank.

There is a ball valve vent at the very top of he welded-on flat top 'T'.

I'm happy with the sight tube alignment, especially.

In this picture, the pump needs a mount to align with the plumbing.
Then I will fit the 1" vinyl tubing.


If anyone has any knowledge I may be lacking in this set up, please let me know.
This far, I know what every valve and fitting's purpose is.

Please comment.

Thanks,
Brian

[phatb]

Not to sound like worry wart, but I if it was my setup, I would do two things:

1.) Hard pipe the pump output, (I have worked 19yrs in chemical production and have seen many blown hoses in my time)

2.) Put a valve on top of the fill sight tube and close both top and bottom valves when full, before you start processing. (this eliminates the fill tube as a point of failure.)

Other than that it looks sweet man, good job! ! !

-=Rick=-

[bmor]

weldshop, how did you seal the bungs to make them liquid tite? silicone sealant? my setup is just like your cept i don't have a tote just another blue barrel. at the input and output of my 1st barrel there is some seepage. at this point it's pretty hard to backtrack and fix, it's not too bad so i may just live with it.
since these pictures were taken i have added a sock and nylons filter at the output side of the primary barrel as well as the screen and pantyhose in the input bucket. i'm not sure how many microns this would bring my oil to however. soon i'll do the HPT.

[Weldshop]

Hi, Bernie.
Nice set up.
If I remember correctly, I used white silicone (tubs & Window) it was what I had on hand. And I probly used teflon tape on the pvc to cap threads.
I use a steel drift and hammer to tighten my caps. A drum wrench might be better, I should pick one up.

I have a little seepage on the first drum, but not enuff to worry about.
I'll be doing it over when it gets warm out. I want a white drum there to see for sure (if I can) if it's working and when its exhausted of use.

Thanks for checking it out.
Brian

[Weldshop]

Check this out.
We had a bad Ice storm.
We had no power, besides the welder/generator, for 8 days.




That was last week, yesterday it was 60*F. The ice is gone and broken trees are all the evidence.

Brian