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tabletop press for around US$1,000. Although the press usually comes with a 240V/50 cycle electric motor, you can buy the press with a 120V/60 cycle motor from the U.S. distributor. The press looks like a powerful juicer.

To operate it, pour the oilseed into the funnel and wait for the vegetable oil to pour out of the bottom. The meal oozes out of the side of the press.

The Three Ways to Use Vegetable Oil as a Fuel Diesel engines that are found in cars, trucks, generators, boats, buses, trains, planes, pumping stations, tractors, and agricultural equipment can all run on fuel from vegetable oil. Pure vegetable oil, lard, and used cooking oil work just as well as diesel fuel.

Biodiesel

The most conventional method of running a diesel engine on vegetable oil fuel is to produce a fuel called biodiesel. Biodiesel is made by combining 10 to 20

percent alcohol with 0.35 to 0.75 percent lye and 80 to 90 percent vegetable oil. A very reliable reaction can be made with 80 parts new vegetable oil, 20 parts methanol, and 0.35 parts lye. These ingredients are mixed together for an hour and left to settle for eight hours.

After the chemical reaction is complete and the new Our friend, Hugo Brown, pouring grease. A container of products settle out, you have biodiesel fuel and glycerin used cooking oil can be found behind most restaurants.

soap. The fuel is yellow to amber in color and flows like other methods, you can use either pure vegetable oil or water. The soap is brown in color and has the used cooking oil. To ensure the reliability and longevity consistency of gelatin. The soap settles to the bottom, of your diesel engine, the engine must be started and allowing you to pump, siphon, or pour off the biodiesel.

cooled down on diesel or biodiesel fuel. This also Veggie/Kero Mix

requires the use of an extra fuel tank and a valve to The second method for using vegetable oil in a diesel switch between the tank of diesel or biodiesel fuel and engine is to simply “cut” the oil with kerosene. This the tank of vegetable oil. Think of it as a startup tank method is best suited for emergencies, heavy duty and a running tank.

engines, and warm temperatures. Although it is The key to running a diesel on straight vegetable oil is possible to mix other petroleum products with vegetable to heat the vegetable oil at every stage—in the fuel oil, kerosene is most suited for the diesel engine.

tank, fuel hose, and fuel filter. The vegetable oil must be Depending on ambient temperature, the blend of heated to at least 70°C (160°F).

kerosene to vegetable oil will be anywhere from 10

Most diesel engines have hoses that carry hot coolant.

percent kerosene and 90 percent vegetable oil to 40

This coolant can be channeled to heat the vegetable oil percent kerosene and 60 percent vegetable oil. A fairly hoses, tank, and filter. You can make simple reliable blend is 20 percent kerosene to 80 percent modifications to the coolant hoses. These modifications vegetable oil.

combined with some extra fuel and oil hoses, an extra The effectiveness and reliability of the veggie/kero fuel tank, and an electrically operated switch will allow method is increased by starting and cooling down the you to run your diesel engine on straight vegetable oil.

diesel engine on diesel fuel or biodiesel fuel. This can Fuel Comparison

be accomplished by installing an extra fuel tank and The chart will show you the differences between the switching to the veggie/kero mix when the engine is three vegetable oil fuel methods. As you can see, warmed up.

biodiesel is a good substitute or additive fuel for diesel Straight Vegetable Oil

fuel. Veggie/kero mix is decent for use as an The third method for running a diesel engine on emergency fuel. And using straight vegetable oil is good vegetable oil is to use straight vegetable oil. As with the if you have the time and know-how to properly modify Home Power #72 • August / September 1999

85

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Comparison of Different Vegetable Oil Fuel Methods milliliters of vegetable oil and 20

milliliters of methanol. Then you Veggie/Kero

Straight

Property

Biodiesel

Mix

Veggie Oil

must determine how much lye to

Can be used as lubrication additive to diesel fuel yes

no

no

use.

Requires vehicle modification

no

yes

yes

If you are using used vegetable oil, Reliably cuts emissions in all diesel engines yes

no

unknown *

use 0.45 grams of lye for the first Considered an alternative fuel under the yes

no

yes **

test batch. If this batch makes United States Energy Policy Act (EPACT) biodiesel and glycerin, use the same Simple way to run a vehicle in an emergency no

yes

no

proportions for the large batch Stable fuel at room temperature yes

no

no

reaction. If the test batch does not Requires added chemicals to produce yes

yes

no

form two distinct layers, increase the Requires startup tank of biodiesel or diesel fuel no

yes

yes

amount of lye to 0.55 grams and Good startup fuel

yes

no

no

make another test batch. If this Better lubrication than diesel fuel yes

yes

yes

batch is unsuccessful, make another Gels in cold weather

yes

yes

yes

batch and increase the amount of Covered by many engine warranties yes

no

no

lye to 0.65 grams. If that batch is Can be made from used cooking oil yes

yes

yes

unsuccessful, make another batch Can be made from pure vegetable oil yes

yes

yes

with 0.75 grams of lye. Make sure Safe to store and handle, biodegradable, won't yes

no

yes

spontaneously ignite, and non-toxic you can make biodiesel on a small scale before attempting a large Works in all diesel engines

yes

yes

yes

reaction.

Can be reliably mixed in any proportion with yes

no

no

diesel fuel without vehicle modification Once you have made a successful Approved for use by EPACT in a 20% mix yes

no

no

small test batch of biodiesel, multiply with 80% diesel fuel ***

the number of grams of lye you used Engine life, power, torque, fuel mileage, and yes

yes

yes

overall performance are relatively unaffected by ten to see how much lye you will Can clog fuel injectors if used improperly no

yes

yes

need for each liter of oil in the large Requires heating for operation at any temperature no

no

yes

reaction. For example, if you used Tested and documented by U.S. universities yes

no

yes

0.55 grams of lye in the test batch, Possible substitute for home heating oil in furnaces yes

no

no

you will need to use 5.5 grams of lye Can be used in Petromax brand and similar per liter of used cooking oil for a yes

no

yes

lanterns and stoves

large reaction.

* No recent U.S. University studies have been published on this.

Here is the basic procedure for

** Under EPACT regulations, any biologically-derived fuel is considered an alternative fuel.

making biodiesel fuel. Read the

*** EPACT legislation states that a fleet must use a minimum of 450 gallons (1703 l) of biodiesel per year.

safety information at the end of this article before you begin.

your engine’s heating and fuel tank systems. Diesel 1.

Purchase or collect new or used vegetable oil.

engines are used in many different situations. For each 2.

If the oil is used cooking oil, use a restaurant fryer situation, there is a way to make fuel from vegetable oil.

filter to remove burned food bits, etc.

How to Make Biodiesel

3.

Purchase some methanol alcohol from a local This section outlines the process for making biodiesel racetrack or chemical supply store. Ethanol alcohol fuel from new vegetable oil or used cooking oil. This can also be used, but the process is different.

fuel can be made in a blender or in a larger, homebuilt mixer. The materials you’ll need are vegetable oil, 4.

Purchase some granulated lye (Red Devil is one methanol, and lye.

brand) or caustic soda sold as a drain cleaner from the hardware or grocery store. It must be pure If you are using new vegetable oil, always use 3.5

sodium hydroxide (NaOH).

grams of lye per liter of oil. Since each batch of used cooking oil is different, the amount of lye in each batch 5.

Measure the amount of vegetable oil you want to of biodiesel will be different. To ensure that you are use in liters. We will call this number V. Pour the using the correct amount of lye, make a small test batch vegetable oil into the mixing container.

of biodiesel in a blender before attempting a reaction in 6.

When the temperature is below 70°F (21°C), or a large mixing tank. For the test batch, use 100

when the vegetable oil is solid or lumpy, it will be 86

Home Power #72 • August / September 1999

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necessary to heat the reactants before, during, and Making Biodiesel Flow Chart

possibly after the mixing. The ideal temperature to Collect vegetable oil,

attain is 120°F (49°C). A fish tank heater will heat methanol, and lye

10 to 30 gallons (40–120 l) of reactants. For larger batches of biodiesel, a water heater element can be Measure the amount

Use 200 milliliters of

mounted in a steel biodiesel mixing tank. Make of vegetable oil in liters

methanol per liter of

vegetable oil

sure that you follow the manufacturer’s directions and safety precautions when adding any electrical Is the oil used?

device to the system. Be careful when heating vegetable oil in a plastic container. Polyethylene Use 3.5 grams of lye per

No

cannot withstand temperatures above 140°F

liter of vegetable oil

Yes

(60°C).

Perform a test batch

7.

Multiply V x 0.2. The result will be the amount of to determine how much

lye to use

methanol you will need in liters. We will call this number M.

Mix the lye

8.

To determine how much lye you will need to use for into the methanol,

which creates sodium

new vegetable oil, multiply V times 3.5 grams. For methoxide

used vegetable oil, use the number of grams of lye you got in the small test batch. For example, if you Mix the sodium

methoxide with the

used 0.55 grams of lye in the test batch, you will vegetable oil for one hour

multiply V times 5.5 grams of lye. Call this number L.

Allow the mixture to settle

Drain glycerin

for eight hours

9.

Carefully pour L grams of lye into M liters of methanol. Stir until the lye is dissolved in the Filter the biodiesel to 5

methanol. Be careful, this creates a toxic substance Let sit for a week

microns

called sodium methoxide.

10. Pour the sodium methoxide into the vegetable oil Use in diesel engine

Use as soap

right away. Stir vigorously for one hour.

11. Let the mixture settle for eight hours.

12. Pump the biodiesel from the top, or siphon it off A pump or stirrer will cost about US$200 if you buy it with a hand siphon. Or if you are lucky enough to new, but you can build your own instead. With a bit of have a container with a spigot, open the spigot and ingenuity, you can build a biodiesel processor that is drain the bottom layer of glycerin. The glycerin will inexpensive and effective. Tim Garrits of Kelseyville, be much thicker and darker than the top layer of California built such a processor from mostly recycled biodiesel.

parts for under US$50. A simple biodiesel processor can be built from the following parts: 13. Allow the glycerin to sit in the sun for a week. After that, the trace methanol will be evaporated. You

• A 55 gallon (208 l) metal drum.

have made a nice glycerin soap. You can scent it

• A 1/2 hp electric motor.

with the fragrance of your choice, add other soap agents as desired, or just use it as it is. This soap is

• Two pulleys that give about 250 to 400 rpm at the especially good for cleaning grease off your hands mixer blade.

and cleaning greasy equipment!

• A belt that goes around both pulleys.

14. Make sure your biodiesel goes through a 5 micron

• A rolled 2 inch (5 cm) rod for the mixer shaft.

filter before entering your diesel engine.

• A propeller made from two shelf brackets, welded to A Simple Biodiesel Processor either side of the rolled 2 inch rod. The shelf brackets The simplest way to make a biodiesel processor is to look like two opposed “L”s and form a propeller about use a 55 gallon (208 l) steel drum and some sort of 14 inches (36 cm) in diameter. Basically any mixer. The mixer can be a circulating pump, such as a propeller-shaped metal would do, if it is made from sump pump, or it can be an electric mixer for chemicals, about 12 or 14 gauge steel.

specially made for drum stirring.

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