Homemade Diesel
Discussion
My brother's coworker uses a full-sized Dodge Pickup truck for business. Therefore, fuel prices have directly affected him. He purchased a home-cooking-oil-to-diesel kit online for about $1,000. His friends have studied it and were able to replicate it for around $200 at the local hardware.
Restaurants have to pay for this waste to be hauled away, so they are happy to let one have it free. IIRC, he adds a certain amount of Methanol and lye or glycerine (forgot which). These additives displace the animal fats. He produces 40 gallons of diesel in about 4 hours. The costs works out to be 50 cents / gallon. His dodge truck required no modification. Contrary to what Brits may think, a full-sized Yank pickup with a Cummins diesel will get 25 MPG while towing a load. As a byproduct, shop grade soap is produced, suitable for grease cutting or washing concrete, etc.
Now, I am sure this will lead to cooking oil going from "please take it free" to costing a premium. Additionaly, the government road taxes are embedded in fuel purchases; therefore, regulation on home production may be forthcoming. Anyway, interesting nontheless.
Restaurants have to pay for this waste to be hauled away, so they are happy to let one have it free. IIRC, he adds a certain amount of Methanol and lye or glycerine (forgot which). These additives displace the animal fats. He produces 40 gallons of diesel in about 4 hours. The costs works out to be 50 cents / gallon. His dodge truck required no modification. Contrary to what Brits may think, a full-sized Yank pickup with a Cummins diesel will get 25 MPG while towing a load. As a byproduct, shop grade soap is produced, suitable for grease cutting or washing concrete, etc.
Now, I am sure this will lead to cooking oil going from "please take it free" to costing a premium. Additionaly, the government road taxes are embedded in fuel purchases; therefore, regulation on home production may be forthcoming. Anyway, interesting nontheless.
Edited by Jimbeaux on Tuesday 8th July 02:59
Jimbeaux said:
Now, I am sure this will lead to cooking oil going from "please take it free" to costing a premium. Additionaly, the government road taxes are embedded in fuel purchases; therefore, regulation on home production may be forthcoming. Anyway, interesting nontheless.
Forthcoming? In the US mebe, in the UK you (to be legal) still need to pay Duty on your homebrew diesel.RobDickinson said:
Jimbeaux said:
Now, I am sure this will lead to cooking oil going from "please take it free" to costing a premium. Additionaly, the government road taxes are embedded in fuel purchases; therefore, regulation on home production may be forthcoming. Anyway, interesting nontheless.
Forthcoming? In the US mebe, in the UK you (to be legal) still need to pay Duty on your homebrew diesel.RobDickinson said:
Jimbeaux said:
Now, I am sure this will lead to cooking oil going from "please take it free" to costing a premium. Additionaly, the government road taxes are embedded in fuel purchases; therefore, regulation on home production may be forthcoming. Anyway, interesting nontheless.
Forthcoming? In the US mebe, in the UK you (to be legal) still need to pay Duty on your homebrew diesel.http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/briefs/excise-duty/brief430...
HMRC said:
Follow up to Revenue & Customs Brief 37/07 on Biofuels Simplification
Revenue & Customs Brief 37/07
issued on 19 April 2007 confirmed that the following changes applying to biofuel producers were to be introduced:
A production threshold of 2,500 litres per annum below which producers will not need to enter premises, submit returns or pay duty, and
A reduction in the frequency of returns for all but the largest producers (defined as those producing over 450,000 litres per annum) from monthly to quarterly.
We can now confirm that these measures will be introduced on 30 June 2007.
You add a small amount of caustic soda, which does something or other to the vegetable oil and produces glycerine and 'proper' biodiesel. The glycerine is a by-product and (in large enough quantities) can be sold to soap manufacturers. Revenue & Customs Brief 37/07
issued on 19 April 2007 confirmed that the following changes applying to biofuel producers were to be introduced:
A production threshold of 2,500 litres per annum below which producers will not need to enter premises, submit returns or pay duty, and
A reduction in the frequency of returns for all but the largest producers (defined as those producing over 450,000 litres per annum) from monthly to quarterly.
We can now confirm that these measures will be introduced on 30 June 2007.
Zad said:
RobDickinson said:
Jimbeaux said:
Now, I am sure this will lead to cooking oil going from "please take it free" to costing a premium. Additionaly, the government road taxes are embedded in fuel purchases; therefore, regulation on home production may be forthcoming. Anyway, interesting nontheless.
Forthcoming? In the US mebe, in the UK you (to be legal) still need to pay Duty on your homebrew diesel.http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/briefs/excise-duty/brief430...
HMRC said:
Follow up to Revenue & Customs Brief 37/07 on Biofuels Simplification
Revenue & Customs Brief 37/07
issued on 19 April 2007 confirmed that the following changes applying to biofuel producers were to be introduced:
A production threshold of 2,500 litres per annum below which producers will not need to enter premises, submit returns or pay duty, and
A reduction in the frequency of returns for all but the largest producers (defined as those producing over 450,000 litres per annum) from monthly to quarterly.
We can now confirm that these measures will be introduced on 30 June 2007.
You add a small amount of caustic soda, which does something or other to the vegetable oil and produces glycerine and 'proper' biodiesel. The glycerine is a by-product and (in large enough quantities) can be sold to soap manufacturers. Revenue & Customs Brief 37/07
issued on 19 April 2007 confirmed that the following changes applying to biofuel producers were to be introduced:
A production threshold of 2,500 litres per annum below which producers will not need to enter premises, submit returns or pay duty, and
A reduction in the frequency of returns for all but the largest producers (defined as those producing over 450,000 litres per annum) from monthly to quarterly.
We can now confirm that these measures will be introduced on 30 June 2007.
Friends of ours here have been running their old Golf (VW Fox to you Jimbeaux) on veggie oil for years. If used, they filter it well (paper coffee filter twice after straining with a kitchen strainer) and add 1% white spirit or kerosene and shake well. If new (25l containers in Aldi) they just tip it in and add 1% cheapest grade petrol.
NOT advisable with the newer PumpeDüse VW engines though as apparently various connections have been built so that they rot/break down if veggie oil is used. Perhaps some VW mechs can shed some light on this?
NOT advisable with the newer PumpeDüse VW engines though as apparently various connections have been built so that they rot/break down if veggie oil is used. Perhaps some VW mechs can shed some light on this?
Jimbeaux said:
My brother's coworker uses a full-sized Dodge Pickup truck for business. Therefore, fuel prices have directly affected him. He purchased a home-cooking-oil-to-diesel kit online for about $1,000. His friends have studied it and were able to replicate it for around $200 at the local hardware.
Restaurants have to pay for this waste to be hauled away, so they are happy to let one have it free. IIRC, he adds a certain amount of Methanol and lye or glycerine (forgot which). These additives displace the animal fats. He produces 40 gallons of diesel in about 4 hours. The costs works out to be 50 cents / gallon. His dodge truck required no modification. Contrary to what Brits may think, a full-sized Yank pickup with a Cummins diesel will get 25 MPG while towing a load. As a byproduct, shop grade soap is produced, suitable for grease cutting or washing concrete, etc.
Now, I am sure this will lead to cooking oil going from "please take it free" to costing a premium. Additionaly, the government road taxes are embedded in fuel purchases; therefore, regulation on home production may be forthcoming. Anyway, interesting nontheless.
What is the process and why is it necessary? Ten years ago I was running a Discovery TDi on used cooking oil by just pouring it through a filter and straight into the tank.Restaurants have to pay for this waste to be hauled away, so they are happy to let one have it free. IIRC, he adds a certain amount of Methanol and lye or glycerine (forgot which). These additives displace the animal fats. He produces 40 gallons of diesel in about 4 hours. The costs works out to be 50 cents / gallon. His dodge truck required no modification. Contrary to what Brits may think, a full-sized Yank pickup with a Cummins diesel will get 25 MPG while towing a load. As a byproduct, shop grade soap is produced, suitable for grease cutting or washing concrete, etc.
Now, I am sure this will lead to cooking oil going from "please take it free" to costing a premium. Additionaly, the government road taxes are embedded in fuel purchases; therefore, regulation on home production may be forthcoming. Anyway, interesting nontheless.
Edited by Jimbeaux on Tuesday 8th July 02:59
Fats and oils that we eat are triglycerides; three long chain fatty acids bound to a (3 carbon) glycerol molecule by ester bonds. The point of the caustic soda / methanol treatment is to chop the fatty acids off and bind each one to a (1 carbon) methanol molecule instead. So instead of one big eff-off fat molecule, you get three smaller ones and a by-product of glycerol.
Edited to add that this results in a much less viscous liquid.
Edited to add that this results in a much less viscous liquid.
Edited by otolith on Tuesday 8th July 11:04
otolith said:
Fats and oils that we eat are triglycerides; three long chain fatty acids bound to a (3 carbon) glycerol molecule by ester bonds. The point of the caustic soda / methanol treatment is to chop the fatty acids off and bind each one to a (1 carbon) methanol molecule instead. So instead of one big eff-off fat molecule, you get three smaller ones and a by-product of glycerol.
Edited to add that this results in a much less viscous liquid.
Is that a particular benefit then as my Disco ran perfectly on standard chip fat for years?Edited to add that this results in a much less viscous liquid.
Edited by otolith on Tuesday 8th July 11:04
I made my own bio-diesel plant from scrap-yard parts for about £150 all in. It can produce up to 80 litres at a time. We collect waste oil from the local pub - it's pretty foul at times, so I can't see them suddenly charging for twenty litres of porridge.
The fuel produced costs 13p a litre by the time you factor in the chemicals needed, possibly a couple of pence more for the electricity.
The point of transesterification is that you should end up with a neutral liquid with low viscosity, which should be fine in even modern diesel engines so long as their seals are designed to cope with organic fuels. Our '03 reg Skoda estate is factory approved for running on bio-diesel.
The problem with raw oil, particularly used veg oil is that it can bung up filters and corrode the fuel system. In winter it will also solidify, or cause lumpy running in low temperatures. That's not to say you can't run on it - my pickup is fine with veg oil - but you risk a fairly expensive break down if you get it wrong.
The fuel produced costs 13p a litre by the time you factor in the chemicals needed, possibly a couple of pence more for the electricity.
The point of transesterification is that you should end up with a neutral liquid with low viscosity, which should be fine in even modern diesel engines so long as their seals are designed to cope with organic fuels. Our '03 reg Skoda estate is factory approved for running on bio-diesel.
The problem with raw oil, particularly used veg oil is that it can bung up filters and corrode the fuel system. In winter it will also solidify, or cause lumpy running in low temperatures. That's not to say you can't run on it - my pickup is fine with veg oil - but you risk a fairly expensive break down if you get it wrong.
Zad said:
You add a small amount of caustic soda, which does something or other to the vegetable oil and produces glycerine and 'proper' biodiesel. The glycerine is a by-product and (in large enough quantities) can be sold to soap manufacturers.
What on earth do soap manufacturers want to buy glycerine for? Glycerine is a by-product of soap making for exactly the same reason that it is a product of biodiesel making. Indeed, if you just use caustic soda as you describe, soap is what you get. The biodiesel process involves reacting the caustic soda with methanol first.Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff