[QUOTE]Originally posted by Beefsteak777:
FYI just found this http://www.simplecentrifuge.com/index.html.
Anybody tried this one yet? Looks very simple.

I built a BUUD cf(same concept) I like the Dieselcraft much better, more volume.

hey sun i have noticed when i shut-down and take the lid off i just a big puff of steam on heavy watered down oil my guess is the steam has no way of getting out because i drop the out-put on my centrifuge through a pipe anyone thought about drilling a hole in the top to allow the steam to exit the housing? i doubt the oil splashes up to the top of the housing .. everyday i bring myself closer to doing it but i dont want to mess anything up..what do ya think?

I think more VO than water will come out a hole in the top, it spins and sprays at 60mph in there. Most water and wet VO stays in the rotor and gets collected at shutdown. What gets out does evaporate after the CF exit unless you use a closed tank.

never noticed any steam coming out the outlet only a big puff when i take the cover off i also noticed the top of my cover is really not that covered with vo so not much splashed up there a hose to drain the oil back into the rotor housing would work trying to skip the hole settling process here because the oil only sits at my house a day or 2 not enough time to settle and add the problem of getting it from my settling tank to my centrifuge (over 100 foot walk) and the oil i get is really watered down idk might be worth trying you could always plug the hole if it didnt work,, yes the rotor does catch alot fo water i have even noticed the rotor wont hold smaller particles when the rotor is full with water its like they get washed out maybe this is just me but until i get a big part of the water out i really cant start cleaning the oil

also i have noticed a dry white ring on the rotor toward the middle about 3/4 inc wide sort of like a powder any clue what this is? maybe junk coming out of the water when it flash evaps

filtered 1500 to 2000 gallons with this thing i have noticed alot of parterns it takes when cleaning compared to oil quality seems to me there are many ways we can make this a easier more "hands off unit" which is what i am looking for i work hard all day i dont like having to babysit my CF on my free-time... i am working on my next project a 250 gallon centrifuge set-up trying to add some idea's to it before i build it

quote:

Originally posted by mltj74:
never noticed any steam coming out the outlet

You probably would if you didn't have a pipe on the output of the CF. If you put a pipe on the hole you are talking about making, it may also prevent the steam from exiting.

the steam would want to rise correct and yes the reason i dont see steam on the outlet is my pipe is to long of a drop for it my guess would be it turns back into water droplets before escaping that would explain all the streeks of suspended water on top of my oil.. i dont know i am fixing to sell my set-up hate to make any damages to it so close to me selling it was a thought 1/2 inc pipe should drop any wvo that comes up in it and still allow some air flow through the housing for steam to come out.. food for thought

No the steam wouldn't rise, its below 212F and condenses when it hits anything.

I'm still trying to set mine up.

I bought a motor and pump setup that was put together for something else. It came with a 1.5" and 5" pulley. Obviously the pump runs way to slow this way - I can't get any pressure.

If I have a 1.5" pulley on the motor, what do I need on the Teel pump? 2.25" ? Anybody know where the easiest place is to find a pulley with a .5" center hole?

That depends on what model of teel pump and rpm of the motor. How much open flow do you get? Thats the best way to test it and get the right pulleys.

Hardware stores carry pulleys, and any industrial or farm supply.

You may have to machine your own .5" center hole. I had to do some crazy things to get a pulley to stay on straight on my current motor which is a skill saw motor (something like 2.3hp for $29 at Home Depot) but it's LOUD! When I was picking up oil at a Dairy Queen, I found a thrown out huge grease fan with a big O fat electric motor on it that the manager let me take. I'll be changing out the skill saw motor to save my hearing.

Help, I'm stuck.

Here is an overview picture - I am trying to get it all working before I put it in the shelf where I can't get to it.



So you can see how I have it set up. It comes in from the bottom of the barrel, through the pump, up to a pressure release valve (with extra going back to the inlet at the pump) then past a pressure gauge, past a ball valve, and to the CF.

The motor is 115V, 1Ph, 5.5A, 60Hz, 1/4hp, 1725rpm. I actually don't have any information on the Teel pump because I bought it as part of something else on Ebay. I have a 1.5" pulley on the pump and a 2.5" pulley on the motor. The only other pulley I've tried is a 5" pulley and the motor didn't have enough power to turn it compared to the 1.5"... I haven't tried the 5" to 2.5" yet.



So far I can't get any reading on the pressure gauge. The pump isn't loud at all.

Since I don't have specific information about the pump I'm hoping I can get the right speed by trial and error. What should be my next step? Try the 5" on the motor and the 2.5" on the pulley? Get a stronger motor?

On my setup, the wheel on the pump is slightly bigger than the wheel on the motor. I think the ratio I settled with was about 2:2.5 (it's in an earlier post).

At that ratio and 1725 rpm, it does 90psi with a bit of overflow through the pressure valve. So try that ratio, or whatever you have close to it and see what happens. If your motor can handle it that is. I think 1/4 hp is pushing the limits maybe. We'll find out....

EDIT: DOH! You already have the pump setup to go faster than mine anyway - it has the smaller wheel. So, if you're not getting pressure, it is either becuase the pump has a really low output, or the pressure valve is open.

do you have oil coming out the Cf?

quote:

Originally posted by veggiecar300:
What should be my next step?

The next step is:

quote:

Originally posted by SunWizard:
How much open flow do you get? Thats the best way to test it.

There are no numbers anywhere on the pump? If you have any you can look it up at www.grainger.com to get the specs. What size are the pipe fittings on the pump?

It looks like it might not be a gear pump which would explain no pressure. Teel also makes centrifugal pumps.

I can't imagine that small of a pulley getting enough bite on the belt, to prevent slipping. In the photo, it looks like the belt has a small curve in it ?? I know, photos can be deceiving.

Thanks so much for all your quick replies!

answers to your questions:

I didn't ignore Sun's request for the flow rate. I really don't know what it is. There are no markings on the pump that I can see. Perhaps I should get a gallon jug and a stopwatch to figure it out?

Paul: I did see your post earlier about the 2:2.5. Because of that I wanted to try a 2.25" pulley to my 1.5" but they didn't have one - so I went with the 2.5". Still nothing.

I don't have the thing hooked up to the centrifuge yet. Could that have been a really dumb thing on my part? Do I need to have the CF on the end for the guage to register? I thought I could just have an open hose and the pressure would read.

Sun: I would be very dissapointed if it were a centrifugal pump. I already spent way more money on this project than I'd hoped (because of that high-pressure hose) - if I got the wrong pump that would really be a pain. Still, live and learn right? Can I tell by looking at it if it's a centrifugal or gear? The ports are .25"





Deadhead: You're right the belt could be tighter. I already checked for slippage though - really none noticable.

quote:

Originally posted by veggiecar300:
Thanks so much for all your quick replies!


I don't have the thing hooked up to the centrifuge yet. Could that have been a really dumb thing on my part?

Do I need to have the CF on the end for the guage to register? I thought I could just have an open hose and the pressure would read.

You can't develop pressure w/o a restriction of some sort. Beyond friction losses, mostly determined by hose size and pump flow, you will generally see little pressure while pumping into an open hose. Obviously a huge pump and a small hose is a case of sufficient restriction to produce significant pressure

ReM

quote:

Originally posted by ReM:
You can't develop pressure w/o a restriction of some sort. Beyond friction losses, mostly determined by hose size and pump flow, you will generally see little pressure while pumping into an open hose. Obviously a huge pump and a small hose is a case of sufficient restriction to produce significant pressure[/b]

well sure, if you want to be all logical about it...

Yikes, that was pretty dumb of me - I guess I wasn't thinking. I'll hook it all up again and report back.

To develop pressure, the oil has to push against something. With an open hose, there is nothing to push against.

Put the CF on, and I think you will get some results.....If you look inside the CF you'll see where the oil comes out - 2 tiny holes. That's pressure. Like when you have to get 90 out of 100 questions right in an exam and you only know about 89 things in total. That's the pressure right there. 1 thing has to go into 90 things, if you get what I mean....Hmmm, not sure I get what I mean.

Bottom line - put the CF on and see what happens.

Yes no CF, no pressure. But you should get lots of open flow which is why I keep asking. And yes a jug and watch is what you use. If you get 1.5gpm your pulleys are about right, as I explain on page 1 of this thread.

Looking at the other side of the pump it looks like a gear pump.

Price list

3 foot 2X8 board - $2.50
Pipe Dope - $7.00
LoveJoy Coupling - $15.00
Pressure Relief Valve – $18.00
Pressure Gauge - $21.00
½ hp Emerson Motor - $35.00
1000 Watt Heat Element - $38.00
Various Pipe and Valves - $43.00
High Temp/Pressure Hose - $65.00
Dayton Gear Pump - $166.00
High Temperature 100 gallon Barrel – $398.00
DieselCraft OC-50 Centrifuge - $479.00

Cruising the Rocky Mountains in a Vegistroke powered by no sulfur, carbon neutral, ultra-clean, vegoil – Priceless!