Hello all, good to be back here (used to post under a different screen name). Recently revived my reactor and have the good fortune to have working space at the restaurant where I collect my grease (well...in the warehouse attached to the building).

Process:

Single base stage, WVO is changed daily and filtered for me, titrates 1-2 at most, makes very high yield. Processor is 50gal nominal (really holds about 44gal) water heater, pump is Grainger brand hot oil pump, 7gpm. Makes fuel that passes 3/27 with about 50 mins of processing at 20% methanol ratio. Washes are a breeze with high yielding/low titration WVO.

Question:

My old method of hand cranked siphon pumping the washed and dried finished product from one barrel through bag filters into another filter won't fly with my "landlord". It works, but he's worried about messes, despite my promises to clean up any drips.

Looking for a good solution for a nozzle/pump deal that will pump the finished product into vehicles and filter at the same time.

Anyone having any luck with something like that? 110vlt power is readily accessible.

Spin on filters seem pretty standard for a sanitary professional installation. I've had good luck with petroparts.com

http://www.petroparts.com/Merc...GY&Category_Code=ZAF

He carries stuff especially for biodiesel. I have also had good luck with the non-bio rated filters:

http://www.petroparts.com/Merc...37&Category_Code=FIL

He also sells inexpensive cast iron filter heads with standard nation pipe thread ports. I have to replace my filters ( a 10 micron, followed by a two micron) about once a year since I wash and dry my fuel well.

Buy a nice electric pump, some black iron piping and a few fittings, some filters and some bio resistant hose (like ether based polyurethane, available from US Plastics).

For around $200, you could have a really nice setup. I put my fueling station/drum on wheels and it works slick.

HTH,

troy

I am totally sold on ShurFlo. I have 2 115V pumps and one 12V one. The 12V one is used as a fueling pump frum a 200Lt drum into tractors. The tractor's battery provides the power for it.

These little pumps have wintered 3 years now freezing and thawing full of B100 without a hitch. I use one for my demething tank that sees temps way past what they are rated for and it just keeps right on going. This one also only sees B100. The other one I use for the methanol recovery unit to circulate the water from a stationery drum.

For a final filter I use a CATerpillar spin on canister type fuel filter in 2 microns.

HTH

Thanks for the leads guys.

I found the BD700 from Tuthill from Grainger...purpose built, but about $700 shipped. Phew! They sell a canister style filter like you'll see on any gas station diesel pump, it's rated for 10micron...probably good enough but I'm anal about filtration and was going to explore a slightly finer rating...

Just for more ideas, here's what I do. Cheap Rand 12v pump with meter going into a 25 micron junk filter and 2 micron finish. When this pump goes down, I'll likely spend some money on a Fill-Rite or a Tuthill. (Works ok, @5gpm, but takes a long time to self prime)

Interesting! The good news is I have a great spot to fill up and operate, it's a very linear process (I'll try to post some pics later). WVO to processor to conical settling/wash tank to drying barrel...just need a solution to suck the finished product out, filter it, and deliver to the vehicle in a cleaner, neater, faster fashion than the old two barrels with a hanging bag filter and hand pumped siphon pump.

The Fill Rite/Tuthill is pricey...but it's also 20gpm. Heck most of the diesel pumps at gas stations around here take 3 or 4 minutes to fill up my 2002 Powerstroke. Maybe the investment is worth it...

We use one of the dreaded HF blue pumps pumping through two water filters in series . The filters are 20 and 1 micron.

I was looking at those the other day...they specifically say water only, right?

How long do they hold up before giving up the ghost? I suppose if you replace them every six months, it's a long time before you use up $700 in pumps at $40 a pop...but the Tuthill solution has a nozzle like a gas station, pumps fast, and the solution meets my guy's neat and tidy requirement.

Hmmm....

quote:

Originally posted by Sebastian-PGP:
I was looking at those the other day...they specifically say water only, right?

How long do they hold up before giving up the ghost? I suppose if you replace them every six months, it's a long time before you use up $700 in pumps at $40 a pop...but the Tuthill solution has a nozzle like a gas station, pumps fast, and the solution meets my guy's neat and tidy requirement.

Hmmm....

I have one of the dreaded HF pumps on my processor, often running at temps up to 150F for 3-4 hours at a time.(I spray dry in my processor just before transesterification). I'm always present/around while this is happening, by the way. Thus far, other than some very minor seepage, the pump has processed just over 1000 gallons. So, almost 90 hours of run time, not including time spent pumping from wvo barrel and to the wash tank. Still going strong, but yes, I consider them an expendable component, and have a new back up on hand.

Interesting...the question becomes whether having an integral fuel nozzle, 20gpm, and a purpose built system is worth the $600 more the Tuthill solution costs (assuming a couple of HF cheepy cheap pumps in a year).

Pretty sure I saw a 12v Fill-Rite fueling set up on Ebay recently for $400.(Their biodiesel version.Another $100 for a few seals and gaskets!!??) Anyhow, worth a look.

I'm not clear as to your land lords objection. Is it the parking lot they are worried about and getting stains on it. After all you are running a reactor inside and I know you will have spills with that. If you can pump and filter while inside just put it in cans and go somewhere else to fill the vehicle.

My cheap little water only pump has made over 6,000 gallons of bd just fine.

We're working in a warehouse attached to the restaurant, and his fellow investors in the restaurant while supportive are also somewhat antsy about spills, so he wants it to be as neat as possible--and easy and automated as possible. Quick, in, and out--and we'll be fueling up right there in the warehouse.

It seems a good deal to me: I pay for the methoxide supplies and built the processor, he provides water, electricity, wiring, and a steady supply of low titrating, high yield, zero water prefiltered WVO...and I give him a few gallons to warm up his Benz while he waits for his Greasecar setup to come up to temp so he can run his SVO setup. Doing it as professionally and as close to gas-station efficiency and self contained as he wants it seems reasonable enough to me...in some very real homebrewer sense, I've hit the jackpot .

quote:

Originally posted by Sebastian-PGP:
I was looking at those the other day...they specifically say water only, right?

How long do they hold up before giving up the ghost? I suppose if you replace them every six months, it's a long time before you use up $700 in pumps at $40 a pop...but the Tuthill solution has a nozzle like a gas station, pumps fast, and the solution meets my guy's neat and tidy requirement.

Hmmm....

Knock on wood, but I've been using one for processing and now pumping fuel through filters and into my tank for 5 years now. Never lost a single "clear water pump".

Turns out somebody had bought the compressor powered HF barrel pump; it won't pump 20gal a minute and we'll have to plumb on the in line filtration and nozzle, but it should work fine. Total investment will be closer to $300 than the $550 Grainger wanted for the BD700. Going to try that path instead...should work fine.

Will update with pics.