I have found something that I would like to turn into a dry washing column and I would like anybody to take a look at it that has experience with dry washing and tell me if it will work like I want. I would like a system where I can turn on a pump and circle the flow into the column and back into the tank.

The whole top of the tank comes off and it completely sealable and can be wrenched down tight. The whole inside is open execpt where the drain in the middle of the bottom is, that sticks up about 1 inch, this is where the marbles come in to support the mesh.

Any ideas?
Plus how much volume does 1 lb. of puralite(?) or how many pounds do you think I could fit in this column leaving an inch on the bottom for the drain/marbles/mesh, and 1/2 full of resin?

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Hiper,

It is difficult to give an accurate response to your post however almost anything is usable if modified (the question becomes how much modifying is necessary)

Your posted picture indicates a max. column bed of about ~9 inches with a diameter of about 8 inches after accounting for marbles in bottom.

According to most manufacturers the bed depth to column diameter should be 3 to 1. You can probably cheat this some but 1 to 1 is a bit thin with out excessively slow flow rates...

GCG

quote:

I would like a system where I can turn on a pump and circle the flow into the column and back into the tank.

Hi
Are you intending to return the treated fuel back to the same tank it came from ?

Yes, it would not be just a one time flow through. I would like to make so the pump picks it up from the bottom and carries it up to the top, 3/4 back into the tank and 1/4 flow through the column and just leave it keep returning flow. That is the plan anyways.

You need 2 tanks in a lead/lag set up. If you get 2 tanks 8"x44" you can put 25 pounds of Purolite in each tank and filter at a rate of 0.16gpm. Keith

but could i do this by circling the fuel in the columns and back into the tank or do I have to keep the fuel that ran through the columns seperate after they have? and sch 80 pvc will work for this? I wish people had more pictures of there smaller custom column designs so a person could get an idea.

Send me an email at ktpauley0911@comcast.com . I'll send you a PDF file of the tanks we use. Keith

I just tried sending you an email and it came back undeliverable. ?
ktpauley0911@comcast.com

Hiper,

You can cylce back through the same column over and over again and in effect give the biodiesel the necessary residence time (contact) with the resin.

Let me know how this turns out - the only precaution would be the rate of flow, it would have to be very slow...

I think given your picture a 4 gph flow rate and 3 passes through the unit.

Keep in mind that as the resin exhaust it will become harder and harder (more passes) to produce really pure fuel. That is why the lead lag system was recommended by Keith.

GCG

Sorry it is ktpauley0911@comcast.net Keith

quote:

Originally posted by KeithT:
You need 2 tanks in a lead/lag set up. If you get 2 tanks 8"x44" you can put 25 pounds of Purolite in each tank and filter at a rate of 0.16gpm. Keith

That's exactly what I have. Works great (after the mods).My DryWash page except I have slowed down my flow rate to half the max.

Does anybody know where or what type of pump to buy other than the 1" full flow that would give a good slower flow? 1/4"-3/8" pump?

quote:

Originally posted by Legal Eagle:

quote:

Originally posted by KeithT:
You need 2 tanks in a lead/lag set up. If you get 2 tanks 8"x44" you can put 25 pounds of Purolite in each tank and filter at a rate of 0.16gpm. Keith

That's exactly what I have. Works great (after the mods).My DryWash page except I have slowed down my flow rate to half the max.

Do you own your own illegal drug store to be able to afford filling those things with resin?

Hey Legal,

I have had several potential users of your resin bed design (using the water treatment tanks) ask me how you do the initial loading of these columns and ensure the bottom septa?? (the thing you wrap in steel mesh) is fully inserted in the bottom layer.

Can you simply just press it through the resin or does the cap tighten down around the standpipe?

GCG

Use 1" black iron pipe. Put a "T" on 1 end and insert into the tank. The cap comes off the tank. The pipe needs to be 1/4"higher than the top of the tank. Cove the pipe with tape or something and pour the resin into the tank with a pitcher. Make sure you measure the resin so the correct amount is put in each tank. Keith

Thanks Keith,

Knowing that the stand pipe has to be a little higher than the lid answers the puzzler...

This allows you to set the lid on and make sure the pipe extends into the bottom prior to tightening the lid down.

GCG

My DRyWash page.I've posted a series of pictures on the mods required to make these type of tanks viable for biodiesel use.

The original center tube has a basket on the end and this basket's strainer is too coarse and allows migration of the resin from one tank to the other, or to the finished product tank,so these mods prevent that from happening.

By using a T instead of a 90 degree elbow you get better flow. I used the 70 mesh screen I got from you guys awhile back when I was considering a gravity fed system. I've not had one grain of resin migrate since the mods.

These mods must be made prior to adding the resin. The center tube sits on the bottom of the tank and protrudes, like Keith said, about a 1/4" or so above the lip so that when the cap is installed it fits into the tube and compresses down into it making the tube air tight at the top so that the only direction for flow is bottom to top.

When filling the tanks for the first time put a bag over the tube so no resin gets down into it and then put enough finished biodiesel in there to cover the resin. Now put the cap on and you are good to go. The caps are 3/4" so brass or black iron fittings work perfectly.

HTH

Just a note on column design and cost:

A recent customer of ours couldn't believe how inexpensive our columns are after we broke it down for him.

He decided to buy one (regardless of being capable of making one himself) and after receiving it, he highly recommended we make a post on the forum sharing the same break down of the cost involved for everyone to see - so here it is:

1) Column comes with 20 lbs of resin .......$160
2) All steel cone bottom ................... $25
3) 2 - malleable metal 1/2 couplings......... $3
4) 1/4" steel column top lid (w/7 cutholes)..$30
5) Silicon Rubber (bio compatible) gasket....$22
6) 2 - Flange rings .........................$10
7) Resin support grid wafer .................$37
8) 48" Steel Column Body (tube)..............$50
9) Stand Steel ..............................$20
10) Bolt,nuts, washer hardware................$3
Subtotal for materials $360

Now additionally there is at least 1.5 hours of welding time.
At an average cost of $60/hr this is another $90
New total cost $450.00
And then we powder coat the column (not paint it since Biodiesel
will eat up nearly any paint job) $50 min.
New total cost $500.00

All this doesn't include any shipping cost incurred for several
of these items you'll need to order from McMaster Carr or the like.

It also doesn't include your time and fuel cost involved to go get parts and equipment as well as other needed assembly labor - grinding metal, cutting out gaskets, etc...

And finally, when you receive the column it comes with a comprehensive users manual to ensure the smooth operation over the life of the column which benefits from all our past trials and errors. We believe this is probably the most valuable item of all...

We originally offered the columns at $489.00 but due to increases in resin cost the price went to $549.00.

What do you all think?

GCG