I'm add 5 gal of virgin PHO to a 25 gal wvo batch. I converts same, washes the same, but the dying time is very long. On day 3 of spray drying.

I have been heating the BD to 115-120 and spraying on the side off the tank with a fan blowing over the top. The humidity level has been on the low side for SC the past couple of days.

I put a sample in frig to check for dryness. Clouds up over night.

I also think my methanol supplier my have water in his methanol!

Could the combo of these two cause longer drying?

Bax

It may be prudent to check for dryness by other means such as weigh,heat,weigh.
The PHO can cause clouding at higher temps. Could that be why it's clouding in the fridge, as opposed to water?

The water in the methanol would affect the reaction itself not the drying of the fuel.

Thanks Double D, In the back of my mind I was thinking the same about the PHO in the frig test. But blended with the WVO, I thought it would take a lower temp.

I'll try a vapor test this PM and see what happens.

I use the same methanol to do the 3/27. Could I get a false/pass@68F?

Bax

If it fails the frige test it is most likely still wet. What is PHO?

Hey Raften, PHO is partially hydrogenated oil.

The oil I'm using is canola popping oil. I got 15gal for$3.75

Ingredients: Partially hydrogenated canola oil, beta carotene, artificial butter flaver.

Still can't see the bottom of the barrel yet gona give a few more hrs.

Bax

quote:

blended with the WVO, I thought it would take a lower temp.

This is a common misconception. Melting point temperatures don't average in a mix. BD made from PHO and animal fats will separate out of the BD made from mixed feedstocks. This is what causes a lot of the operational problems with BD-PD blends.

John, that may explain why I went all summer on one filter change. And about two weeks ago I put PD in and almost back to back filter changes.

I don't consider the drying done until I can see the bottom of the barrel under normal light then frig test, filter.

Bax

To make cold compatible BD, mix a 50:50 BD-PD blend and keep the barrel outside in the ambient temperature. The components that cause problems will precipitate out in the cold. Always use the clear fuel mix from the top of the barrel and problems will be minimized.

Just an update! After a few more hours drying!

CIMG4072.JPG (21 KB, 25 downloads)

I knew I would do that(forgot to add the description). On the right washed(water) and dried. On the left just settled, no demeth. I going to review my wash process.

Does the settled BD look like it's got a little more orange color?

quote:

Originally posted by Bax SC:
I knew I would do that(forgot to add the description). On the right washed(water) and dried. On the left just settled, no demeth. I going to review my wash process.

Does the settled BD look like it's got a little more orange color?

I'd love to be able to help but on dial up here at home. Pulling up the pics takes too much...
Can you describe the pics in text? I known it's more effort after loading the pics. Sometimes the pics don't give the accurate appearance either.

Double D, the pic of the dried BD you can read the bottle behind the mason jar. The settled BD looks like the gateraid that can in the bottel.

Bax

Have you checked your H2O% by using weigh/heat/weigh.
Imakebiodiesel has great instructions for how to build a manometer that apears to work quite well.
Imake is running an offer to test samples from members that send a sample to him.

http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/ev...=239108252#239108252

Just an update. I took another sample of the oil, now on bottom 1/3 of the barrel, wet feedstock.

The settled sample in the pic is still cloudy after a week!

Bax

If your drying system was working well before its most likely that it still is and the cloudiness is being caused by sonething else, probably the pho. However you need to be sure. One modification I could suggest to your setup is to blow hot air over the spray. This will double the efficiency of your drying .
The visual clarity test and the fridge test are pretty well useless when pho s are present. Its impossible to tell if the cloudiness is caused by water or pho.

You need to test the various samples by a more accurate method.
Here are your options...
A, buy or borrow a Sandy Brae tester.
B. Get a triple beam balance and do a weigh/ heat / weigh test.
C, Construct a carbide manometer and test your fuel with it.
D, Send me a couple of samples and I will test them for you.
E, Find a local lab who will do the test for you.