[Edit Note 10/30/2009]
I've changed the subject line of this to "Discussion On Centrifuges"
It originally started out as a discussion about different brands, but now it's turning into an excellent thread on the different styles of centrifuges out there and how they work.

Read past all the bickering that went on in the first few posts (mainly page 1) and get to the good stuff where several of us are chiming in about how centrifuges work, why they work, their limitations, and their benefits.....good stuff!
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I'm wondering if any of you have used either a Simple Centrifuge or an Absolute Centrifuge for cleaning and dewatering oil?

I have someone that's interested in getting one or the other & I'd love any input you could share.

Here's the Simple Centrifuge site...
http://www.simplecentrifuge.com/

Here's the Absolute Centrifuge site...
http://www.absolutecentrifuge.com/

I'd love to hear any and all experiences with either one.

Thanks,
Graydon

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Graydon Blair,

Fuel farmer has extensive experience with that type of fuge.

Anyone used one of the wvodesigns.com centrifuges yet?

Man, that thing looks nicer than the other two combined!
Granted, the Absolute looks nice, but the wvodesigns.com one (Raw Power) seems to have a slicker design down.

Anyone use any of these three for filtering their oil?
Wanna share what you think of them?

Thanks,
-Graydon

OK, here goes. Fasten your seat belt and enjoy the ride.
The problem I have with the open simple style CF bowls is that there is no way to control retention time or oil flow out of the bowl. Oil splashes as it tries to merge with the fast moving wall of oil. I also think some, not all, oil shoots straight up the wall and out of the bowl. If the oil does not stay in the bowl it will not get clean in one pass

Of coarse the spinner CF users just run the oil through the CF over and over and over hoping all of the oil will pass through the bowl repeatedly over time.

Youtube clip of "retention test"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...feature=channel_page

Clip of CF running

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...feature=channel_page

quote:

OK, here goes. Fasten your seat belt and enjoy the ride.
The problem I have with the open simple style CF bowls is that there is no way to control retention time or oil flow out of the bowl. Oil splashes as it tries to merge with the fast moving wall of oil. I also think some, not all, oil shoots straight up the wall and out of the bowl. If the oil does not stay in the bowl it will not get clean in one pass

Of coarse the spinner CF users just run the oil through the CF over and over and over hoping all of the oil will pass through the bowl repeatedly over time.

So are you happy with your decision to use a simple centrifuge or do you wish you had purchased a spinner style?
I am contemplating a fuge for drying and cleaning my WVO before processing which would save me an enormous amount of energy and time but I am just in the preliminary stages of making a decicion...
Jon

Not sure how to answer the question. We don't use the CF to clean oil because the press run oil has way to much crap in it. It works best just to settle out the junk. In the past we used the CF to polish oil that we blended with diesel. Seemed to do a good job. Now that we make biodiesel we just filter the fuel out of the wash and dry tanks. I plan to use the CF as an extra quality control step. Want to gravity fed from one tote to another through the CF. Another project.

The open bowl CFs will get out free water, but I don't think they will dry oil like the spinner CFs do. I don't think the bowl dries oil with a spinner CF. It has more to do with heat an exposure to air over and over.

I drop oil from the CF into the top of a barrel and draw oil to go into the CF from the bottom. Hopefully that will put all the oil thru the CF.

Thanks for your input.
I have way to many projects on the go before I start looking into all this fuge stuff anyways...
Sorry for the slight highjack Graydon...
Jon

If you're still on the fence about which CF to get, allow me to help you down...
I don't want to get into the "Who came first" discussion, because I don't think it really matters that much. The market has been created and is going strong. I would say to the guys at Simple Centrifuge: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Until now there hasn't really been that much to distinguish the different CFs from each other besides price and quality of construction; the mechanisms have remained pretty much the same. However... things have changed. Simple Centrifuge has come out with their new design that makes the competition look more like a "Sit 'N Spin" in comparison!
The new unit is much more efficient than their old design and the imitators' products. They have a higher price, but much better product. You get what you pay for. the new feed cone design is brilliant! It completely resolves all of the old splash issues that were common in CFs. Seriously, my hat goes off to these guys. I have watched this company continue to move forward and innovate, these guys have been at it a long time and they seem to stand behind their product. Simple Centrifuge would definitely be my first choice, i wouldn't waste my money on anything else.

There is one other thing I'd like to add, and this is just to vent a little about the current economic situation:

The Raw Power Centrifuge is the most inferior cheap product of any. It has a cast bowl (very low quality), not a good design on the bowl either. I think the worst thing is that it was Stolen and copied and sent overseas for cheap production. How do you control the quality on something like that? Where is your personal investment; can you really stand behind such a product? It's not about the product, it's all about making a quick buck. This is why we (America) are in an economic depression right now because of guys like this, shame on you Leon! Support AMERICAN INDUSTRY; BUY AMERICAN!

Have a nice day.

Graydon
We use a WVO design fuge. Runs smooth and cleans good at around 10 GPH. I just wish it was bigger and self cleaning.

Hi Guys, my radar caught this crap message by "john deere" yesterday and I had to let it sit for a day before I added my two cents.

First, "John Deere" registered a week before making two identical posts two identical posts; one in the biodiesel side, one on the SVO side. Clearly just a blatant plug for Simple Centrifuge and slander to me and WVO Designs.

All I have to say to you "john deere" is: bite me.
To all the innocent bystanders, my current and future customers: I am sorry that you needed to witness such low class. I have never spoke or printed anything negative about any of my competitors and I have no intent or need to start now. I am just sorry that the boys at Simple Centrifuge feel that they need to resort to such shallow tactics.

Offshore manufacturing and good engineering design like casting the rotor (how do you think billet is made anyway?) allow me to provide my customers a superior , higher value product for the lowest possible cost. I serve my customers first and while $2200 for a motor and 20lbs of aluminum sounds like a great business model to some, my customers literally demanded from me a lower cost option. One year later, and I am pleased to say that I have been able to provide MUCH more for MUCH less.

I go to great lengths to ensure that that I OVER DELIVER in service, quality, and innovation. I stand behind each one 100%. Just ask a Raw Power owner, I am sure he will agree.


---->"Very Low Quality" Cast Rotor Bowl

WOW, I read the preceeding post from "jondeere" and I am amazed at how inconsiderate AND inaccurate it is!

Let me digress:

I have been in the Automotive/Heavy Equipment Technology business my whole life(28 years and still going strong!). I've been a factory rep, field engineer, parts and service consultant, retail Parts & Service Director, and factory service training instructor for Ford, Honda, BMW, Toyota, VW, Mazda Dodge, Detroit Diesel, Allison Transmissions & MTU Onsite Energy. I currently work as the director of service technology for a very well known factory heavy equipment distributor, where I teach Allison Automatic Transmissions (One of the first "certified instructors" to teach Allison Hybrids), large MTU/Katolight power generators, electrical/electronics, air brakes, air conditioning, and so on.

I say this not to impress anyone, but to impress upon you the fact that I have a fairly good grasp of the technical aspects of what makes all things automotive tick.

Over a year ago I converted my first diesel to run on Straight WVO (a very nice Mercedes 300D), and have not looked back since. I did boat-loads of research before embarking on this journey, and have even written a book (soon to be released) on using WVO as a fuel. I must say that I have met many folks along the way, some great, some who try real hard, some who don't last very long, and some who I would have been better off just not meeting in the first place. (Leon is one of the GREAT ones.)

Regarding the move to centrifuging, ........ it's definitely the way to go.

If you can afford to take the plunge from the start, go for it. If not, as soon as you can afford to make the move, DO IT! (You know the Nike Ad: Just Do It! ......Well, Just Do It!)

Again, after lots of research (I'm a researcher by nature) I decided to go with the Raw Power Centrifuge that Leon Griffin offers. I watched as he posted his plans/drawings online; I read all his materials; I looked at all the competitive products, and read their materials. And finally, my conclusion was that, The Raw Power Centrifuge has no competition!

It's sized right! It's made right, and the price is right!

ALSO, Leon is about as Stand-Up a Guy as you will ever meet! Leon has been right there EVERY step of the way, and supported me in whatever way I have asked. He exemplifies customer service, has done a GREAT Job, and he has brought a heck of a great product to market in his Raw Power Centrifuge.

I was once taught that the way to build the tallest building (or bring the best product to market) is to just go ahead and build the tallest building. The key is not to go around tearing down all the other buildings trying to make yours stand out: Just go build your building as good as you can, and if you do, the rest will take care of itself. It's that Nike thing again: Just Do It!

In my honest opinion, Leon Just Did It! Not only has he built the best centrifuge for the WVO market, plain & simple, but he also backs it up 150%.

Come on all you Raw Power Users, Speak Up!

Great Job Leon, and thanks for a fabulous product!

Greetings, My name (not user name) is Thomas Woods, Stationary Engineer. I repair, service, rebuild boilers, chillers, and refrigeration equipment.

I bought a Raw Power Centrifuge about a year and a half ago...2000 +++ gallons of WVO oil later. I have used centrifuges to clean wet oil when Moby Dick was a minnow.

Leon hss a fine product that does the job intended. If you have a problem with his product, you can give him a call and the unbelievable happens...you talk with the owner of the company. Now is that customer service????

I am still using the RAW ENERGY CENTRIFUGE. In fact, I will run 15 gallons through it tomorrow.

Thanks, Leon, for a good product.

Thomas Woods
Stationary Engineer

OK guys, enough sales pitches already.

quote:

Originally posted by Eurocab:
OK guys, enough sales pitches already.

I agree!
All these "testimonials" are sounding just a little to professionally written but light on sincerity and credibility to be believable to me.

this is not a sales pitch, i am a happy customer of raw power centrifuge. hats off to Leon for the great product and excellent support. i purchased the raw power centrifuge kit without the motor last year. i have been using it to clean dirty wvo for my biopro 190, it has been working great, i am very happy with it. i haven't experienced any issues with it. i am using it with single phase baldor 3600 rpm motor that i purchased from an electrical company.

Well maybe you are a satisfied customer, but the two previous posters registered yesterday just before posting. Give me a break.

quote:

Originally posted by Eurocab:
the two previous posters registered yesterday just before posting. Give me a break.

And He/She/They replied with the exact same posts in the SVO side, starting with the JohnDeere post. I think most people here just want the facts not the sales pitch so they can come to their own conclusions of worthiness.

UPDATE:

I've now talked to all 3 companies; Simple Centrifuge, Absolute Centrifuge, and WVO Designs.
All three were great to talk to. As others have indicated, Leon was especially great to talk to.
I learned a lot about centrifuges just by talking to him.

I decided to try one out just to get acquainted with this style of centrifuge (vs. the smaller styles ie. Dieselcraft, Spinner II).

I've gone with a Raw Power Designs unit that does 6,000 RPM's, so this should be fun.

Their centrifuge comes as a kit that you assemble.
It was really easy to put together and so far is really fun to play with!

I think all three of them use pretty much the same design. Big motor mounted to the bottom of a bowl with a rotor bowl inside with holes in the bottom of the bowl to drain it through.

I'm going to do some water tests on it to see how well it'll dewater oil and I'll be doing some tests on how well it gets particulates out (I have a bunch of different sizes of filters I'll be running the oil through before & after centrifuging.)

I'll post pictures & video of how it goes along the way.

Thanks to all the companies I spoke with. I'm excited to try out Centrifuges & will report back what I find out as I play with it.

Watch for updates...
-Graydon

Graydon,
Do you know anyone that has a high speed video camera? I would like to see in slow-mo how the oil enters and exits the CF. And just for fun put some oil in a blender and add some green peas or other plant materiel . Chop the stuff into fine partials. Then run the mess through an open bowl CF and see if it gets all the partials out.