Veggie Oil Fuel Home Processing Plant - Dewatering

Video describing my home veggie oil filtration set up. Specifically the dewatering step.

I filter used cooking oil from a local restaurant and burn it as fuel in my 2001 diesel Volkswagen Jetta TDI. And I'm about to explain and show everything I did to accomplish this.

More info at http://smellslikefries.blogspot.com/

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• diy
• howto
• svo
• wvo
• biofuel
• jetta
• tdi

[tyler22mckinney]

How much does your electricity bill run extra for the hot water element and vent fan?

Also what is the shelf life for vegetable oil? don;t know if that's a dumb question.

[smellslikefries]

@tyler22mckinney 12 hrs running a 1kW element+fan to dewater 200L of oil - $1.20.

Shelf life is dependant on water content. Totaly dry oil will keep for years. But normally, expect it to keep for 12 months after this process.

[smellslikefries]

Yes it's still working. No engine rebuilds, or anything.

Darn battery doesn't last in window however. But that's nothing to do with the veggie oil!

[silverback973]

how does the water leave the barrel once it evaporates?

[smellslikefries]

Guess I didn't make it too clear - the barrel isn't sealed.  That's why there's a vent fan on top of the barrel.

[crusso777]

Electric cars are a total waste of energy because of the sad fact that we are still in the dark ages of battery technology. The Prius is such a wasteful sham of a vehicle... if the high-horsed owners only knew how much energy goes into creating and shipping those damn batteries all over the world before it makes it into their cars - they would be more humble while looking at my 25MPG Cummins (giant 4x4) instead of like I'm the anti-christ.

FYI: a Prius gets 17MPG w/ a teenager behind the wheel!

[kltheman1]

Are you serious. I think you answered your own question.. it 'EVAPORATES". LOL

[flintrox]

We will see more interest in this as fuel prices go up in the coming years. Pleaseblet me know if your vehicle is still running on cooking oil???? I have a veggie truck. Some problems but would be glad to talk with anyone who has conserns.

[chemo38]

I would suggest you place a lid on your barrel with an emergency release valve on top. I use that in my metal 55 gallon drum and NEVER have any smell or splash ups.

[Gruurk2]

You could look at possibly composting the waste products. I never tried it but it should be possible. Am thinking that you could use an anaerobic system for the composting. If it would work then it would sure beat having to take it back to somewhere to dump it. Of course here we have a city collection of oil for recycling and you could take what you don't want and dump it there as well.

[circusboy90210]

@crusso777 depends on the plastic involved, you must raise the liquids temp to 170C the melting point of most plastics is 230c lots of people do it every day , I saw one biodiesel factory (not homebrewer) who uses these , they have about 25 330 ibc containers .

[circusboy90210]

I would to talk to you more about this I have ideas about a processor I am trying to build right now .. need a little help thankx.

[smellslikefries]

Hehe. Unless you want a big mess on the floor. :)