BIODIESEL       
in the Finger Lakes region of New York

updated Saturday, June 28, 2008

 

We have SOLD all of our equipment.  See the bottom of the page for more details.
 

Please support Biodiesel vendors that are truly interested in your success.

Here's a direct link to
B100 Supply LLC
the only vendor we recommend for equipment.

Here's a link to Utah Biodiesel Supply, a great vendor for Decals and Bumper Stickers.
 
Joe Contario and Brad Timerson have been investigating and testing the idea of making biodiesel fuel from waste vegetable oil.  We live in rural upstate New York about 20 miles east of Rochester, just south of Lake Ontario.  Joe is running a 1982 Mercedes on biodiesel that we've made as well as used vegetable oil - it's a converted car!  We have made several 25-gallon batches with well-used vegetable oil.  

So, what is Biodiesel?  Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel made from vegetable oil sources.  It works just the same as petroleum diesel, and, except for a slightly higher pour temperature, is much better than petroleum diesel in many regards.  It is bio-degradable, non-toxic, and acts as a wonderful cleaning agent for the fuel system of any vehicle that uses diesel fuel or any home furnace that uses fuel oil.  One other thing that makes our venture attractive.  We will be using a process that re-cycles old vegetable oil from the fryers of fast-food restaurants, saving them the expense of having their oil hauled away and providing us with free base stock for our fuel.

Instead of repeating the work of many individuals on what biodiesel is, how it's made, who can use biodiesel, etc., at the bottom of this page I've listed several websites that I have found useful in providing all kinds of information about biodiesel.  


A History Lesson

On  July 21, 2005, we were ready to make our first large batch of biodiesel.  Testing needs to be done to be sure the system is leak-proof.  Then a detailed list of steps to be done needs to be written out and double-checked.  Then....on to making biodiesel! Below you see the processing tank that has been set up in my garage.  And, my car still fits!
Biodiesel Processing Tank
New, Safer Processor  
 
So, just what is involved?  Let me briefly outline what the picture shows.  The main component of the processor is some type of tank, one that is insulated and one with a way to heat the oil.  Old electric hot water tanks are perfect for this.  This design is called an "appleseed" processor.  (There's a link below for more details.) All the fittings of the tank are removed and black iron or plastic pipe is used to make all the new connections.  Basically there is a way to move oil from a storage container into the processor.  The lower heating element has been replaced with a 120 volt unit, the top element is removed or disconnected.  The oil is heated to about 55 C.  There is an automotive thermometer in the oil pump line to measure the temperature.  

Let me add right here that we bought the kit to convert the hot water tank to an appleseed processor from B100 Supply - a link is below.  Rick was very supportive and answered some emails we had as we put things together.  Everything is there to get started in making biodiesel except the oil, the methanol, and the lye.
Please visit
 
 

for ALL your biodiesel equipment.

Please support vendors who are truly interested in your success!

The pump (in the shadows to the lower right of the hot water tank) then moves the oil from the bottom drain of the tank into one of the top openings through a reinforced clear plastic pipe.  This allows one to see if a reaction is actually taking place by viewing changes in color.  The other tank openings on top are used for a new, lower value pressure relief valve and a vent line to the outside.

The other reagent in this reaction is "methoxide", a  solution of methanol and potassium hydroxide (sodium hydroxide can also be used).  Methoxide is pretty dangerous stuff if not handled with care.  Methanol is toxic and potassium hydroxide is caustic.  The two together make quite a pair!  Luckily, the handling of this material can be kept to a bare minimum.  The methoxide is introduced into the circulating, warmed oil from the plastic "carboy" container to the upper left of the hot water tank.  This new solution is mixed using the pump for about an hour and then allowed to settle for 24 hours.

Biodiesel forms as a top layer with about the same volume as the waste vegetable oil used.  The reaction by-product, glycerine, settles to the bottom of the reactor as a dark liquid.  This is drawn off through the valve at the bottom of the tank and allowed to air out.  Some methanol is still dispersed in this liquid and needs time to evaporate.  Afterwards, this glycerine can be used to make soap or sent to a land-fill.  Soap making may turn into a side venture.

Once the glycerin is removed, the lighter, less dense biodiesel can be pumped into another container to be washed.  This reaction, you see, is not too unlike the making of soap and sometimes a little soap is mixed in with the biodiesel.  In this new tank the fuel is allowed to settle for a day or so and then is washed using a fine water mist.  The water bubbles down through the less dense biodiesel picking up bits of soap along the way.  It is then flushed out of the bottom of the wash tank.  This is repeated several times until any trace of soap is gone.  The container of biodiesel is then left to air dry.  As the fuel dries, it turns nearly transparent.  Depending on the purity of the original waste oil and the type of oil it is, the color of the biodiesel can vary from a pale yellow to a light amber.
Plumbing Details
Plumbing Details

Shown in this picture are details in the plumbing.  A ball valve is connected to the bottom drain of the hot water tank.  At the left end of the "T" is the temperature sensor.  The other end of the "T" goes into a "T" connected to a ball valve used to pump oil into the tank or remove glycerine or biodiesel from the tank.  Next is a "T" to accept the one way gate and ball valve from the methoxide container.  This ensures that methoxide can only travel into the oil stream being pumped.  From there it goes through a union and into the fluid pump.  Above the pump is a ball valve to pump fluids out of the tank and a ball valve to direct the oil to the top of the tank for mixing.  

I also have a small fluid pump I use for transferring oils from one container to another.  I believe it will work very well in the initial pumping of oil into the tank from the storage container through the ball valve at the bottom.  

The Biodiesel Processing Plant
Biodiesel Processing Equipment

In the background of this view is the processing tank.  The tan colored garbage can contains used oil ready for processing.  Below that you can see the small fluid transfer pump.  Continuing to the right are containers of used oil that has not yet been filtered.  Oil from these containers will be filtered and pumped into the tan garbage can when the next batch is being prepared.  The large blue container at the extreme right is a used fruit juice container obtained from a local packing company.  The bottom was cut off and plumbing fixtures placed in the two "bung" holes on the top of the container.  This will be our wash tank.  Fittings at the bottom allow biodiesel to be pumped in and wash water to be drained out.  Eventually another similar container will be set up as a tank in which the washed fuel can be dried.  From there it will be pumped through a very fine diesel fuel filter into any diesel vehicle.

So there you have our beginnings into the world of biodiesel production.  Feedback on what you see here is certainly welcome.  Just don't expect many answers until we've had chances to try out the process and have some experience.  My advice would be to check out the resources I listed below.  Email can be sent to:

Brad Timerson:     btimerson@rochester.rr.com

August 3, 2005  Update on results of first "Appleseed" batch of biodiesel
On Saturday, July 23, I placed 25 gallons of WVO into the Appleseed processor using a small transfer pump I have.  I began heating the oil.  While the oil was heating, I mixed the methoxide.  Titration showed that I needed to add 7.5 gr/liter of KOH to the base amount of 7 gr/liter.  This meant I would need to mix 1372 grams of KOH with the 5 gallons of methanol I planned to use.  I did this slowly, 200 grams at a time, closing the lid and using the "mixing methoxide the easy way" technique advocated by Maria Alovert.  Lots of heat and plenty of "sizzling" as the KOH was added.  Finally everything was ready.  5 gallons of methoxide with all the KOH dissolved and a tank of oil at 130 F.  I double-checked to be sure the heater was unplugged before proceeding.  I screwed the lid connected to the processor tube onto the carboy of methoxide and tipped it slightly to check for any leaks.  None.  I placed the carboy on a shelf about midway up along side of the processor and turned on the pump.  I double checked all the valves and opened the valve on top of the tank to allow for venting.  Then I opened the valve to the methoxide and the reaction was on!  There was a distinct change in the color of fluid moving through the plastic tubing above the pump as well as a change in motor pitch.  I opened the vent cap in the handle of the carboy and watched as the methoxide slowly disappeared into the processor.  When the methoxide was empty I closed the methoxide valve and the valve on top of the processor and let the pump circulate the solution for about 1.5 hours.  The processor performed flawlessly!
Glycerine and Biodiesel comparison
Glycerine and Raw Biodiesel from First Batch
Early on I knew I had a pretty good reaction because I could see a gold colored fluid in the plastic tube above the pump.  On Monday, July 25, I emptied the bottom layer of glycerine, etc. into an empty carboy and a couple gallon milk containers.  The last milk container had the last traces of glycerine in it.  Now I used the pump to move the biodiesel product into my wash tank.  I figured there was about 23 gallons.  I very slowly added 10 gallons of water to the tank and started the bubble washer.    The bubbling of the first wash is seen below.  What looks like a vigorous bubbling in the middle is a consequence of the exposure time on the camera.  Along the edges you can see the extent of the bubbles that formed.  They broke apart just about as fast they formed.
View into bubble wash tank
View into blue plastic wash tank during first wash


The first wash is done and I emptied about 9 gallons of soapy water out of the washer (didn't want to hit biodiesel) and added 10 more gallons.  The second bubbling is now progressing and there are very few bubbles remaining on the surface of the product.  I plan to finish the second bubbling and let the wash tank sit overnight before emptying out the wash water.  

 

Here is a picture showing the results of the biodiesel batch after washing is complete.  This beaker of biodiesel was removed from the top of the wash tank after settling for several days.  It is perfectly clear with no water bubbles or debris visible.

 Washed Biodiesel
Beaker containing washed biodiesel

However, there is still some concern as to how well the settling and the de-watering of the fuel has progressed.  If I take a sample of fuel from deeper in the wash barrel, I can still find tiny droplets that look like water.  They settle fairly quickly in the biodiesel - that's why I assume they are water droplets.  Since I'm pretty sure the bottom of the wash barrel is clean of any leftover soapy water, I plan to gently stir the fuel in hopes of exposing more to the air so that drying can be complete.

The fuel will be filtered as it is moved to a storage container (55 gallon blue barrel).  From there it will be pumped into vehicles for a first try at how well it works.

First Batch Washed and Dried - in Storage
The first batch of biodiesel, shown above, has now been washed and completely dried.  It is in storage in a 55 gallon blue barrel.  We are waiting on a fuel filter that we can place in line with our fuel pump.  We will move biodiesel from the storage tank to vehicles using this pump-filter arrangement.
Second Batch Now Being Processed
First, a new development.  One of us, Joe, has just purchased a used Mercedes that runs on diesel AND used vegetable oil.  The car has been converted to use unprocessed, clean oil and has an extra tank for oil along with all the plumbing to run the engine.  So, now we have a vehicle in which we can run our biodiesel as well as any oil that we may have leftover.  
 

Our 2nd batch of oil, 20 gallons of WVO, is being processed today.  This oil titrated at a much lower value, 4 gr/liter, than our first batch.  We are looking forward to a high conversion rate on this batch.  The reason we're only processing 20 gallons is:  that's all the "good" oil we have, and that's all the KOH we have for a catalyst. Looks like it's time to order more KOH!
Third Batch now being washed
Our third batch of biodiesel, 25 gallons, was completed over this past weekend ( Sept. 24th) and is now in the wash tank getting its first wash.  This batch seems a little cloudier than past batches.  Could it be because the temperatures are MUCH cooler now than when the first two were done?  This may take more settling time between washes to get everything to settle out.
 

I have received many emails from people interested in our processing system.  It is certainly gratifying to know that this website is being read and that there is interest.  You will notice new links above for our affiliation with B100 Supply LLC.  Rick, the owner, has done a complete renovation of his business location and website and I encourage everyone reading and using the information on this page to use one of the links to his website should you choose to purchase and biodiesel equipment.  Rick's service and the quality of his products is outstanding.

 

Despite our best intentions, NO biodiesel was been made since early in 2007. 

For that reason, and a lack of a permanent site for the equipment.....

 

We Have SOLD all our biodiesel equipment!
 



 To help other biodiesel makers, I will continue to keep this webpage active for the foreseeable future.
 
 
 
Websites you will find interesting

- B100 Supply LLC Home page:   

Biodiesel Bumper Stickers and Decals:
- http://www.utahbiodieselsupply.com/

Online Biodiesel Tutorial:
- http://www.biodieselcommunity.org.com/

Getting Started Article:
- http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/gettingstarted/
 
How It's Made graphic:
- http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/howitsmade/
 
Building A Processor:
- http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/appleseedprocessor/
 
Building A Wash Tank:
- http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/standpipewashtank/
 
Performing A Titration:
- http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/titratingoil/





WebPage modified: Saturday, June 28, 2008
Copyright 2008 Brad Timerson All rights reserved