Running on Veg Oil or Biodiesel.

Running on Veg Oil or Biodiesel.

Well, since completing the 200TDi conversion, I have gone over to mixing Veg Oil with Diesel. It's been running just fine, except, I have noticed on a very cold morning, it seems a little sluggish. This is due to the veg oil being a lot thicker than the diesel. The more diesel in the mix, the better the cold start. Once the engine is warmed up, it runs fine, but I will be fitting a Heat Exchanger to warm the fuel mix before it goes through the fuel filter. I'm also going to make and use my own homebrewed Biodiesel. I just need to learn how first.

So this Blog is to show the building of a Biodiesel Processor Station, the making of Biodiesel and using it in my 1972 Series III Land Rover. I'll be learning as I go, so bare with me.

Running on Veg Oil

What I do is this. - I go to a Fuel Station with a 20 litre Jerry Can and fill it with 15 litres of diesel and mix in 5 litres of petrol. Give it a bit of a shake with the lid closed and take it home. At home, I get another Jerry Can and put in 15 litres of filtered to 1-micron Waste Veg Oil and then pour in 5 litres of the diesel/petrol mix and a slash of CT60. <<< Google it? Lid on tight and give it a bit of a shake and leave overnight. The next day, run it through another 1-Micron filter to give it another clean and let it filter out any water left in it. It is now ready to pour into your vehicle. However, if you are buying Straight Veg Oil from Costco or wherever, it won't need filtering, so you can just mix it with the diesel/petrol mix and a slash of CT60.

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I've had and still got a lot of learning to do and one of the first things was.........

What is NaOH?

Sodium hydroxide

Chemical Compound

Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound. It is a white solid and highly caustic metallic base and alkali of sodium which is available in pellets, flakes, granules, ... Wikipedia

Formula: NaOH

Molar mass: 39.997 g/mol

Density: 2.13 g/cm³

Melting point: 318 °C

Boiling point: 1,388 °C

IUPAC ID: Sodium oxidanide, Sodium hydroxide

Soluble in: Water, Methanol, Ethanol

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01/12/2016

So, over the last couple of weeks, I have been sourcing some Veg Oil. I have bought very cheaply, some clean oil that can be put straight in the tank. I have also bought some used Veg oil that has been standing for 6 months and then had the top syphoned off. I have also bought 500 litres of used but very clean looking oil and this is to be cleaned and processed into Biodiesel. 

This is clean Veg Oil. 190 litres at 50p a litre.

I can stick this straight in the fuel tank

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A bit more learning.

What is KOH

Potassium hydroxide

Chemical Compound

Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH and is commonly called caustic potash. Along with sodium hydroxide, this colourless solid is a prototypical strong base. Wikipedia

Formula: KOH

Molar mass: 56.1056 g/mol

IUPAC ID: Potassium hydroxide

Density: 2.12 g/cm³

Melting point: 360 °C

Boiling point: 1,327 °C

Soluble in: Water, Glycerol, Alcohol

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So now I need to sort a place in the garden to set up my 

Biodiesel Processing Station. 

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A bit more learning.

What is CH₃OH 

Methanol

Chemical Compound

Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol among others, is a chemical with the formula CH₃OH. Methanol acquired the name "wood alcohol" because it was once produced chiefly as a byproduct of the destructive distillation of wood. Wikipedia

Formula: CH₃OH

Boiling point: 64.7 °C

Density: 792 kg/m³

Molar mass: 32.04 g/mol

Melting point: -97.6 °C

Vapour pressure: 13.02 kPa

Classification: Alcohol

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Over the last couple of weeks, I have been doing a bit to the  

Biodiesel Processing Station. 

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26th Febuary 2017
The build has taken a back seat for the last month or so. 
I've been fitting a new Kitchen in the house to keep the wife happy, so funds and time have gone into the kitchen. 
No matter. 
The kitchen is done now so I can get back to the Bio Shed build.

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