I was just on a sight that showed how a refinery works. It said that after making gas, diesel, etc. that they can make more gasoline out of diesel if the demand calls for it.

 

And now you know one reason that gasoline is 1 dollar a gallon cheaper than diesel fuel.

 

Go to this site. There is some info on dry washing. http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/groupee The media we use if from Purolite. The media is fairl expensive initially, like $6.60/pound. It is supposed to do 81,000 gallons before needing to be regenerated.

Keith

 

I've been using the Graham Laming 1-day waterless wash method. The theory is that soaps are soluble in methanol but not in biodiesel, so you evaporate the methanol and trace water. Mr. Laming's design for an emissions-free processor is a marvel, but complex.
By the way, I heat to 135 degF, process for two hours, prewash with 5% of the total volume, settle for 2 hours, drain the glycerine/prewash water, and immediately pump the bio into the "drywash" tank.
The drywash tank is just a big tank where a cheap Harbor Freight pump sprays the still very warm (@115-120 degF) bio against the backsplash. The methanol evaporates and the soaps precipitate out. Most soaps sink, but some form floating snotters on the surface. I skim the floaters out, and pump the bio through sock filters to get the trace soaps out. Most of it settles to the bottom; when the tank is empty, I scrape the soap out and use it to wash my hands, degrease my engine, clean parts, stuff like that.
Properly drywashed bio is beautifully clear, passes the 3/27 test, and survives the most violent shake test easily. I put half bio and half distilled water in a mason jar and shake it until it looks like milk. Half an hour later and it's separated and the water is clear.
I've only bought diesel maybe a half-dozen times in the last 4-1/2 years, and only when I'm far from home with the "low fuel" light glowing, and I've noticed a slight reduction in power on straight bio. Still way worth it, especially at @$1.00 gallon.

 

I am ready to get started in the bio-diesel production as well. I am located just south of Norman, Oklahoma. Ready to purchase the system of my choice, have everything lined up as far as system, pumps, tanks, storage containers but I can't find a supplier for the WVO. Any body have any ideas. i really need to do something as I am going through 1 tank per week just getting to and from work.

-randy

 

You can recover some methanol from the bio by keeping the heat on for awhile after the reaction and condense it onto something like cold water coils.
You would need to dry the oil first to recover pure methanol without water in it.

My method for recovering water from washed bio is to put it back in the reactor heat to 160 and bubble compressed air up through the front fitting on the appleseed.
Im still trying to get vacuum drying to work. people keep telling me it works better so I figure its at least worth doing a side by side test.