Has anyone constructed an inexpensive but effective WVO filter?

[mikeathens]

I've seen several designs for a waste veggie oil filter for use in diesels, and I'm going to be putting one together this summer. I was wondering if anyone here in hearthland has any experience either building or using WVO filters? I want to build the most effective but least energy intensive filter system I can (i.e. avoid electric heating elements and energy sucking pumps). Maybe it can't be avoided...

Anyone?

 

[Redox]

My experience is that stuff is some nasty crap. It's pretty much going to be a solid below about 50 degrees. Unless you have a LOT of time, you are going to want to heat it or push it. Pumping is probably the better method, as you will also filter out some of the heavier stuff that would otherwise liquify when warm. Using progressively finer filters may extend their life somewhat. We used to use these bag filters industrially:

(broken link removed to http://www.filterbag.com/x100-bags.php)

They're cheap and easy to replace. You don't need a housing, the bag attaches to a disc that hangs off the inlet pipe. Just hang the bag over your tank and pump the stuff in.

BTW, no experience with the company; I just found them on a quick Google search. I think we were using Cuno filters.

Chris

 

[mikeathens]

I looked quickly - from your experiences with these types of things, can you actually pressurize the bags, or do they just overflow when they get too clogged or have too much flow? If you can actually run them under pressure without housing and without them overflowing or breaking, it would be ideal.

 

[mikeyny]

No matter what anyone says or thinks, straight vege-oil is bad for any internal combustion engine. You need to remove all of the free fatty acids first. These acids eat certain VERY important seals on most diesel engines. You wont get a very long life out of an engine run on svo. Yes, the first diesel was designed and built to run on peanut oil, but that was not the same finely tuned machine of todays world. Do some research first and then make your own processor for fuel.
Mike

 

[renewablejohn]

Due to high price of diesel in uk SVO and WVO is used extensively. suggest looking on the navitron site for a start with further specialist sites linked to it.

mikeyny

Uk experience suggests that for certain engines SVO is cleaner than ordinary diesel and results in better mpg when mixed upto 20% although some fuel pumps have problems with seals.

 

[Redox]

I looked quickly - from your experiences with these types of things, can you actually pressurize the bags, or do they just overflow when they get too clogged or have too much flow? If you can actually run them under pressure without housing and without them overflowing or breaking, it would be ideal.

They can withstand some pressure, but will blow off or rip if they clog up too bad. We could put a couple pounds of pressure on them without a problem. The mounting is a plate with tapered edges that the filter settles down on. Very easy to change, and if it ever did fail, you could just change the filter and recycle the last batch.

There are going to be a lot of naysayers out there, but this can work. I know people that are doing it. I wouldn't try it in one of the newer common rail diesels, but an old Benz will run just fine on it. I even know a guy who is running a 240-D on used motor oil! He filters it to catch the big crud, cuts it with about 30% kerosene and drives it back and forth to work each day. May be shortening the life of the engine a little, but since the old Benz's could go 3-400K miles anyway, i'm not sure it's really an issue. YMWV!

Chris

 

[berlin]

heat it then filter it w/ cheap paper cartridge filter for drinking water, fairly inexpensive and work well, then heat it again post filter to about 300 degrees. this should be fine in an older mechanically injected diesel such as vw 1.6's however you will have to change seals and gaskets

 

[renewablejohn]

You may also need to change the fuel filter as SVO is very good at cleaning dirt out of fuel lines