Author Topic: Lister LD on solid veg fat  (Read 7605 times)

cold comfort farm

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Lister LD on solid veg fat
« on: January 04, 2009, 09:33:51 AM »
Hi All, Happy new year to you all.
I am wondering if any one has run their Lister LD (AIR Cooled) engine on solid chip fat/lard.  I was just wondering what mods you had made.
I currently have the Exhaust running through the tank so the tank is heated.  The lines are insulated but the injector and bleed pipe are not yet insulated.
I have just a bit more work to do before the fat goes in, but wondered should i be doing anything else first.

Kind Regards
Stephen

mike90045

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Re: Lister LD on solid veg fat
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2009, 08:05:05 PM »
1) filter it, filter it, and filter it.  Maybe do a hot water wash, to get acids/salts out of the fat.

2) be very sure your plan for starting & stopping on regular diesel, is fool proof.  All you need to make your day is trying to cold start with lard in the injector.

I don't know if lard needs to melt the whole tank, for each run cycle,  otherwise, is there a problem with lots of incomplete cycles "distilling" the low temp melt out of the tank, leaving only high temp lard in it ?

cold comfort farm

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Re: Lister LD on solid veg fat
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2009, 02:32:04 PM »
Sorry for the long delay.  I agree you cannot filter enough.  I do runny veg in my Landy and thats usually filtered twice at 1 micron.

The starting an stopping on dino is manual but fool proof (ish).  I intend to run for a few hours at a time and the tank is not too big so it should all melt and mix up.  good though though.

All I need to do now is work out how to connect it to the grid.


cold comfort farm

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Re: Lister LD on solid veg fat
« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2009, 08:06:48 PM »
I first thought of converting the AC to DC via a bridge rectifier but Ian (on here) has had problems.  I think I may now get a windyboy inverter with a turbine and also connect a PMG to one end of the generator to feed the grid at the same time as I am feeding 240V to other parts of the farm which is seperate to the grid.
Funds are very tight though as I am also installing solar this summer.

Stephen

cold comfort farm

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Re: Lister LD on solid veg fat
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2009, 07:07:46 PM »
This is part of the post Ian sent me in a PM
"Stephen - Yes the set is still grid tied.

It was not really a problem - but I moved to 3 phase to reduce the DC ripple at the inverter to be on the safe side. I still have the single phase generator just in case the mains power goes off for a prolonged period.
"
See Ian in powerfactor.  He is the only one I know that has done just the thing.  I have PMd him for his comments.
Sorry I have not replied only we have just had a baby and most of my projects have just gone on hold.



Stephen

Davey1000

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Re: Lister LD on solid veg fat
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2009, 01:47:54 PM »
Hi All, Happy new year to you all.
I am wondering if any one has run their Lister LD (AIR Cooled) engine on solid chip fat/lard.  I was just wondering what mods you had made.
I currently have the Exhaust running through the tank so the tank is heated.  The lines are insulated but the injector and bleed pipe are not yet insulated.
I have just a bit more work to do before the fat goes in, but wondered should i be doing anything else first.

Kind Regards
Stephen

Hmm, I used  to work at a large transmitter station where we used to have English Electric L type diesels set up to run on bunker oil (filthy black treacly stuff). The storage tanks and fuel lines had to be permanently heated and the fuel had to be sent through centrifugal filters before going to the engines. In the end the bunker oil was got rid of as it caused too much hassle.  Heating the fuel tanks 24/7 was also a huge waste of energy for seldom-used standby sets.  Lard will give similar problems although the good news is that Indirect Injection engines are less fussy about different types of fuel.  BE SURE TO HAVE GOOD FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT READY as that tank of lard could get very hot.