Using dessicants to dry fuel

[Simtech]

Through my work I have access to a LOT (5-10 lbs every two months) of silica gel beads.  The beads are fairly large, about 5mm across - they're out of cannisters we use to keep the vent air for the 400 gal hydraulic oil reservoirs dry.  Because of the design of the cannister when the silica gel is used up or contaminated with hydraulic oil fog badly enough they're thrown out. 

I've already figured out how to clean the beads of the hydraulic oil film (a quick bath in acetone) and I know I can regenerate them easy enough, but can I use it to dry out gasoline/diesel/WMO or will the fuels dissolve the silica gel beads and contaminate my fuel.

Thanks

Mods, if this is in the wrong area I apologize.

[Thob]

I would think that you would want to put the beads in the air above the fuel to dry it, not in the fuel.  Say if you run a pipe from a drum of fuel into a container of the beads, then vent the container.  The beads will dry the air above the fuel, which cause the fuel to dry out (over time).  In other words - similar to the way they are used where you get them.

Another way would be to suspend the beads in a screened enclosure above the fuel (inside the drum but above the fuel).

[dieselgman]

Any liquid water in the fuel is, of course, going to be at the bottom of the tank due to its higher density.

It also does seem that the silica beads would dissolve if in contact with fuel, but I have never seen nor heard of a trial. We "dry" our fuel with use of ethanol additive and routine tank draining.

dieselgman

[bandmiller2]

There are several helpfull things you can do to minimize fuel water problems,of course buy clean dry fuel and keep tanks near full.The fuel discharge to the filter should not be at the lowest point in the tank thats the home of the drain plug.The end of the discharge should be a little above the tank bottom and have slots /holes so its hard for a piece of plastic or paper to block it.I used to get good quantities of water contaminated diesel fuel free.Settling easily removes the free water,the entrained moisture is anouther story,that tends to plug paper elements.I would leave the fuel in 55 drums until real cold weather then filter through a strainer funnel with several layers of skivie shirt in it.This would remove the ice crystals and engines would think the clean fuel was ice cream. Frank C.

[fabricator]

As a bio diesel producer I have tried all of the high tech dessicants on the market, even several that are supposedly purpose for drying oil and so far none of them have worked at all, most are designed to be put in a column and the oil passed through, the dessicant is supposed to remove all water, so far they have all proven to be snake oil.
The simplest method is to set your container out in the sun and the heat and time will cause most of the water to settle to the bottom of the container, there will still be some small amount of water in the oil that no amount of passive heat or settling will remove.
The most positive way I have found to get oil, WMO/WVO absolutely dry is to use a centrifuge with the oil heated to at least 180 degrees, the oil needs to be at least 90 psi to drive the centrifuge and when it exits the fuge because of the temperature and pressure drop outside the fuge there is a flash evaporation process that takes place.
I do 400 gallons per batch and it usually takes 6-8 hours to get the oil completely dry/anhydrous.

[bschwartz]

          "I do 400 gallons per batch and it usually takes 6-8 hours to get the oil completely dry/anhydrous."

WOW!! 400 gallon batches?!?!?  What size centrifuge do you use?
I run my 45 gallon batches through an OC-20 for 12-24 hours.  Overkill on my part?  Then again, I don't think I ever clogged a filter from dirt particles.  I think small amounts of fats slowly clog my filters, but I haven't cut one open yet to look.

[Tom]

The old Motor-guard & Frantz TP oil filters would remove water from oil. Even emulsified water. Cellulose has a much greater affinity for water than oil. If it were me, I'd make a large capacity filter by stuffing a roll of paper towels in a 6" pvc pipe and give that a try using gravity feed.

[fabricator]

          "I do 400 gallons per batch and it usually takes 6-8 hours to get the oil completely dry/anhydrous."

WOW!! 400 gallon batches?!?!?  What size centrifuge do you use?
I run my 45 gallon batches through an OC-20 for 12-24 hours.  Overkill on my part?  Then again, I don't think I ever clogged a filter from dirt particles.  I think small amounts of fats slowly clog my filters, but I haven't cut one open yet to look.

I have Industrial Spinner brand fuge it'll do 24 gpm at 100 psi at 180 degrees. It's about 24 inches tall and 14 inches in diameter.

[cujet]

The old Motor-guard & Frantz TP oil filters would remove water from oil. Even emulsified water. Cellulose has a much greater affinity for water than oil. If it were me, I'd make a large capacity filter by stuffing a roll of paper towels in a 6" pvc pipe and give that a try using gravity feed.

That was my thought too. Paper will absorb water quite well, yet is unaffected by oil.

[fabricator]

It will have to be done under quite high pressure, if it is filtered cold or it will take a long time for oil to flow through this type of filter.

[bigblockengine9074]

As a bio diesel producer I have tried all of the high tech dessicants on the market, even several that are supposedly purpose for drying oil and so far none of them have worked at all, most are designed to be put in a column and the oil passed through, the dessicant speedboat is supposed to remove all water, so far they have all proven to be snake oil.
The simplest method is to set your container out in the sun and the heat and time will cause most of the water to settle to the bottom of the container, there will still be some small amount of water in the oil that no amount of passive heat or settling will remove.
The most positive way I have found to get oil, WMO/WVO absolutely dry is to use a centrifuge with the oil heated to at least 180 degrees, the oil needs to be at least 90 psi to drive the centrifuge and when it exits the fuge because of the temperature and pressure drop outside the fuge there is a flash evaporation process that takes place.
I do 400 gallons per batch and it usually takes 6-8 hours to get the oil completely dry/anhydrous.

Wow, 400 gallons is a lot of fuel to be doing per batch you are stepping up to the big leagues for sure!!

[fabricator]

Well, it takes about the same amount of time if you up size everything to do a 40 gallon batch as a 400 gallon batch.