Process Filtration

[Rtqii]

I just spent 30 minutes at the Purolator-Facet filter homepage and I thought I would post about this process filtration system that I came across. I am not spamming or selling anything, this to me looks like the ideal system to pre-filter raw WVO and it should assist in removing a lot of water with the gunk:

http://www.purolator-facet.com/selfcln.htm#clean2

Here is the page ^^^ - I was looking at the "metaledge" line of products.

http://www.purolator-facet.com/metaledge.htm

^^^ Flash animation showing how the technology works

http://www.purolator-facet.com/pdfs/metaledge.pdf

Spec sheet ^^^

I was looking specifically at the F-190 model for process filtering/transfer of hot oil from drums as a pre-filter to remove particles 25 microns and above. A replaceable 10 micron high flow cartridge filter placed downline would pick up most of the rest without excessive clogging. The oil could be filtered and transferred into the storage tank in one pass at 60+ PSI and 150+ degrees F.

If nothing else... The flash animation is kewl... I bet this filter is expensive, but from the looks of it, you would never need to replace it or purchase a new element.

The final filtration I would set up in the heated fuel line to the IP. Oil would be drawn off the top of the storage tank (where oil filtered to 10 microns would be pumped/stored). The cold oil would be transfered into a heated day tank in the engine house.

http://www.wefilterit.com/

^^^ I think these toilet paper type canisters would work well in-line as the final fuel filter. With this system I doubt you would have to dewater the WVO fuel.

[Rtqii]

Please excuse these next posts. I am taking notes and posting links to stuff I come across so that when I move (and can't access "my favorites" on this machine) I can locate the products and my thoughts about the stuff I am looking at. My goal is to set up a simple, effective, permanent WVO transfer and filter process. It will be pump driven, no lifting, no pouring, and as spill proof as possible.

I am going to equip the truck with some type of pump to transfer ambient temperature oil from WVO sumps into a transfer/holding tank and return with the oil... The oil would then be pumped into a tank or drum equipped to use engine heat or burned waste to reduce viscosity.  At some point here, possibly before the oil goes into the pre-heat tank I want to coarse strain to remove the BCBs (big crispy bits)...

http://www.b100supply.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=80&CFID=496671&CFTOKEN=87786355

^^^ Edited to add nylon drum strainer - Labed "biodiesel" and it sells for 50% more than the same strainer elsewhere....

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=usplastic&category%5Fname=24884&product%5Fid=19540

^^^ Same strainer... $11

After a moderate increase in temperature to reduce viscosity I want to single pass process filter to at least 10 microns and at the same time transfer the oil into a storage tank. "Single pass" may mean two filters in line here. Biocide would be added, the oil can be allowed to settle, and drawn off the top of the storage tank into the day tank where it would pass a final filter prior to hitting the IP on the engine. A reserve of about 250 gallons of filtered, stabilized, WVO oil would make me comfortable.

I expect some capital expense for setup, but long term operation expenses should be as low as possible using canister filters with cleanable elements or readily available, easily replacable, and inexpensive disposable elements. The system should filter/transfer at least 55 gallons before requiring a filter change. The post above and the notes below are commerical in-line filter systems that could be used in this setup, nothing more.

http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforum/showthread.php3?t=105153&highlight=wvo

^^^ Link to another forum discussion where various filtering schemes are discussed.

http://www.filterbag.com/biodiesel.html

^^^ Expensive canister, replacement filter bags are reasonable at under $10 per pack of 50. I have doubts that one filter bag will process 55 gallons of WVO in one pass without having to pre-filter or stopping to replace the filter element... And it does nothing to remove water. Plastic canister while impervious to oil would be sensitive to hot oil under pressure and the filter elements are plastic fiber making disposal questionable. It won't burn as cleanly and won't biodegrade on it's own.

http://www.filtersource.com/

^^^ String cartridges

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/72603/0/0/fuel%20filter/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0

^^^ This filtering funnel got a very high rating by Practical Sailor ( http://www.practical-sailor.com/sample/Fuelfilter.html ) it removes water and gunk but would require oil to be preheated and a pour or a non-pressurized pump system.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/NTESearch?storeId=6970&N=0&Ntk=P_Brand&Ntt=Goldenrod&Nty=1&D=Goldenrod&Ntx=mode+matchall&Dx=mode+matchall&cmnosearch=true

^^^ I see some people in other forums using these water filters, they are inexpensive and are plumbed for 3/4 inch fittings, my ideal process pipe diameter.

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/group.asp?GroupID=OILFILTHEAD

^^^ Filterheads

http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/159605551/m/5971028701/inc/-1

^^^ Filter conversion/construction

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=PRM-81794&N=110%20304356

^^^ Perma-Cool Fuel Filter and Water Separator Kits - Looks like a good deal in premium filter technology. $35.88 - 90 PSI

http://www.perma-cool.com/Catalog/Cat_page26.html - http://www.perma-cool.com

^^^ 3/4" NPT inlet for multiple applications.  The Perma-Cool filter head is recommended by others with a CAT 1R-0750 water separating replacement filter ($11)

[Rtqii]

http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me11.html

^^^ This is a page about a guy using waste motor oil to heat a shop (little does he know that if he adds a Listeroid he could heat and power his shop  ) - Very good info about his problems and solutions, not just with working a waste oil burner in a cold climate... But his solutions to oil collection, storage, pumping, and transfer. He is able to collect several hundred gallons of used motor oil several times a year.

Photos of his burner show the amount of metal ash accumulated per day in a typical waste oil burner... I have run these burners, and seen the deposits he refers to. WVO does not produce these ashes... I know people run Listeroids on used motor oil, but I wonder what happens to all the ash???  Also, used motor oil is contaminated with higher amounts of water which is emulsified by the detergents, and I have picked up used motor oil that was as much as 30% dumped anti-freeze... What a gloppy mess to separate and burn. This stuff would be extremely difficult to clean up enough to run in an engine, but in an emergency or time of great need it can be done... You will need lots of filtering.

[Rtqii]

A recap of bypass filters I see that are suitable as a final fuel filter between the waste oil tank and the IP... Also would be suitable for use as a crankcase filter (Listeroids should have one in both locations for trouble free service I think).

http://www.parker.com/racor/lfs_bypss.html

^^^ Racor bypass filter with multi-layer string element... This would work well as an in-line fuel filter prior to the IP.

http://www.wefilterit.com/

^^^ Franz  (cost effective TP filter element, burnable element = no waste)

http://www.oilguard.com/Pricing.php

^^^ Quality bypass filter, replaceable elements are $13 a pop

http://www.gulfcoastfilters.com/

^^^ Quality bypass filter... No pricing, web page refers you to a local dealer... I called & replacement filters are about $17 each available in cases of 6... Case of 18 = $250.20

http://www.motorguard.com/air_2_2.html

^^^ Some people have reported using these air filters ( http://listerengine.com/smf/index.php?topic=861.0 ) - The replacement filter _looks_ like a roll of toilet paper. Air tests show it will not pass tobacco smoke.

http://www.amsoil.com/StoreFront/bf.aspx (see BMK-11)

http://www.amsoil.com/bypassfilters/instructions/BP082.pdf

https://www.amsoil.com/StoreFront/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=78

^^^ Amsol spin on bypass filter, replacement cartridges in three sizes fit the spin on mount, price ranges from $36 to $44 for a replacement element depending on size... Throw away metal case spin on filter. Amsol claims longer cartridge life, and the larger capacity canister may well deliver that.

http://fleetowner.com/mag/fleet_whats_new_oil_3/index.html

^^^ Bottom of the page has an index of oil filter companies... Google search for "bypass filters"

I looked at the bigger well known ones... I have qualms about puchasing a canister filter and being at the mercy of a single supplier for filter elements. All these filters claim below 5 micron filtration, and these are pretty basic technology and will run $150 - $200 for the filter unit, plus the on-going cost of replacing elements. In Lister stationary engines, elements should last a good long time, even as a WVO filter off the day tank, as long as the oil is hot passing thru the filter!!!

http://www.premolube.com/about.htm

^^^ Something like this would work, but it is going to cost thru the nose... It uses an electrical heater.

http://www.plantdrive.com/newcatalog2/page15/page4/page4.html

^^^  "VORMAX Fuel Processor - Vormax coolant-heated two-stage water separator/filter with filter restriction gauge, comes complete with filter element" - Come on... Only $369 smackaroos with all the bells and whistles. It is ideal for this process tho: engine heated, gauged, water separator... But expensive enough I could eat like a king for a month.


I plan on burning any kind of waste oils I can get my hands on... I don't really care about animal fat, hydrogenated oil, etc... In automotive applications the type and quality of the source oil is more important, especially in cold weather.  I plan on running hot engine coolant into the day tank to pre-heat the oil which will liquify all the fats and hydrogenated fractions. I will use a fuel pump, and it looks like I will need to plumb engine heat to the fuel pump and the filter canister as well to keep the oil warm and flowing cleanly up to the injector pump.  The oil may require additional heat input prior to the injector to get the actual injector temp up to around 200 degrees. The danger on a system like this is without some form of active heating, on a cold day the high filtration bypass filter will clog with fat and wax that gell out at lower temperatures.  My goal is to design a system and pre-filter the oil for gross particulates at a fairly high temperature prior to storage. Oil would be tapped off the storage tank as required into the day tank where it is preheated prior to pumping, final filtration to 5 microns or below, and sent hot to the IP.

As long as the day tank, pump, and filter in the WVO fuel feed is warm... And particulates are removed, it should burn fine in the indirect injected engine. The only problem I really see is possible issues with bleeding the lines, especially bleeding out a cartridge filter.... I think hot oil and insulated wrapped lines between sections should keep the viscosity low enough to bleed things properly.

On the diesel side of the dual-fuel system I don't think I am going to bother with a pump or filter. I will simply try to use a clean gravity tank and buy clean fuel. I don't expect to burn significant amounts of pump diesel. Once the engine thermostats are up to temp and 195* F water is available to heat the WVO side of the system I will just turn the valves and throw hot oil at the engine to turn my loads.   With the proper pre-filtering, just about any oil or blend of fuels and oils should operate fine from the day tank. Final filtering, because of the time and/or pressure required to get a decent flow rate should be done at the engine rather than in the pre-filter process. The oil is going to have to be pre-heated to burn properly anyways, and it is going to take time to burn it... So: heat the day tank, small assist pump to deliver pressure, final filter -> IP.

I need to look at fuel pump and plumbing options for both parts of the WVO fuel processing. On the filter process/transfer side I need a high pump capacity and flow rates. On the engine house day tank side I don't need anything that will deliver high flow, high pressure, or requires a great deal of energy to drive... Just something small to push hot oil thru the filter and provide a few pounds of pressure to the IP... Nice to have in order to bleed final filter (almost a necessity as I look at things) and injector lines if needed. A waste oil water heater optionally plumped into the day use fuel system should provide the ability to make cold starts on WVO... A nice option to have for backup starting, even tho it will rarely get freezing where I will be setting this up.

http://www.donaldson.com/en/index.html

Donaldson... I don't know how my searching missed them.

[Rtqii]

http://www.plantdrive.com/learnmore/usedcookingoil/usedcookingoil.html

^^^ Website page on testing for water, filtering issues, oil quality, how to get oil.

http://www.plantdrive.com/products/pumpwand/pumpwand.html

^^^ Waste oil collection system with battery powered pump... Note this site is targeting a niche audience, I bet like the "biodiesel" strainer I found up top, you can buy this pump for 50% less as just a plain old oil pump.... .. .  They include a 70 micron filter in the pickup wand, but you don't want to be out picking up oil and having to stop pumping to clean/exchange filters. I think this is the wrong location for a 70 micron filter. I think I am going to search for a cheaper solution, no filter, bells or whistles... Just let me pump oil and go, BCBs and all. Pricing on that unit as I write is $329 for the pump, hose, and filter wand... $229 for just the pump & hose.

http://www.redlinepumps.com/12voltpumps.html

^^^ These pumps are not labeled "biodiesel" and are running even higher!!! $350 smackaroos, and it looks like the supplier of the same danged pump plantdrive is selling. Hummm... eat for a month like a king, or build my own pump...

Looking around I am not finding any 3+ GPM 12 V oil pumps under $229.... Maybe this is why greasecar people are having resturants put oil back into the 5 gallon plastic containers. On the other hand... Tell me why a decent water pump would not pick up waste oil from a sump?

http://www.cleangrease.com/index_files/Page557.htm

^^^ Finding oil suppliers

http://www.cleangrease.com/index_files/Page368.htm

^^^ Gravity & pump filtration process & equipment

[mobile_bob]

www.surpluscenter.com

has a 12 vdc as well as a 120 vac oil pump for around 80 bucks, supposed to handle up to 50 weight waste oil.

might check them out as well

bob g

[bitsnpieces1]

Depending on just how handy you are, take a standard car engine oil pump of your choice, cut/drill/tap steel plate to seal shaft/suction/discharge, couple 12vdc motor (? heater fan motor?) to shaft and pump away.  I've done this before, it works just fine and is cheap.

[gpkull]

i use a small gear pump and a motorgard filter canister. tp is cheap and an exellent filter element. im told somewhere around 1 micron. ambient 90f my set up does a little better than 1 GPM.  i scim from the top leaving water and sludge on the bottom. i had  to move filter to suction side. this is a air filter.  it does work good for veggie but the pressure biuldup will blow the quad ring between the 2 halves. when this happens you have tiny pieces of tp w/ veggie everywhere (not good). as the filter pluggs up the flow just slows down(when on suction side)  i have been using a biocide and purging the air out as well so far so good

[dkwflight]

Hi The Motorgaurd canister is suposed to be good for 150psi. You can find pressure relief valves at the plumbers supply.
Dennis

[gpkull]

tks on the psi i will not put it back on the presssure side thats 2 messy

[Rtqii]

tks on the psi i will not put it back on the presssure side thats 2 messy

You need a pressure gauge before and after the filter on the pressure side to be able to tell when the filter is clogged or overloaded. I see these nice oil pressure gauges for about $10 on ebay new that would work great in process filtration applications.  You could run 2-3 filters in series (coarser to finer) with a gauge before and after each filter, and when you see the pressure increase you know it's time to stop the pump and change elements.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-ENGINE-OIL-PRESSURE-TESTER-w-GAUGE-DIAGNOSTIC-TOOL_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43989QQihZ014QQitemZ330027795159QQrdZ1

I am going to be filling my bunkers in a couple or three months and the only way I can see to do this efficiently with any real quantity of oil is with a process filtration setup and big cartridge type filters with disposable celluose elements (burn them to preheat the oil, engine, hot water, refrigeration, etc.). The fine >5 micron filtration I will do at lower pressure and flow rates between the day tank and the IP.

I am liking the metaledge type filter that I posted links to at the beginning of this thread more and more as part of my process filtration strategy.

Process filtering really needs gauges in order to monitor filter performance, you don't want to change filter elements too early, or too late, and the only way to really know is to monitor the before and after pressure on the filters.

I have a lot of waste engine heat in the truck, and it is already plumbed where I will rarely need it... To the heater core.  I can put two bypass valves on the heater hoses, shut off the flow of hot water to the heater core and direct it to a permanently mounted drum type tank with a heat exchanger loop.  This way, while driving back from oil pickups the oil will be preheated for process filtering. Once the truck is parked at the entry point for the process filtration the pre-heated oil can be gravity fed through a rough strainer and into a transfer tank where the still warm oil is pumped through the process filters. A simple monitoring panel with pressure guages and the pump switch mounted up would be watched as the oil is rapidly pumped, filtered, and transferred into the fuel bunker with about a 10 micron passthru.

In the fuel bunkers oil will settle, the top of the bunkers can be drawn off and into the day tanks where it will be heated again with stationary engine heat and the final filter (like the Motoguard or Franz) will take it down to below 5 microns at a lower pressure than is used with the high-pass thru process filtration.

With this setup a lot of oil can be transfered and filtered quickly with minimum filter changes and expense. The Motoguard/Franz type TP element will last a good long time with pre-filtered oil at the low passthru rate such as is required to feed a generator IP. The metaledge type filter never needs a cartridge and can be cleaned without dissassembly, there will be only one large cartridge type filter (probably a string wound filter element) that would filter to 10 microns and would require replacement every few hundred gallons of oil processed... All BCBs would be picked up by the cleanable strainer, and then rough filtered thru the metaledge unit to 25 microns before passing thru the finer string cartridge at 10 microns. The TP type element is claimed to filter down to .1 microns and the engine IP would be truly seeing clean oil.

[stephen]

I wondered if anyone can help.
I have been told that you can add 1L petrol  per 20l WVO mix well and stand for 2 months. It then can be used in engines. With the gloop separated out (No filtering or de watering)

Does any one have any experience on this.

Also I have seen the 1u bags for filtering http://www.smartveg.com/shop/if_products.php?c=2
Does anyone use this kind of filtering if I have to filter.

Regards

Stephen

[danalinscott]

I have heard this before as well. But have not found it to be true.

The main problem with this is that having added petroleum of any knid to the WVO you hae no way to tell if it is in fact sufficiently dewatered.
You can pump through a 10 micron filter to make sure that harmful particulates re not making thier way from the settled drum to the fuel tank...but all you can do is cross your fingers that there is no water in the WVO you are transferring for use.

As far as 1 micron bag filters....
Many choose to use 1,2,  or 5 micron filters in the hope that the smaller ratign will compensate for any stretch that he bag filter has when suspended and or heated. I may...but considering the cost of an IP it is still cheap insurance to run any wvo fuel through 5 micron cartridge filter before use just to make sure.

I wondered if anyone can help.
I have been told that you can add 1L petrol  per 20l WVO mix well and stand for 2 months. It then can be used in engines. With the gloop separated out (No filtering or de watering)

Does any one have any experience on this.

Also I have seen the 1u bags for filtering http://www.smartveg.com/shop/if_products.php?c=2
Does anyone use this kind of filtering if I have to filter.

Regards

Stephen