SS Hot water tank as Biodiesel Processor.

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

I have a 300L Edwards solar HWS tank which I plan to make into a biodiesel processor. I should be able yo use it to make batches of biodiesel, using about 249L if reactants in total.
I would like to retain the insulation and outer skin of the tank.

It appears to have one connection at one end (absorber panels) and 2 at the other end. One appears to be the cold water inlet, a second at that end has a temperature/pressure relief valve fitted and a third connection looks to be for the absorber panels.
I plan to have legs welded to is to allow it to stand upright and install a pump for circulation of reactants.
It has an electric element fitted as well as a thermal cutout.

Has anyone used one of these for a biodiesel processor? Any issues? what modifications were needed?

I would appreciate any support members can provide me in this venture.

Regards,
Tony

[timorcoco Donating Member Find all posts View Profile Close timorcoco]

Re: SS Hot water tank as Biodiesel Processor.

G'day Tony
I have just been modifying half a dozen s/s solar storage tanks for use as woodchip drywash cannisters for a project.
Various brands/models , but all similar in that the in/out sockets have internal tubing attached , so you may target one for
an input or drain and find is does not go where you want it to . e.g. you may not be able to drain completely .

I suggest you peer closely into the sockets on the convex dished ends, use a torch + some wire ?, and identify what is there.One end should be just the socket
without any attached tube. Use this as your tank bottom for draining , attaching mix pump , if it's next to element.
You will need a larger opening for input of oil and the catalyst mixture , at the top. I suggest removing insulation from this end as far as the edge of the
convex end piece/dome , and cut a hole in it away from the sockets , say 100mm , to allow pouring but also allows fitting a PVC plumbing cap . You will be able
to see what the internal plumbing is and deal with it. May have to remove a PVC tube there-in ( it has holes along it for diffusion of panel flow) . The socket with the
short tube behind it will be OK for inlet from mix pump .
Was the tank roof mount or ground /split system type ? There is a difference in where the element is attached.
Location of the element fitting will make a difference. If it is on the side halfway up , it's easy to use for heating. If it is on the end , then this needs to be at the bottom when you mount vertically. End position of element may be next to the socket with the internal tubing , so could be a problem.

The element is made for heating water - high wattage per surface area ( high energy density ) and your oil cannot soak up the heat fast like water can , so it will soon burn out. Or sooner, trip your ELCB .You could weld a 1 1/4 " BSP socket onto the flange and use a screw-in oil heating element. I will give you one for nix !!
If there is a 1" BSP socket , you could use that for an element too. But 1" oil elements are v. exxy. Most tanks are 3/4" all round tho.

Great tank for the job though , and you could water wash in it too , without corrosion worries ( if you wanna wash the old fashioned way ! )

cheers , J

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

Re: SS Hot water tank as Biodiesel Processor.

thanks,
Thanks for the suggestion of looking into the I/O ports of the tank, that will help decide the ports to use for my bottom and top access to the tank.
I plan to use a pump for filling, mixing and pump out of the reacted oil and byproduct. This will also facilitate drawing in the methanol / caustic solution. The element is on the end of the cylindrical tank, at the same end as a standard 1/2" bsp male fitting (the cold water inlet - or is it the Hot water outlet??) and the Temp/Pressure relief valve. I would like to use solar heating of the tank as I have plenty of roof area to use for this. I can then set the panels up to supply a lower voltage to the heating element. In the meantime, I could use a "simmerstat"(as used for stove electric element control) to reduce the power applied to the heating element. I have not yet checked the element power rating, but if it is over 2.5KW, then this will be essential ,as mny shed power is only wired for 10A (3 phase though so I could use 3, 2.5KW elements)

The connections for the panels are 3/4" flare fittings, but I will need to get suitable flare nuts to connect to them (or have BSP threads welded to them)

I plan to settle the bio for a month or 2 before use, in a couple of tanks, pumped after a month from tank 1 to tank 2, then after another month into a 1000l cube for storage / dispensing. It has been suggested that the additional pumping may promote byproduct dropout (suggested by our biodiesel Coop team who cannot supply enough for my wife's needs - 60L / fn, which is why I plan to make my own), but if I do not see any significant dropout in tank 2, I may dispense with it.

I will post photos as it comes together.

Regards,
Tony

[Captaincademan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captaincademan]

Re: SS Hot water tank as Biodiesel Processor.

On the note of elements for heating, I have been using the same element in my brewer now for, gosh, at least 8 years, maybe 9 since I started. It is a hoo-er though, not sure of the rating, but it draws that much current it heats a 15amp extension lead to hot to touch and i have melted the plastic face on a few 15amp electrical outlets in my shed over the years. I think I am on my 4th 15 amp GPO. I am not worried though as the sparky who wired my shed gave me 6mm cable to the shed and it has its own circuit breakers.

Point is I pulled this particular element out of a hot water tank I kicked over at the dump that looked pretty worn out already. The element has lasted just fine and does a wonderful job. heats a 200l batch from winter temps (say 15 degrees or so) to 55 degrees in about 30 mins.

dont forget to connect an earth wire from the body of the brewer to your ELCB. A definite must have.

[Harvey Member Find all posts View Profile Close Harvey]

Re: SS Hot water tank as Biodiesel Processor.

Tony, Cade, et al all fellow bio bandits
new design comments include having an opening for pouring in methoxide, and Tony ( wisely) mentions pumping it into the reactor. I follow this line of practice so as to not lift methoxide and pour, it's dangerous s#it!!!!
Following this in my design I recently pumped potassium methoxide thru my pump, and not wanting to leave any in the hose raised the suction hose to ensure all drained into the pump inlet. In doing so the external of the hose must have briefly touched my bare shoulder whilst still wet. Potassium meth has a curious factor, it kills nerves. A couple of hours later I wondered as to what the 1x3 cm black thing was on my shoulder??
I was wearing goggles n gloves, and a singlet, but for those using KOH be aware. You can be burnt without knowing as there is no pain. RBWH burns unit doing surgery Friday will help me remember. Happy to stick my hand up as Being foolish if it may prevent one of you guys from getting hurt, so in adding methoxide think about your design, procedure, and PPE.
Kind regards, Harvey

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

Re: SS Hot water tank as Biodiesel Processor.

Harvey,
Thank you for the timely reminder.
Methanol on it's own is a significant hazard, nerve poison, flammabble.
KOH on it's own is a serious hazard, causes severe burns to any organic material (including YOU).
Combine them and it is serious sh!t and can cause significant injury or death!

Anyone making biodiesel should take care, wear appropriate PPE and ensure adequate ventilation in the work area. Ensure that sparks and naked flames are not present when methanol or methanol / caustic solutions are present.

Stay safe.
Don't put the home brew community at risk of tightening regulations which may prevent us making bio at home.

Tony

[Captaincademan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captaincademan]

Re: SS Hot water tank as Biodiesel Processor.

100% Tony.

I installed a computer cooling fan to the underside of my mixing motor to push fresh cool air through it to reduce the chance of it burning out and throwing a flame.

Ventilation is everything if working inside.

I purposely dont wear heavy clothing though as if you do have a spill on you it will soak into your clothing and be difficult to wash off. I turn the hose on and set the hose fitting to "shower" and leave it on the ground right next to me when I do a mix so I can instantly wash myself off if I get any on me.

I have my set up now fully operational and I dont man handle anything. I highly recommend a setup similar for safety sake.

[dagwill Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dagwill]

Re: SS Hot water tank as Biodiesel Processor.

Agree, dangerous stuff, i like the hose on idea, for me i lift and pour,wear protective goggles [close fitting] and i have a 2ltr bottle of vinegar close handy and my mixing station is only 6 to 8 ft from a tap.
Tony i have been using an Edwards ss tank for 15yrs or so. this tank was a floor mounted so the base is flat , inside the bottom of the tank is spherical , so the last little bit of draining glyc. or similar is not 100% , but pretty good. I found i have to drain, wait a day drain last bit, and repeat couple of times if i want to be fussy. If you remove the heating element you should be able to look inside,torch & small mirror. Its grt as it is insulated, so mid winter on a freezing night i can make a brew, go to bed and forget [lid in place] next day or longer the settled glyc. is still warm and runs easily.

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

Re: SS Hot water tank as Biodiesel Processor.

Dagwill,
Can you please describe your processor (a diagram would be great) as I need to look at a number of ideas to help me decide on how best to do my processor.
If you can't post it here, please PM me and I'll send my email address.

Regards,
Tony