BioDieselNow - Renewable biodiesel fuel

Attempted a batch yesterday and had no seperation.  Had 270 gallons clean filtered WVO, 54 gallons methanol, and a 50 pound bag of koh.  Don't know the percentage but it was the same as we haved used before.  Ran several test batches which seperated out about 28% in twenty minutes.  Test batches passed the 3/27 test or were at least so close to passing that we weren't sure if we could see anything drop out or not.  In the big batch our temp was about 130F and the methanol-koh was blended in over a period of 1/2 hour.  The pump then continued to run  for 4 more hours with the heater left on.  This morning we drained glycerin looking for bio-diesel until we now have 130 gallons left and have still seen no sign of bio-diesel.  Last summer we made about 500 gallons which seemed to work out alright using about 17 gr, koh per liter but this year using the 3/27 test it looked like we needed 22.  Anyway we are stumped and am hoping that there is a wizard out there someplace who can show us the error of our ways.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.                                         thanks      jakebilt

 

Are you sure on your titration of 16+ grams / liter KOH?  How dry was the oil?  It sounds like a risky reaction, but I've never had the opportunity to try to make fuel from such high-titrating oil. 

We didn't do a titration, just made test batches starting ar 13 gr. koh doing the 3/27 test until we had no glycerin drop out.  I should also have said in my earlier post that today we ran a test batch on our failed batch using 17 gr. per liter with 200ml methanol and got no seperation on that either.            Thanks for the input      Jakebilt

Your first mistake was not titration your oil! Did you check for water in oil? With a KOH level of 17 GPL, you should of opted for : A) A glycerin pre wash to lower the FFA. B) NOT USE THE SINGLE STAGE PROCESS. C) Passed on useing the oil Looking at your amount of KOH (17 per litre?) will equal 38.26 pounds. So you are way over on koh if you added a 50 lb. bag. Adding 54 gallons in only 30 mins at a rate of 1.8 gallons per min sounds like you injected way too much way to fast. With the limited info you gave evertying else is a guess. Describe your process, equipment, and setup...from start too finish.For example: if you used the harbor Freight 1" clear water (pump rated at 330 GPH with water) this will not pump oil at the same rate! Even if it was pumping at max rating you would of only turned over,(passed thru the pump) the whole batch 4 times approx. in 4 hours. Not even close for total saturation of the catalyst to oil. Just my guessing here. Joe

jakebilt:

We didn't do a titration, just made test batches starting ar 13 gr. koh doing the 3/27 test until we had no glycerin drop out.  I should also have said in my earlier post that today we ran a test batch on our failed batch using 17 gr. per liter with 200ml methanol and got no seperation on that either.            Thanks for the input      Jakebilt

Wow, that's quite a batch of oil.  If you really need to convert that into fuel, seriously consider an acid phase followed by water removal.  You might get it to work with a simple base process, but you are going to make so much soap that washing will be a real problem, not to mention your huge cost for catalyst.  Your yield will also be considerably lower.

 I had a problem today with no conversion also.   I did use the calculator and had a number of 2 from my tritration,I am using Koh. I have 25 gallons in my processor   of WVO. I mixed 5 gallons of Methanol with 947 grams of KOH and it seemed to blow up, was a very violent reaction in my mixer. Is this normal?  I have only made small batchs to practise and when mixing  I did see any kind of reaction like that and the KOH had to be broken to get it to mix. this time the KOH just instantly looked to mix and disappear.    I was thinking about mixing the correct amount of KOH 947 grams into 2 more gallons of Methanol to see if I could mix it in to the WVO and get it to react.  I don't understand I got no reation at all and the KOH just disappeared in my mixer.the container I am using for a mixer is brand new and might of been contaminated from the factory with something.  It's like there is no KOH at all in the system.   This was my first large batch

Did you just dump all the KOH in at one time? Joe.D

 Yes  sort of.  I started pouring it and it took abut 15 seconds to pour it all in.    I did mix some up again with about 1 Gallon of Meth and it separated out fine. I also got about 6 gallons of gylcerine outof it  so I think it converted all of it.   I have some PD206 now and am tring to figure out how to make a filter container to use it in. The it should be good to go.  How long should it take to mix the KOH into the Meth? This first batch  it mixed or flashed out almost instantly. 

I do not know your setup,so I will explain mine. I do batches of 180 lt. 36lt of methanol split into 2 identical containers. Split the KOH into both containers. Containers are 40 lt. in capacity so there is plenty of area for expansion. I add my KOH in 300 gram increments, and let the flakes dissolve on their own. If your methoxide tank is cone shaped and the KOH is sitting at the bottom. You conceivable have a relatively large area of KOH exposed to a small surface area of methanol. methanol becomes over saturated with KOH, exothermic build up of heat......volcano effect. My mixing barrels have large surface areas for the methanol to contact KOH and dissapate the heat generated. Try splitting the required methanol into two containers and slowly add KOH.Try to add the KOH of "X" amount of grams,when that batch is mixed into solution add another,"X" amount so on and so on. Joe>D

 I'll try it like that. I have a 5 gallon cooler for my mix.  it has a flat bottom. I only have right now a 25 gallon batch  going at a time.  I am only just now learning this    I will soon be making it 250 gallon batchs I figured i would learn with 25 gallons so I don't screw up 250 gallons. I have run the batch i made in my truck it run s good.   passed 3/27  going to try another batch today. If all goes well with it  I will be nmaking 250 gallons next week     Thanks for the advise.   Greg