My filtration unit for WVO use

[CHenry]

This is the whole unit... prefilter barrel on the right, HWH (hot water heater) in the middle and the filter is shown on the left. The pump is behind the filter. I just changed a few things on the system, went with this new filter housing and some new clear tubing.

The strainer in the top of the prefilter barrel - oil goes in here from the cubies.



The pump...the hose seen going up is the outlet up to the valves that direct the oil either into the HWH for when i am pumping from the barrel or adjusting the valves i can draw the oil from the HWH and direct it through the filter durring the final phase. The inlet goes around to the barrel AND to the HWH...you can see that in the next pic.


Here you see the clear hose on the far right goes to the inlet on the pump. The black hose with the valve goes to the barrel and is plumbed in 4" off the bottom. If i open the valve on the right and close the one on the left, the pump will transfer the oil from the barrel to the HWH. When the HWH is already full of heated and settled oil, i open the drain valve shown and drain 3-4 gallons of the crud off the bottom of the HWH, then the left valve is opened and the right valve is closed (right valve is always closed unless i am transfering oil from the barrel) and then the pump will draw the oil from the bottom of the HWH around to the filter...those pics are next.


another pic of the drain with a temp guage going into the HWH drain opening. That clear tube is a site tube that has a valve on the top to open when filling the tank and it will show you the level of oil in the tank.


Here are a couple pics of the filter and valves to direct oil to either the top of the tank or through the valves. This is a tad complicated to explain but i'll do my best.
Lets call the valves A B and C from bottom to top. (All valves are pictured in the closed position)
When i am wanting to fill the HWH from the barrel, A and C are closed, B is open. Oil comes up from the pump and goes straight to the inlet on top of the tank. Once i have heated the oil for 4 hours to 150* (+/-) and let it settle, drain the crud, i am ready to open the lower valve (you already saw) to draw oil from the tank around to the filter housing, valve A and C are opened and B is closed. Oil comes up from the pump, makes a left turn at valve A, drops down to the filter inlet (which you can't see because its behind the fiter housing) and goes through the 5 micron filter bag, out the bottom of the filter and up the hose on the left to valve C and back into the top of the HWH. The oil is circulated through this cycle for about 30-40 minutes to give it multiple passes through the filter bag. This seems redundant but i once reduced this cycle time and the result was i was changing my Donaldson filter more often. I currently am going on 8,000 miles on my donaldson. Not show is a pressure guage that will go on top of the housing in place of that brass plug. I have to get a guage yet. The guage will let me know when a filter bag is getting dirty and clogged by showing higher pressure.

The outlet of the pump is seen here, the clear tube returns oil back to the top through valve C and back into the top of the HWH, the blue hose goes to the filler nozzel, when i am ready to fill the truck i simply open the nozzel and oil then flows to the blue hose into the truck tank. Valve C acts as a bypass at that point, which slows the rate at which the nozzel flows - oil is able to go to the nozzel AND to valve C...it takes the path of least resistance of couse. I can close valve C and ALL the oil is the forced to the blue hose to the nozzel.
Is that completely confusing?
My next mod to this unit will be to go from the blue hose to a 275 gal. holding tank for storage. Another pump will then be used to move the oil from that tank to my truck tank with the nozzel.

Heres the filter bag that goes inside.


Another picture of the left side


This shows the vet/overflow tube going from the top back to the prefilter barrel. It allows for several things. Air has to be pulled into the HWH when pumping oil out of the HWH, this allows for that. Also, if i am pumping oil from the prefilter barrel, into the HWH and the wife steps into the shop and starts telling me about the 13 pairs of shoes she bought at the store and distracts me - you can see where this is going can't you and i am not watching the site tube to stop the pump when it gets full, the oil will overflow out this tube and back into the barrel. The original design of this Still simply has a filter on top to keep dirt out and NOT if but WHEN you have an overfill situation, the oil flows at 16 gal. per minutes out this tube, blows the filter across the shop and sprays a shower of oil all over the cieling (even a tall cieling) and causes you to bring out new words in your vocabulary that would make a sailor blush.
The other purpose for this tube is....once the HWH is full and you begin the heating, the oil expands (did you know that - i didn't untill i built this with the little filter on top) when the oil expands, it will comeup and out this vent, not fast but slowely...which doesn't matter becasue you have already gone in the house to shower and eat and watch monday night football...so when you coem out to the shop next time, you will find and nice oil slick originating from the top of this tank, flowing down to the floor and across the concrete. (don't ask how i know this)
The Bud Light bottle on top is optional...


This is the drawing i originally used to build mine...notice the filter on top i talked about?

1 connects to 5
2 connects to 4
3 connects to the filler nozzle
6 connects to the pump outlet
7 is the drain
8 connects to the prefilter barrel
9 connects to the pump inlet

Check out Frybrid Vegetable Oil Fuel Systems -- Filtraion and Dewatering Plans for a more complete look.

Parts I used
Filter Housing - found here - Part number 6870K59
Pump i would reccomend - Northern tool Pump This is not the pump i use but this one is alot less $$ and i believe it to be just as good.

[creep403]

You sure are crafty .....

[Strõkër~X]

um yeah, way to much thinking for me......i guess it beats paying $115 for a tank of fuel now a days though..

[Rwalker]

looks nice bud! wish i was buying my home then i could get one set up in my garage too. when i do i will get hold of you for some tips!!!

[SMKSTAX]

Sweet setup Clay!!

[Marv]

Great thread Clay, I know I really appreciate it.

I'll have to read this a couple dozen times, but I'm sure I'll get the drift haha!

I definitely need to get a handle on it since I'll probably be building one soon!!!

[CHenry]

Thanks yall.
Did i mention this will do a 50 gallon batch overnight. HEating and settleing takes the most time of the whole process. It takes me maybe a half hour to dump 10 cubies in the prefilter barrel, dispose of the cubies and pump it into the HWH. Then i tirn the heat on - on a timer set to go off in 4 hours a- and walk away till i am ready the next day to run it throught the filter and while that is taking place, i can be out doing other stuff in the yard for a half hour and then pull the truck in and fill the tank.
Really simple process.

[Marv]

Clay, any chance you have a schematic or drawing of all these tubes and valves? Trust me, the pictures above are great, but it's easy for my simple mind to get confused...haha!

I need to just sit down and draw it out I suppose, but if you have something handy, that'd be great as well.

Thanks!

[CHenry]

Originally Posted by Marv

Clay, any chance you have a schematic or drawing of all these tubes and valves?

I edited the post above and added it.

[strokermann]

know are you making bio-diesel or just using straight wvo. i would like to do teh same way but i wanna make bio-diesel. i need to read up on it. i am moving in a few months so i will give it a whirl then probly