Simple Centrifuge Home build

[FastCote]

Originally Posted by vegginpsd

I dont recall me making referance to crankcase oil......

He could have seen it mentioned on the simplecentrifuge site. They mention it in several places. I have no experience with WMO but i would imagine it would work at least as well or better than mechanical filtering.

This link: HERE shows images of several different types of oil (WMO included) being spun.

This link: HERE even shows them removing magnesol from finished bio.

[FastCote]

Here are some samples from the first run.
Left = Raw oil.
Middle = spun oil, sampled from the BOTTOM of the clean oil drum.
Right = spun oil, sample from the TOP of the clean oil drum.

This pic was after settling. I will shake them back up and take another pic. When shaken the left sample gets all runny and NASTY looking.

The creamy at the bottom of the spun oil is just hydrogenated. my source has a ton of hydrogenated oil in it but most people tell me it will be fine to use in a heated truck system.

It is difficult to show just how good the centrifuge is because my source is pretty well pre-filtered. They actually suck it out of the fryer HOT with a filter machine of some sort. As you can see though, that machine doesn't dewater at all! I should "make" some really crappy oil just to show how well and how fast this thing is it cleaning and dewatering.

[vegginpsd]

It looks to me that what you may have there is creamy (hydrogenated) oil samples. The sample on the left, may have far less water than you might think. The botom layer looks like hydrogenation.

Did you calculate your flow rate? Are you able to maintain 120* oil temp at the rotor bowl? Remember temp and flow rate are critical. Also, what does the centrifuge discharge look like when you stop for cleaning? Is there a thick black coating on the rotor wall?

Keep up the good work! You will love your system when you get it totally dialed in!

[bfloyd4445]

Originally Posted by FastCote

Here are some samples from the first run.
Left = Raw oil.
Middle = spun oil, sampled from the BOTTOM of the clean oil drum.
Right = spun oil, sample from the TOP of the clean oil drum.

This pic was after settling. I will shake them back up and take another pic. When shaken the left sample gets all runny and NASTY looking.

The creamy at the bottom of the spun oil is just hydrogenated. my source has a ton of hydrogenated oil in it but most people tell me it will be fine to use in a heated truck system.

It is difficult to show just how good the centrifuge is because my source is pretty well pre-filtered. They actually suck it out of the fryer HOT with a filter machine of some sort. As you can see though, that machine doesn't dewater at all! I should "make" some really crappy oil just to show how well and how fast this thing is it cleaning and dewatering.

Thanks for the pix. Your presentation has been outstanding. Hydrogenated means there is water still traped within the oil. If there is enough to settle out as in your pix it means you are over the safe limit and your engine is facing a premature death unless rectified. All fuel contains some water and our engines are designed to pass water but it does cause wear of engine parts so the less in the fuel the better.

[FastCote]

Thanks for the kind words from everyone so far. I freely admit to being a newbie on this, but my engineer's nature does make me obsess on projects for a good long while prior to jumping in. After that, it's balls to the bulkhead!!!

The two quotes were somewhat conflicting so I will let you two (veggin & bfloyd) duke it out. I have heard that PHO (partially hydrogenated) is ok but would like to hear more from you two on it. Please play nice!!

Originally Posted by vegginpsd

...may have far less water than you might think. The botom layer looks like hydrogenation.

Originally Posted by bfloyd4445

...Hydrogenated means there is water still traped within the oil. If there is enough to settle out as in your pix it means you are over the safe limit and your engine is facing a premature death unless rectified...

[FastCote]

Originally Posted by vegginpsd

...Did you calculate your flow rate? Are you able to maintain 120* oil temp at the rotor bowl?...

I had some starts and stops while playing around so flow rate is a total SWAG, but I think it was in the 8-10 gph range. At times I slowed it way down (like 2 gph) just to see if there was a visual difference in oil color coming out (I know, not very scientific - was just curious).

Temp = NOT A PROBLEM. That immersion heater kicks butt! I stuck a grill thermometer through the acrylic lid and the ambient air in the pot was pegged at 150 the whole time. I would like to put in a fluid thermometer cause I am sure im getting fluctuation as the immersions heater cycles. It COULD keep up much hotter at this flow rate if I cranked up the thermostat on it, and it wouldent cycle off that way. However, I am worried about fatiguing the hoses and dont want to dump any more energy into the system than i need.

[bfloyd4445]

Originally Posted by FastCote

Thanks for the kind words from everyone so far. I freely admit to being a newbie on this, but my engineer's nature does make me obsess on projects for a good long while prior to jumping in. After that, it's balls to the bulkhead!!!

The two quotes were somewhat conflicting so I will let you two (veggin & bfloyd) duke it out. I have heard that PHO (partially hydrogenated) is ok but would like to hear more from you two on it. Please play nice!!

I guess we first need to further refine what the discussion is about. I have not seen an analysis of the oil in question and am not sure wether the reference is to hydrogenated, halogenated, or hydrogen. If hydrogen then i would question the actual water content of the above sample. But, without seeing an actual analysis of the oil I'm not sure how we can be sure what we should really be discussing can you?

[bfloyd4445]

keep in mind that halogenated polyphenyl < PCB > which is in used oils is a very powerful human carcinogen. This can be removed from waste oil so it isn't vaporized by the engine and put into the air we breath. This is one of my issues with using used oil for fuel unless it has been re refined to remove these things for fuel.

[vegginpsd]

Originally Posted by bfloyd4445

I guess we first need to further refine what the discussion is about. I have not seen an analysis of the oil in question and am not sure wether the reference is to hydrogenated, halogenated, or hydrogen. If hydrogen then i would question the actual water content of the above sample. But, without seeing an actual analysis of the oil I'm not sure how we can be sure what we should really be discussing can you?

HUH?

Hydrogenated oil is frying oil that has a stabilizer added to it giving it longer fry life. It is hydrogenized for this purpose.

[rdc]

Originally Posted by FastCote

The first parts are the most expensive part of the project (but worth it). bowl machined from a solid billet of aluminum and TranTorque keyless bushing. $500 from Simple Centrifuge

FastCote -
Do you happen to have the dimensions on the bowl? I expect the critical
dimensions are the inside diameter, the delta between inside diameter
and the opening at the top of the bowl, and of course the center hole.
$500 is too steep for me - but I might be able to have one fabricated
locally for less.