Diesel from waste oil!?

[SamR]

Hi Guys
I had been doing some research on ways to save money on fuel (anybody else done that?) and came across the ebay auction referred to in this post (below). There's a mention of another thread in the Dodge Diesel Truck forum where several guys bought the plans. One guy in TX bought the plans, built the "plant" and is producing "diesel" at 2-3 gallons per/hr but hasn't had any testing done yet to see how it compares to commercially available fuels. What do you think? I've read some pretty scientific explanations on this forum, anywhere from the definition of hydrocracked synthetic oil to how to get better mileage from hanging a chicken on a radio antenna. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

http://www.greasecar.com/forum_topicview.cfm?frmtopicID=3800

$100 isn't alot of money...if it really does work.

 

[CTyler]

OK....$100 for the plans.

How much to build the thing?

How much electricity($$$) etc.. to run it?

How safe is it?

 

[SamR]

When you actually read his listing
(current ebay auction here http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8003071308 )
it says no electricity to run it and gives estimated costs. Much of the materials can be sourced from the scrap yard (so I'm told). The Dodge Diesel Truck forum thread has the most guys (that I know of) that actually have the plans and are building the plant. Some said they'd scale it down and build smaller than the plans show.

 

[slowrev]

I would have to file this under the if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is category until it has bween proven otherwise.

 

[CTyler]

It sounds interesting and plausable however... I would want to talk with people that have built one and understand the pros/cons/pitfalls etc.. Especially the saftey aspect of controlling the heat level while your buring off the waste oil to condense it into another fuel.

 

[mffarmall]

I would be willing to try building this. I would probably build one then see how much could be turned out. Ultimitly causing it to melt down or blow up. So my wife would save me the time by not allowing me to do this. Mostly because I would end up taking things that were hers' apart to build this.

 

[CostaRica]

I have that plan to make the diesel out of used oil, I bougth it on ebay from a guy in Australia, I cannot disclose any info on those plans as I had to sign 4 pages of a non disclosure contract, very serious guy, he sent me back my $$ and wouldn't accept them until I signed the papers, then I sent the $$ again and he sent me the plans-diagrams on the destillery, it seems possible to make the diesel with his system, I havent made them yet 'cause I want to start first with biodiesel, but looks possible and quite easy........

 

[RalphVa]

I've poured paint thinner and other petroleum stuff into my used oil that I take to Advance Auto or Autozone, knowing that it'll be sent through proper distillation equipment and recovered in the right boiling ranges.

Used oil can have gasoline and diesel mixed into it from blow-by & draindown in the engines.

Gasoline and kerosene and diesel get distilled off commercial units in refineries at just above atmospheric pressure. To keep the bottoms (what didn't evaporate) from the atmospheric still from cracking (e.g. forming carbon, etc.) heavy diesel and lubricating oil are removed from asphalt and tar in vacuum distillation units, to keep the boiling temperature down.

You guys are nuts in thinking you can easily and safely do this in home equipment. You'll risk life and limb to save a few bucks and run the risk of ruining engines that you put these untested products into.

ATF, by the way, is like a heavy diesel. It's about a 0w oil. It is obtained either as the heaviest boiling cut off an atmospheric unit or the top, lowest boiling cut, off a vacuum distillation unit. Used ATF could actually be blended into your diesel fuel. I wouldn't blend any heavier lubricating oil. It'll likely carbon up your diesel engine.

Dormant, or orchard spray, oil is also a heavy diesel. Except for the tiny bit of emulsifier in it, it can be used directly as diesel fuel or blended into your diesel fuel.

Ralph

 

[SamR]

Yep that's the same place. You likely dealt with Mike Verrall? Please keep us posted as to your success or failure once you get to building the "plant". "Oilguy" in the Dodge Diesel Truck Forum has it assembled and claims 4gal/hr but it seems he is usually "blowing a valve", etc and thus hasn't gotten any real production going. No word as to any testing done on the finished product either. Here's a link to the thread if anyone cares to get "caught up" http://www.dieseltruckresource.com/dev/showthread.php?t=74708&page=14&pp=15