Making Biodiesel from Cooking Oil

Comments · 592

• RE

  @reubenmckay · 2 years ago

  Would absolutely love to see this on a larger scale with restaurant waste cooking all.

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• MT

  @mtreis86 · 2 years ago

  I helped build a small scale bio fuel plant, couple tips for you. Let the oil sit around for a while in a container after collecting, up to a month, gravity will do a lot of the work of removing water and sediment. Pure biodiesel isn't good for engines, not enough lubricants, add some or mix it with regular diesel, 20% bio won't void the injection pump warranty. Vacuum is nice for transferring large quantities of raw material, and it doesn't like to be pumped cold. You can judge a restaurant by their oil, we had something like 150 we'd pick up from and only a few were really on top of changing the oil out regularly and on time. Avoid using oil (or for extra challenge purposefully get oil) from places that deep fry beef, that oil gets nasty and has a lot more transfats. Best oil hasn't touched any type of meat or fish at all, pure french fry oil. Watch out for dead animals if collecting from an open dumpster or barrel out behind the building. We never did figure out how to get the fry oil smell fully out of clothes, but Lestoil works best if you make a mess.

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• GR

  @grey1185 · 2 years ago (edited)

  Its fun to see this method being used as my uncle has done the same for 20 years, hasn&apos;t used normal diesel since. He made a refinery out of two shipping containers and has the process semi automated, with a lot of custom made equipment. It all goes in as used fry oil from a stack of 150L drums, into a main mixing tank. A large electric outboard motor is on a frame above the mixing tank, with multiple addition valves for the methanol and lye mix, all pneumatic. The tank is insulated and has a heating element so the fats and solids that collect at the bottom can be drained, plus the fuel being heated makes it easier to transfer apparently.<br>It then gets pumped into a second tank for washing, then it finally gets tested for PH, balanced if necessary, then it is pumped in a 500L holding tank. (These are rough estimates based on memory and the size of it all.)<br>The holding tank is on a tower and is gravity fed, so he can fuel his 1990 Nissan Patrol or his 1980 Isuzu truck. (He runs a small farm in the boonies so effectively free fuel is great)<br><br>It has a very distinct smell the fuel, and over the 20 years of him making it, a 20 meter radius of his setup on the ground is soaked through with the fat and lye mix from slight leaks his setup has. Its a bit feral bit he tells me he scoops that muck up and uses it as soap, because &quot;The sand makes for good grit remover and exfoliate&quot;<br><br>The only problem he ever faced was a PH issue, it was slightly basic which wore out his fuel lines over time so it was 5 years ago when he parked at my house, the fuel line finally gave in. When he turned the ignition, the fuel pump pissed out biodiesel all over the exhaust manifold which instantly caused a massive engine fire. It was quite exciting to watch lol.<br>He then spent the afternoon swapping the old fuel lines out, replacing some burnt wiring and made a note to check the fuel lines after a couple of years. He still drives the car just fine, couldn&apos;t of guessed there was that calamity haha.

  242

• LE

  @lesliespeaker668 · 2 years ago

  Showing entire processes of turning &quot;waste&quot; material/chemicals into useful products sounds like an interesting idea to me.

  102

• EU

  @europyro1 · 2 years ago

  Guys remember he is a happy guy and would never have any suicidal thoughts!

  45

• MA

  @Maciej_von_Usedom · 2 years ago

  Got reccomended the TNT-making video, stayed for the biodiesel

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• BO

  @BobbyDaylight · 10 months ago

  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_doR7WEdIok&amp;t=430">7:10</a> that&apos;s something I&apos;d like to see

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• DR

  @DruggiePlays · 2 years ago

  &gt;Set a deal with restaurants for the used oil<br>&gt;Put on truck<br>&gt;Enjoy french fries gas fumes during trip

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• L0

  @l0lLorenzol0l · 2 years ago

  I would love to see this done on a very large scale. Would be interesting to see it done with actual cooking oil too, such as old frying oil like people use to make soap from scraps.

  42

• EA

  @eatenkate · 2 years ago

  It makes me so happy for you to see the amount of patrons now needs two columns (:

  54

• AN

  @AnneOmimus7531 · 2 years ago

  yes please! scale this up!

  18

• TR

  @TristanMorrow · 2 years ago

  Late 90&apos;s and early 00&apos;s ran fleet diesel trucks with one tank for reclaimed restaurant fry oil. &nbsp;It was indistinguishable from no.2 diesel ⛽ with only slightly less power.<br>Only &quot;refining&quot; was to progressively decant in 55 gallon drums 🛢️🛢️🛢️ and strain to remove solids. &nbsp;Both the drum and truck&apos;s fuel tank had bung heaters to promote viscosity and drive out water. &nbsp;Whole thing was barbarically unscientific ... but it worked! ... and was &quot;free&quot; at a time when diesel fuel was doubling in price and driving truckers bankrupt.

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