Bio doing my head in.

[greasemonkey]

I wonder if I could run the hot water through one side of a FPHE, and the oil through the other side, or is that just asking for the FPHE to clog up with bits?

I asked JIM.M about this, on the other forum, as he seems to have more experience than most of us with the FPHE units, and he was not keen on the idea.

I guess he would know if anyone would. I guess that things get pretty tight in there, it wouldn't ake much to block it with dirt, or a build up of oil when it goes cool

[greasemonkey]

Don't give up, mate.
I'm down to my last half tank of bio. Our new baby has me sleep deprived and more zombie-like than usual.
My experience suggests a valving error will happen, next batch. Tired / rushed.
Almost tempted to go to the Pumps to save the clean up. Almost...

Never give up, never give in. Best of luck to you with the new arrival. Stay cool.

[greasemonkey]

Once the chemicals are in it will still convert at lower temps but it will just take longer, as long as it is liquid I'd keep it going.

I wonder what I have got in the processor now then? I'll find out tomorrow with a bit of luck. Obviously it stayed warm longer than the sample, so it may actually have some usable bio in there.

[greasemonkey]

I have a coil of 10mm tube that fits through an immersion boss. It is heated from the lister but still keeps the processor, when full of oil, at 40+c. I would think something similar with a ch boiler would work well. Then just use the immersion,as I do, to get it too 80 for demeth.
Dick

I might just cannibalise the CH boiler and have it on a switch, and get the water close to boiling. I want to be able to drain it to stop freezing, so up to a point, the less water the better. I'll just shoot the flame at a drum.

[greasemonkey]

you could make a heat exchanger out of plastic soil pipe. 110 mm outer 50mm inner and solvent weld . it might not work  once you add the meth, but for heating the oil up it would work. then just use the electric element to maintian the temperature. that pipe works up to about 80 degrees so should be fine at 65. its not cheap but chaeper than copper and easy to fabricate. i have used it for spark gaps on tesla coils. they get up to about 200 degrees.

I've got plenty of Osma, I've also got a heap of imperial copper, inch I think it is. I think I might know where I can get some fittings for it. Either that or make some kind of manifold out of something else.




Cheers Guys, thanks for your help and encouragement. It's much appreciated.

[julianf]

I tried heating a drum of oil once, by dropping a coil of (15mm) PEX into the bottom of it. 

I had meters and meters of it in there, but the results were very disappointing.

The thermal conductivity of plastic is so much lower - so be careful that you dont burn too much time on it before youre sure it will do what you want.

[photoman290]

I tried heating a drum of oil once, by dropping a coil of (15mm) PEX into the bottom of it. 

I had meters and meters of it in there, but the results were very disappointing.

The thermal conductivity of plastic is so much lower - so be careful that you dont burn too much time on it before youre sure it will do what you want.

 1 inch copper inside 110mm soil pipe for the water would solve that problem. you could make up the copper parts using solder and cut holes in a couple of 110mm end caps and seal it all up with silicone and expanded foam. wont matter if you get a few water leaks as long as the oil side doesnt leak.

[greasemonkey]

Master of disaster.

[Julian]

Do a quick Dr Pepper at around 60°C and overdose with methoxide.  You should find it converts OK.  If so try a more controlled version and note what ratio is needed to get glycerin to drop then scale up.

[greasemonkey]

I will. I'm currently try to bodge another heating system together. Can't heat that lot with an open flame.

So how many kilowatt would a U shaped inch copper pipe put out, full of boiling water? It'll run from the top of the drum, down to about the middle of the cone, and back up.
Enough, do you reckon, or should I try and get more in?
It's only going to be temporary till I move the processor, so don't want to be spending to much efforet doing it, at the same time, I don;t want to be waiting about all day.

[Jamesrl]

I will. I'm currently try to bodge another heating system together. Can't heat that lot with an open flame.

So how many kilowatt would a U shaped inch copper pipe put out, full of boiling water? It'll run from the top of the drum, down to about the middle of the cone, and back up.
Enough, do you reckon, or should I try and get more in?
It's only going to be temporary till I move the processor, so don't want to be spending to much efforet doing it, at the same time, I don;t want to be waiting about all day.

It depends on how good your insulation is, once the heat input equals heat loss it won't get any hotter.

BTW the bottom will never heat up without agitation.

[greasemonkey]

I can circulate the oil no problem. It's pretty well insulated now, I wouldn't say it's leaking heat to the point of being a serious problem, judging by the way it cools.
I'll give it a go anyhow. If I have to put more pipe work in, then so be it.

[Head Womble]

Master of disaster.

Julian has 200L of stuff just like that, I've no idea where it came from.

[julianf]

Master of disaster.

Blimey, its even eaten away the rim at the 10 o'clock position!

[greasemonkey]

It's a bit deceiving. What looks like the rim of the drum is actually the level the gloop came to.