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My filtration setup (frybrid still copy)

5K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  Mdub707 
#1 ·
Well I figured I'd post some pics of my filtration setup here for others too see. Most have gone to centrifuges currently, but I'm still using the ol' Frybrid Still setup. I constructed it myself. I have ~$100 into the whole setup. A lot of freebies here. I'm quite resourceful with contacts and having a good network of buddies who help. The HWH was a freebie, but I added a new Stainless Steel heating element from Lowes for about $20. The only other thing I purchased was the 1" clear water pump from Northern Tool, which ran about $50 or so. The only other things I paid for were the lumber. The SS tubing and the Swagelock fittings came from a buddy. Same guy also designed and built the filter housing for me as well. I owe him lots of beers. Anyways, here's the setup. It uses a 200 micron pre filter barrel filter, and a 5 micron, trade 4 size bag filter in the housing. Enjoy...










Here's some specific shots of the filter housing... it is ALL stainless. It's 6" OD, top and bottom sections are round stock machined to fit. Notice the lid has a machined "lip" at the bottom, to lock the metal ring of the bag filter in place. The last housing actually blew a couple filters down in, this one will NOT. Swagelock fittings on bottom and top for IN/OUT feeds, locating pin in lid so it physically can not be put on wrong, cage built inside to support bag filter made from SS weld rod. (I've had this pump blow holes in these filters more than once). Also got the fancy SS "hook" to pull the bag filters out of the housing without getting my hands all greasy! Nice little addition there... Housing weighs in at 38lbs empty.




















Any questions just ask! I'm filtering down to 5 microns right now with this... I'll keep you updated and let you know how long the filters on the vegistroke last. I would like to update to a CF setup, but for now this works and it was minimal investment on my part.
 
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#4 ·
:D

Very slick! Tell us a little about how it all works. I assume you boil in the HWH then filter into the drum beside it?
Oil gets dumped into the white 55 gal plastic drum through a 200 micron barrel strainer (basically to keep large chunks from hitting my pump). It sits there until I'm ready to filter (it actually settles a little in there, notice the line is about 5" up from the bottom to avoid sucking junk). When I'm ready, I turn pump on and pump the oil into the HWH. I turn the HWH on (it's only got one heater element on the bottom, so it's 120V) and let it warm up for a few hours. Once warm, I simply unplug the HWH and let it sit for 24-48 hours. After that I drain off the bottom gallon or so from the HWH as the junk and water has settled down there. After that, I turn the HWH on again for a little bit (maybe 30 min) to thin the oil out a little, then turn the pump on, and switch some valves around and cycle the oil through that filter housing and back into the HWH. I just let it run by itself for a few hours, so the oil makes quite a few passes through the filter. It's filtered down to 5 micron and the multiple passes will polish the oil. Then I can drain it off the bottom of the filter housing with the pump running, so I can fill a cubie up with clean oil, then go dump into the truck.

I think that explains it all.... any more questions just ask. There are a lot of valves so I only have to use one single pump. It takes oil from the barrel and puts it in the HWH, it also cycles it through the filter housing and back to the HWH, AND it pumps oil out of the system for me to fill the truck.
 
#3 ·
Very slick! Tell us a little about how it all works. I assume you boil in the HWH then filter into the drum beside it?
 
#6 ·
I used the exact setup with a different filter housing for about a year, then took it apart and it sat for about a year not getting used because I was in between jobs and locations. Just got it going again a month ago or so. The previous filter housing had issues with filters getting pushed down into the housing. This new setup there is no way for that, thus why the filter housing is so overbuilt this time around. Last one used some aluminum too instead, this one is all SS.

The pump pushes oil through the filters with relative ease. I think I'm going to try going to one of the layered bag filters that starts at 5 micron and goes to 1 micron. According to Mcmaster they have the same flow rate...

I will also be adding a temp/pressure gauge at the 90 right before the "IN" fitting on the filter housing so I can monitor pressure and will know when it's time to change the bag filters. Here's kind of what I'm talking about. I will be removing the 90 there and putting a "T" in and then just add the gauge on the T.

 
#8 ·
Nice job Mike!

This is a simple, cost effective filtration option. I'm using one of these and have over 50k miles on wvo. I know someone else who used this method successfully for over 90k miles on a 6.0.
 
#11 ·
Thanks Mike, I'm pretty happy how it turned out, figured I'd share some pics for everyone to get some ideas. The SS tubing and Swagelok fittings are a little over the top, but the price was right. I'll tell you though, making changes with the Swagelok stuff is a breeze. I can disassemble and reassemble in no time at all. Which is useful for a guy who has moved 4 times in the last 5 years, and will probably be moving again...

Are you just running the oil or biodiesel?
Just oil, use a vegistroke.

awesome set up. A couple of questions:
where do you get your wvo from, like what type of establishments, how did you get those contracts/contacts.
What do you use for collection on site at those contacts?
what do you use for pick up
how many gallons do you store, or want to store?
Also, what kind of driving habits do people who run wvo have? I drive a long ways one way to work and I know it would be great for me, but the wife only goes 25 miles one way and I wonder if switching back and forth would be worth it for shorter drives.

and one last thing I noticed you say is that you are only using one element and therefore only 120v,,,,, the element is rated at a specific voltage and a standard 240v water heater runs the elements separately, not together. you may want to check the element you bought it should be labeled what voltage it is, and it will run much more efficiently at the correct voltage, if it is a 240 volt element you will use less electricity and your heating time will be greatly reduced if you switch it over to 240. Anyway, nice set up.
I just moved to a new area, so I'm actually short on oil supply, but right now I've got 2 or 3 bars I get from and a pizza place. I'm hoping with this nicer weather and other BBQ places opening up for the season I'll be able to get more. Right now I am just picking it back up in the cubies they come in. The only issue with this is all the empty cubies I have laying around. I plan on building a super sucker this summer hopefully and mounting it on a dedicated trailer. If I find a place that has a large supply of oil, I will be putting a collection barrel. It will look just like that white 55 gal drum on my filtration unit. Have a drain about 5" off the bottom and be on a stand so I can fit a cubie under if it need be. The bottom will be metal so in the winter I can place a propane heater under it and thin the oil out while I eat at the restaurant.

Ideally I want to collect enough oil and store enough so that I don't have to filter at all during the winter, but I'm slowly realizing I burn way too much oil for this to be a possibility. I have a 275 gallon tote sitting next to it for clean storage, if I get to that point. I can get them all day long around here for less than $100. Food grade too.

I drive about 30 miles one way to work a day. Truck gets 15mpg on a good day, and I drive just like I did when it was on diesel... like an arsehole. It's definitely worth it. If your wife is driving a TDI or something that gets 40+mpg, probably not worth it, for me I couldn't afford not to have it really. I also drive about 75 miles one way on the weekend to my hometown to visit family/gf/friends. I put about 2000 miles on a month just commuting to work and driving around. Realistically it's probably a lot more than that. Even if I have to run on diesel sometimes, ANY amount of oil I burn is saving me money at this point. Even if I only use 30 gals a week, that saves me something.

As for the heating elements. The HWH are wired to use 2 120V heating elements which end up at 240V. By bypassing the top one and using just a single element you can run it on 120V. If it was 240V I would need to rewire the garage anyways, and that's silly. 120V outlets are a lot easier to find.

Here's the description of the system and the re-wiring of the HWH per Frybrid...

Frybrid Vegetable Oil Fuel Systems -- Filtraion and Dewatering Plans


:redspotdance:
 
#9 ·
Are you just running the oil or biodiesel?
 
#12 ·
PM me if you're interested in an SBC pump kit that will pump up to 16gpm. Should be cheaper and easier than a trailer mounted super sucker and nearly as fast.
 
#13 ·
thanks for the response. I'm liking what you have going here. I understand why you may not want to mess with 240 if you are moving around. As an electrician I have wired, repaired, and re wired a good number of water heaters, I have yet to see a heater that size get wired 120 in series, but, it is possible. Just double check your element and make sure it's rated for 120 and not 240 and your good. I looked at the site you referrenced and I'll have to look a bit more, but one thing that didn't make sense is that they were saying it takes 1/3 the heat to heat oil vs water- I didn't know about that but wouldn't you still be using the stat to control temp? anyway I wish I was burning wvo right now- I'm driving about 2400mi a month right now = $600+ in fuel,,,,, and that's just me going to work, nothing else.
 
#15 ·
Frankly, I don't know enough about it, but I know what I have is working... I'd like to keep the 120V too, for the simple reasons stated.

You're probably right, it probably does say 240V on the element, not sure. I hate electrical crap. If I can't swing a hammer at it, then forget it.

My understanding was it's wired this way to prevent burning the WVO inside. It can get too hot in there. The top element needs to be eliminated because more times than not it's not even submerged in oil (depending on batch size) and that would surely burn up sitting in the air. You could still use the thermostat, but I believe mine is more or less wired direct to the plug.
 
#14 ·
I does take less heat to heat oil vs. water. Water is expensive to heat. It's a chemistry thing, has to do with the latent heat of vaporization etc.
 
#16 ·
if you have it direct wired and bypassed the stat, just make sure your vented to the air like in the link you provided.
 
#17 ·
Yep, if you look at the top of the HWH there is a line that goes up and has a 90 heading back towards the right hand side, there is a clear line there that actually goes from the top of the HWH back to the holding barrel. Some of the pics just show it dangling there, but now it's leading to the 55 gal drum top. This does a couple things. It allows the tank to vent without issue, and also if I'm ever pumping oil from the 55 gal drum into the HWH and overfill it (ask me how I know if this can happen or not) the oil goes out the top and right back to the holding barrel, no mess. I didn't always have it like that. I have definitely had to clean some messes up. The clear line on the front of the tank is a "site level" to see how high the level of oil is in the HWH. There is a valve at the top of that. I may or may not have forgot to open that valve before, and about the time I noticed my HWH turned into old faithful, but with WVO.
 
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