The Dieselcraft Centrifuge has many uses in biodiesel production. It
can be used to dewater your WVO, it can be used to remove soap, and it
can be used to dewater your biodiesel and give you a final polish
before it is burned. It was designed to be used as an oil polishing
filter on big rigs. Dieselcraft even offers a kit to adapt the OC20
centrifuge to the 2001-2005 Chevy Duramax.
The way the centrifuge works is the oil goes in the side of the
centrifuge then is channeled up through the center shaft into the
rotor. The spinning rotor sends the contamination to the outside of the
rotor leaving the oil to rise to the center of the rotor housing near
the shaft. The oil then "overflows" into the lower compartment and is
pushed out through two jets into the outer housing where it drains back
into your tank. The oil is under pressure when it goes through the jets
which provide the force to spin the rotor housing.
The key to making it all work is selecting the right pump. For the OC20 you need
a pump that can pump 0.93 gpm of WVO/Biodiesel at 90& psi. For the
OC50 you need 1.8 gpm at 90 psi. Our clearwater pumps can not
generate that kind of pressures, so you need a specialty pump.
Following the diagram on the right, the dirty oil from the bottom of the drum is drawn into the pump. The output is split into two lines. One line has a valve on it and dumps back into the drum. The other is connected to the centrifuge and has a pressure gauge on it. slowly closing the valve on the bypass line will increase the pressure applied to the centrifuge. The maximum pressure the centrifuge can withstand without damage is 90 psi.
For proper centrifuge operation the oil must be heated to 140-180 F. Multiple passes will be needed depending on the degree of contamination.
In most cases "rough" filtering with a 100 mesh (140 micron) strainer is required initially. Then 3-4 turns of the volume through the centrifuge in most cases will give optimum results and a better finished product,
Centrifuges are not a methanol recovery device, but once you remove the methanol, they can remove the soap. Centrifuges can remove the soap made with NaOH or KOH. Soap made from KOH will take mulitple passes. Temperature does not seem to matter for soap removal.
In all cases the centrifuge will de-water BUT on shut down you MUST divert or catch the contents of the rotor before it stops to prevent the water it will hold from draining back into the now clean oil.
The use of extra rotors will speed up the process time. Dirty rotors can be switched out in two minutes and then cleaned after they cool. The cleaning of a rotor at 180F is difficult and will take 15-30 minutes to cool.
The OC20 and OC50 Biodiesel Kits come with a Control Valve Manifold and a Universal Mounting Bracket. The Control Valve Manifold lets you control the centrifuge giving you the ability to turn the centrifuge off and on with a simple ball valve. The Universal Mounting Bracket has 1-1/4" threads on the output of the centrifuge, letting you connect a drain using NPT pipe fittings. The bracket also has several mounting holes for attaching the centrifuge to either horizontal or vertical surfaces.
The Control valve Manifold includes a high quality stainless steel oil filled pressure gauge.
Another control elements that is discussed on infopop is a pressure relief valve to automatically set the pressure at 90 psi.
We also have pumps and motors specifically selected for each centrifuge. The pump for the OC20 flows a maximum of 1.5 gpm and the pump for the OC50 flows a maximum of 2.1 gpm.
Both pumps are an industrial quality gear pump mounted to a 1/3 hp carbonator-style motor, featuring 100 psi maximum continuous pressure, all-bronze construction, bronze gears with stainless steel shafts, carbon sleeve bearings, mechanical seal, internal adjustable pressure relief valve (factory set for 90 psi) 1/4" FNPT ports, and includes a motor drive pin and motor mounting clamp.
The motor features 1/3 hp USA manufactured carbonator-mount motor, 115-60Hz-1 phase, 1750 rpm, open drip-proof enclosure, rigid base mount, automatic thermal overload protection, no power cord, and reversible rotation.
A Spare Rotor can be a time saving addition to your centrifuge allowing you to change out rotors and continue centrifuging while the dirty rotor is cooling down enough to clean. This can save you 20 to 30 minutes per cleaning.
B100 Supply can also help with turn key ready to go centrifuge systems. No assembly or scrounging required, just slide it up next to a drum, drop in the suction line, plug in the motor and flip the switch and your cleaning biodiesel. The frame is stamped from 12 gauge steel and poweder coated for durability. There are three models, the OPS20 capable of cleaning 55 gallons per hour, the OPS50 capable of cleaning 108 gallons per hour, and the OPS50X2 capable of cleaning 216 gallons per hour.
For proper centrifuge operation the oil must be heated to 140-180 F. Multiple passes will be needed depending on the degree of contamination. Our Drum Heaters provide a fast, safe way to heat your oil and still give maximum portability.
In most cases "rough" filtering with a 100 mesh (140 micron) strainer is required initially. Then 3-4 turns of the volume through the centrifuge in most cases will give optimum results and a better finished product,
The OC20 and OC50 Biodiesel Kits come with a Control Valve Manifold and a Universal Mounting Bracket. The Control Valve Manifold lets you control the centrifuge giving you the ability to turn the centrifuge off and on with a simple ball valve. The Universal Mounting Bracket has 1-1/4" threads on the output of the centrifuge, letting you connect a drain using NPT pipe fittings. The bracket also has several mounting holes for attaching the centrifuge to either horizontal or vertical surfaces.
B100 Supply can also help with turn key ready to go centrifuge systems. No assembly or scrounging required, just slide it up next to a drum, drop in the suction line, plug in the motor and flip the switch and your cleaning biodiesel. The frame is stamped from 12 gauge steel and poweder coated for durability. There are three models, the OPS20 capable of cleaning 55 gallons per hour, the OPS50 capable of cleaning 108 gallons per hour, and the OPS50X2 capable of cleaning 216 gallons per hour.
