Recycled Restaurant Grease can Fuel Vehicles
Waste Vegetable Oil, WVO, Conversion Kits for Biodiesel Vehicles
May 29, 2009
Waste vegetable oil or WVO is becoming an increasingly popular source of fuel. This fuel source can be converted into biodiesel by chemical reactions. To avoid using caustic chemicals, many conversion kits are available which use WVO directly. Always remember, WVO is becoming a valuable commodity, so permission must be granted by restaurant owners before removing oil from waste bins.
Kits are available to process WVO into biodiesel. These kits involve preparing sodium methoxide, a caustic chemical, from other equally dangerous chemicals. With attention to safety and lots of research, many people can safely produce fuel this way. For those who wish to avoid the caustic chemicals, several companies offer conversion kits which allow vehicles to run directly on WVO.
Filtering WVO for Biodiesel Cars
Before using WVO for fuel, it must be properly filtered. Filtering kits are available or can be constructed from off-the-shelf items. Producing a quality fuel to improve the life of the vehicles fuel filter can be achieved in 4 easy steps:
- Collect WVO that is non-hydrogenated and contains the least amount of particles and water possible.
- Allow the fuel to settle for a week so all particles and water fall to the bottom. Addition of heat will make this step go faster.
- Filter the fuel to at least 3 microns. 1 micron filters further prolong the life of onboard fuel filters.
- Test the fuel, making sure it contains no water. Water can damage fuel systems and engines!
Filtration can be carried out in larger batches with a kit that would be set up in a shop, or with onboard kits available through a manufacturer like Greasecar. Proper filtration is essential to these conversions. It is important to locate a fuel source and have a means to filter fuel in place before considering conversion.
The SVO Conversion Kits
Conversion kits are available for many cars. Greasecar vegetable fuel systems is one manufacturer which sells conversion kits and all the accessories needed. Kits are offered mostly for older vehicles, since straight vegetable oil (SVO) often works better with older technology. Some kits are available for vehicles manufactured through 2005. Proper kit selection is critical.
Because SVO is more viscous than diesel fuel and because it can begin to gel at relatively low temperatures, a heated tank and lines allow for all season usage. A full kit comes with the tank, fuel lines, coolant lines (to heat the fuel in the tank) and all the valves, fittings and electronics needed.
Operating a Vehicle on Vegetable Oil
Because SVO can gel and clog fuel systems, a converted vehicle is started and stopped while running on diesel fuel. A valve switches from diesel fuel to SVO when the oil is warmed to the proper temperature. Then, before shut-down, the valve is switched again so diesel fuel can flush the system. Without this flushing, gelled oil will clog the fuel system.
This switching is controlled manually, but there are computer controllers available to monitor temperature and prompt switching to SVO. A computer controller will also not allow the vehicle to be shut down while operating on SVO as a safety procedure.
Conversions are not ideal for every application. Because of the switching involved, converting to SVO would only be advisable for repeated long driving cycles. This allows the engine and fuel to warm up on diesel fuel, and a significant amount of the drive to be fueled with SVO. With a good source of WVO and some hands on work, conversions provide a good alternative to processing WVO for biodiesel.
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