Make Your Own Biodiesel Fuel

This solution is then added to a tank of lukewarm vegetable oil (heat speeds the conversion process). After about 30 minutes, glycerin separates out from the oil and is drained off, which can be resold to make soap or as plant fertilizer. (Some companies, such as Cascade Biodiesel, a dealer for the Fuel Meister system, use the glycerin byproduct as fuel for a shop heater.)


Even though the resulting biodiesel is slightly cloudy at this point, it can be burned as fuel in older, simpler types of diesel engines. For a more refined fuel, some systems add another step of “water washing.” This phase employs a mister to spray water into the oil. As the water sinks to the bottom (since oil floats on water), it captures impurities, and is later drained off. Xtreme Biodiesel eliminates this step entirely, however, by using a filtration medium that is commonly found in European biodiesel plants.


Lastly, the biodiesel is then pumped through a water-separator to eliminate any remaining moisture, and to get rid of particles and impurities. Some companies recommend an additional drying stage if water washing is used. The final product is a clean, honey-colored fluid that can be poured directly into your diesel vehicle’s fuel tank.

Caveats
A couple of caveats, however: For anyone who is considering the production of biodiesel, we would we strongly emphasize the importance of being very safety-conscious about working with potentially hazardous and/or flammable chemicals, and follow all precautions recommended by the machine’s manufacturer.


In addition, while the actual cost to produce a batch of biodiesel can be less than $1 per gallon, don’t forget to factor in the time to process the oil and the cost of the equipment. (Prices range from $2000 to $5000, depending on the quality of the components, filtration system, and speed of processing.) And you’ll also need a way to collect and transport waste oil, a well-ventilated work area, and a method to dispose of the glycerin and wastewater. But for anyone consuming fairly large quantities of diesel, these drawbacks are more than offset by the substantial savings in the cost of producing their own fuel.