Oil Spinner Creates Clean Fuel

2007 - Volume #31, Issue #1, Page #10

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"I built this centrifuge to clean waste vegetable oil to use in my diesel car and pickup," says Bud Pitts, Morton, Wash.
"A friend of mine suggested the idea," he says. "It takes out anything heavier than the oil, and that includes water."
Pitts built a unit that operates at 3,400 rpm's. He first runs dirty oil through a kitchen screen to take out the large particles. Oil feeds very slowly into a spinning arm inside the centrifuge drum. Heavier materials move to the outside. The clean oil collects in the center and drains into a container.
"It takes about 2 1/2 hours to get five gallons of really clean oil. When you're done running a batch, it takes about 10 to 15 seconds to clean out the water and residue," says Pitts. "If you run it through a second time, the oil is just about as clean as when it comes off the store shelf."
Pitts has had spun oil tested at a certified lab. While he hasn't used the system for used petroleum based oils, he is confident it would work fine with that, too.
"If you use it with other oils, have them tested by a qualified lab before using in a vehicle," he warns.
Pitts built the centrifuge to provide vegetable oil for his converted Datsun diesel pickup. He has driven about 15,000 miles on vegetable oil with no problems. Although numerous biodiesel kits are available, he designed and built his own with engine heat warming both the biofuel and the filter.
"It's really a separate fuel system with its own tank and filter," he says. "I start my truck on regular diesel and run it until the vegetable oil has warmed up to 180 degrees. Then I switch over. The exhaust always smells like whatever was cooked in the vegetable oil."
A set of plans with photos of Pitts' centrifuge is available. Pitts says he will answer any questions he can for those who request plans.
"I built mine out of stuff I had mostly laying around in my shop," he says. "Most people who see the plans are amazed how simple it is and that most of the materials are in their æstuff' pile."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bud Pitts, 5162 Hwy. 508, Morton, Wash. 98356 (ph 360 496-5846; spikee @lewiscounty. com).

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Oil Spinner Creates Clean Fuel FARM SHOP Miscellaneous 31-1-10 "I built this centrifuge to clean waste vegetable oil to use in my diesel car and pickup," says Bud Pitts, Morton, Wash. "A friend of mine suggested the idea," he says. "It takes out anything heavier than the oil, and that includes water." Pitts built a unit that operates at 3,400 rpm's. He first runs dirty oil through a kitchen screen to take out the large particles. Oil feeds very slowly into a spinning arm inside the centrifuge drum. Heavier materials move to the outside. The clean oil collects in the center and drains into a container. "It takes about 2 1/2 hours to get five gallons of really clean oil. When you're done running a batch, it takes about 10 to 15 seconds to clean out the water and residue," says Pitts. "If you run it through a second time, the oil is just about as clean as when it comes off the store shelf." Pitts has had spun oil tested at a certified lab. While he hasn't used the system for used petroleum based oils, he is confident it would work fine with that, too. "If you use it with other oils, have them tested by a qualified lab before using in a vehicle," he warns. Pitts built the centrifuge to provide vegetable oil for his converted Datsun diesel pickup. He has driven about 15,000 miles on vegetable oil with no problems. Although numerous biodiesel kits are available, he designed and built his own with engine heat warming both the biofuel and the filter. "It's really a separate fuel system with its own tank and filter," he says. "I start my truck on regular diesel and run it until the vegetable oil has warmed up to 180 degrees. Then I switch over. The exhaust always smells like whatever was cooked in the vegetable oil." A set of plans with photos of Pitts' centrifuge is available. Pitts says he will answer any questions he can for those who request plans. "I built mine out of stuff I had mostly laying around in my shop," he says. "Most people who see the plans are amazed how simple it is and that most of the materials are in their æstuff' pile." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bud Pitts, 5162 Hwy. 508, Morton, Wash. 98356 (ph 360 496-5846; spikee @lewiscounty. com).

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