Author Topic: burning waste oil in wood burner  (Read 24133 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

xboxman

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 73
  • Country: us
burning waste oil in wood burner
« on: November 29, 2004, 10:27:07 AM »
I'm thinking about fixing my wood burner so i can burn waste oil ..

heres my idea take some copper tubing put around the pipe with a valve so i can control the oil flow have a metal can on the wall to hold the oil  run the tubing in through the pipe and in to a iron skillet inside the wood burner  then light the oil .. if any one has any ideas on how i can make this work better lets hear them

thanks gameman
« Last Edit: November 29, 2004, 10:27:07 AM by (unknown) »

finnsawyer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1565
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2004, 10:37:18 AM »
I saw one case where a drip pipe was added to a wood burner that let the oil drip onto the wood fire.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2004, 10:37:18 AM by finnsawyer »

troy

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 227
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2004, 11:15:06 AM »
There are lots of folks trying the same idea.  Here are three links (none of which I am affiliated with in the least...) that could be useful:


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/altfuelfurnace/


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vegoilburners/


http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me6.html


The most common problem with the idea you suggest is that the flow control can and will change dramatically as the oil warms up and viscosity drops.  The burners also tend to crud up with ash and so forth, so they need almost daily maint.  Your idea is most similar to the MEN home brew oil burner, but lots of other room for ideas.


Good luck and have fun,


troy

« Last Edit: November 29, 2004, 11:15:06 AM by troy »

bob golding

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 691
  • Country: gb
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2004, 01:40:34 PM »
another useful link is wastewatts on yahoo groups


bob golding

« Last Edit: November 29, 2004, 01:40:34 PM by bob golding »
if i cant fix it i can fix it so it cant be fixed.

Roamer195

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 67
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #4 on: November 29, 2004, 04:19:04 PM »
What you might want is called the "Babington burner"


http://www.green-trust.org/2000/biofuel/babington/default.htm


It works just like a whale's blow hole.

« Last Edit: November 29, 2004, 04:19:04 PM by Roamer195 »

nothing to lose

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1538
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2004, 05:09:00 PM »
I've seen the idea work basic as what you described. Forget the iron skillet perhaps and drip slow onto hot coals directly.


I would only do it while I was going to be present to watch and adjust it, but it works fine. I haven't built one yet myself, on my to do list. But that's what an autoshop does.


Can with oil, copper tube, valve to adjust flow and shut it off, copper tube running to center of wood stove/ through top centered over fire. Get hot fire going, drip slow. Adjust as needed and keep adding wood as needed. Small wood burner stove with waste oil

heats about 2 story tall 10 car building I geuss. Not really how building is set up, but an estimate of size.

 Been in use that way for years, no problems I know of, and I asked about it a few times recently. Just stop dripping and let it burn off before you want to clean out ash, stop dripping before you let the fire die, ect..

 Don't put oil container too close to burner, don't want any accidents. Container only needs to be room temp. Should not be alot of change to oil do to temps changes anyway, your not heating the container, just the oil entering the stove, so once room is a nice temp and oil is at room temp, should not be alot of need for adjusting, just add wood as normal as needed. Add more oil to container as needed also.


Also you probably want a dip (trap) in the tubbing so if you run out of oil the trap prevents fumes or smoke from entering the room through the tubbing. Kinda like a small sink trap that prevents sewer fumes from entering the room. Not sure if needced, but wouldn't hurt. Make it near container away from wood burner or excessive heat.


.

« Last Edit: November 29, 2004, 05:09:00 PM by nothing to lose »

mkseps

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 28
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #6 on: November 29, 2004, 05:36:41 PM »
I would like to suggest that you attach another tank, valve & piping to supply a slow drip of water into the fire pot.  This water quickly turns to steam and provides continuous cleaning.  This is an old trick car dealers and others used back in the 1920s and 30s to use up their waste oil.

Gene
« Last Edit: November 29, 2004, 05:36:41 PM by mkseps »

picmacmillan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 523
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #7 on: November 29, 2004, 07:56:33 PM »
question for nothing to lose....hopethis is in the right place....i was wondering about your stove that makes charcoal and burns the gases produced....you said it is closed in on three sides...which 3?...thanks for your help...pickster
« Last Edit: November 29, 2004, 07:56:33 PM by picmacmillan »

nothing to lose

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1538
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2004, 09:53:48 AM »
Quick answer, 2 sides and back and covered the top. Sides and back was all one peice of metal sidding that was already bent once anway.


I started a diary on it. Been raining too much to do anything else on it since.


http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2004/11/27/8238/3446


Couple bad pics and some details. I may also put up a small video on my website later that shows the flames blowing in the wind.


Charcoal I made in that was fine, turned out nice but not totally done due to everything was wet and I didn't bother with it after dark, I was just showing a friend that it did work. He claimed it would not for along time and I got tired of it :)

 Built it in about 20 minutes.

« Last Edit: November 30, 2004, 09:53:48 AM by nothing to lose »

picmacmillan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 523
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #9 on: November 30, 2004, 12:29:08 PM »
thanks nothing to lose......i  read the posts you ahve on it....cool idea....i know a guy who owns a french fry delling truck(chip wagon), he has no place to get rid of his used oil......bet he does now....thanks...picster
« Last Edit: November 30, 2004, 12:29:08 PM by picmacmillan »

ratkilr

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #10 on: December 02, 2004, 03:10:23 AM »
 As long as you are burning wood to start it you should not have to use a pan. I have been researching wvo burning for heat for two years now. Many people drip oil into their wood stoves to add heat output and reduce the wood needed.

 I have been using wvo to heat my shop now for almost a year. I used robotmakers burner design. I dont use wood. Only wvo. Without the pan you would not have to chip residue from pan. It would go with your ashes.

 I am still using gravity feed from tank above my stove to feed the stove. Sometimes when on high-setting (gate valve open more for more flow) the oil flow gets away from me. I wrap the oil feed line around the flue to preheat oil for better burn. Using a slow oil pump to feed it would be better but am still looking for cheap dosing or metering pump that is compatible with waste oil. When I fire up my stove from low outdoor temp I do watch my stove as shop temp rises. Oil gets thinner from heat and flows faster as shop heats up. Sometimes I make no adjustments for 4-6 hours.

 Robert.

« Last Edit: December 02, 2004, 03:10:23 AM by ratkilr »

Ex Mek

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 8
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #11 on: December 02, 2004, 06:07:18 AM »
  A garage i worked at used waste oil for heating it was crude but it was HOT , it consisted of a Pot bellied stove with a old steel Hub cap siting on the grate botom , the waste oil driped into the hub cap and burned controled by a tap there was also Water driping into th burner which made the oil burn fiercly with less smoke ,( the water driping into the pool of boiling oil caused small explosions in the oil)  the old pot belly could be got to dull red heat when the fuil was turned up.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2004, 06:07:18 AM by Ex Mek »

nothing to lose

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1538
Re: burning waste oil in wood burner
« Reply #12 on: December 02, 2004, 09:47:42 AM »
Yes the oil will thin and run faster as it warms. In a shop with no heat at night the oil will be cold in the morning and thicker, it will thin as the shop warms and thus the oils warms also.

But, in a house or shop at mostly a constant 70F air temp, using oil at room temps also near 70F, and not placed right at the burner where it will heat execessively, then the flow should be more constant and the oil should not be thinning out since it should not be changing tempature much. Still watch it anyway, don't want any accidents, but constant adjusting should not be needed in normall continueos use.


Something I am experimenting with the last couple days, soaking a piece of wood in the oil then tossing in the fire. For people just wanting to use up what little kitchen waste they have this might be worthwhile also. I decided to try this when the wife cleaned the deep frier and I now have about 5 quarts good clean oil to play with. She said the french fries taisted funny last time she cooked them. I think the oil was fine, it was the potatoes were different, oh well!


 If you can do it without making a big mess, I think soaking some smaller wood pieces in oil then tossing into a hot fire onto the hot coals worked well. Kinda a candle/wax/wick type effect. Maybe soak the wood in oil in a large coffee can, then place in an empty coffee can to drip dry. When you want the extra heat toss a few oily pieces into the fire. Only did a few, so far it worked nicely for me.

 If you try it, BE SAFE and use some sense, don't load the whole wood burner all at once with oily wood! Only use a small amount and watch and learn how it's working for you before using larger amounts!!


I also dumped oil from a soda can alot at a time onto wood not yet burning in the fire and directly onto hot coals. Onto hot coals was a good hot fire quickly, the oil on the wood burned well too, oil that ran off the wood and into the coils burned well. Seemed to be a clean fire. Not all sooty nor oily smokey.

 I poured in alot of oil at once to see what happens. It burns of course :)

But the ashes is what I wanted to know about! The cool oil in the ashes was not that bad. I should pont out I don't use a grate, I just sit my wood in the bottom of the burner. So when I needed to add more wood I just stired the ashes around a bit and the hot coils burned the oil in the ash. I now seem to have clean ashes (not oily) and I had dumped alot of extra oil.


2 things to point out though. First I have been getting a kinda sweet funky smell, not sure if that is because of a new pipe I installed and high heat, sometimes they do that alittle at first, or if it was from the oil I was burning. Only noticed it with a really hot fire. Could be due to using too much oil at once?

And I do not recomend dumping in lots of oil at once. I have not yet checked my pipes. If the oil gets hot fast and not enough oxygen to burn it fully it could basically steam into the pipe and condense there causeing problems!!!

 I didn't do enough to be able to check for that, if it happened I'll know it did, but if it hasn't yet then I won't know if it will! I was just trying to see how much of a mess I could make, and I had no mess left over to worry about cleaning out. I just stirred the ash and the oil burned out of it.


I geuss if like most people you are using a grate to hold the wood, then any unburned oil dripping into the ashes could make a mess to clean. If not using a grate, just stirring the ashes once in a while with the hot coals seemed to work fine.


Using a proper slow drip onto hot coal and burning wood is the best and should have no problems.

« Last Edit: December 02, 2004, 09:47:42 AM by nothing to lose »