I am seriously considering prototyping a simple version of a liquid clarifier to remove impurities from waste oil used as fuel for diesel gensets. Don't need it for the waste oil burner gun I just installed (very happy by the way with its performance after wasting a month on building drip type stoves). But I for example am running a couple Lister clones with ST heads, and need a cheaper filtration method. I researched the available products, and there are many of similar purpose and design, however they are out of my and likely all hobbyists budget. Very expensive. So begins the inspiration to build something from scratch. I have a meeting with my uncle-in-law, a retired R&D guy who used to work at the Cleaver-Brooks boiler plant that closed down a few years back. The guy makes my skills look meager, and I am no slouch. So he may be interested in building a prototype, and I believe we can create more interest for him if we can combine the project once complete and make a few of these for fellow hobbyists and benefit from mass production. Not looking to get rich here, he retired very wealthy and I have a good day job myself (electrical engineer). So, if I throw it out there for comment, I would be interested in knowing what people would spend for a centrifuge filtration system that would filter to about 5 microns or less, with limitless output, no replacement costs (except maybe bearings/belts at some time) and just cost a few cents for electricity to spin the fuel clean, what is that worth?
I see the thing needing a 2hp to 5hp motor and variable freq drive, a bowl, impeller, enclosure, shaft, bearings and seals, and would estimate that first unit costs would run in the $500 material costs plus labor (lotsa labor). Again just very preliminary but I believe that if many units were built at one shot, a grand or less total cost could be achievable. Does this sound like a bargain? To me in particular, it does, these things cost way more than that from available manufacturers, and the only thing standing in the way of long term diesel use of waste oils is good filtration. Your thoughts?
