bio/wvo in torpedo

[g935cab]

hey guys , i have an uninsulated polebarn 24x32 no sealing 12 foot to the peak of the vented ridge cap , i live in the washington dc area filled up my truck for 2.00 a gallon but kerosene is still 4.00 gallon . My question is any body useing bio or wvo in there torpedo or any blends ? pre heated ? and hows the smell /fumes compared to clear K1, thanks for any help

 

[mattbal]

Used Bio last year for a while (8-12 hrs) and had no issues with it running, but did notice it was taking longer than usual to "ignite" so in real cold climates I would mix it with Kero or Diesel to increase the gel temp.
No noticeable difference in smell, but just like with Kero you smell it and get a little smoke upon start up and shut down

Matt

 

[g935cab]

thanks Matt , im gona give wvo a shot with 5% kero and pre heat it a bit , hopefully it will smell like french fries

 

[PAToyota]

I'm surprised more people aren't using WVO for heating - you don't have the issues of worrying about the fuel gelling like you do in a vehicle and a burner is a heck of a lot more forgiving than an engine for inconsistencies in fuel supply.

 

[g935cab]

I did some tests today , picked up a small hotplate from target 20 bucks and a 5 dollar thermometer pre heated the oil to around 90 degrees and it burned for 5 min then shut off restricted the air and its been runing for a couple hours now really pleased , but i think the heat output is a little less compared to kero but at 1 dollar a gallon ill just get a 100+btu model instead of my 55k btu model which is small for my uninsulated and drafty 3 bay poll building . will report back with more testing ~G

 

[rcleaver]

I wouldn't recommend using straight virgin or waste veggie oil. When it's made into biodiesel, there is a waste product, glycerin. I believe you need about 1000 F to burn glycerin or you will damage your equipment eventually.

I would use only biodiesel, and if your storage tank is inside, you don't have to worry about increased viscosity with decreasing temperature.

You can get the plans for a heater designed to burn the glycerin with the oil here (assuing you can weld):

http://www.utahbiodieselsupply.com/wasteoilheaterplans.php