Biodiesel Centrifuges Work

It is important to comprehend just what a centrifuge is before jumping into producing your own biodiesel fuel. A centrifuge is a machine that essentially generates gravity to separate solid matter from liquids. In the case of biodiesel, waste vegetable oil is the liquid from which solid matter, glycerin, water and other impurities is removed. Biodiesel centrifuges range in everything from size to power and it is pertinent you choose one to suit your particular requirements.

The kind of centrifuge you procure depends upon your personal biodiesel making needs. If you only wish to produce enough biodiesel to fuel one car for commuting to work five days a week, then an industrial centrifuge is not necessary. On the other hand, if you are operating a farm and need to power several tractors and other miscellaneous farm equipment, a larger machine must be utilized in order to produce an adequate amount of biofuel. There are many devices being offered on the market today so you can be sure you will find something to meet your needs.

Once you decide how much biodiesel you will need to produce and you have invested in the appropriate centrifuge for your needs, it is time to actually start the process of making the fuel itself. Most biodiesel centrifuges are similarly designed with two separate sections: the centrifuge housing and the rotor. Dirty waste oil is fed into the centrifuge housing (most often through a feed tube) and is then transferred up a hollow center spindle. From there, the waste oil is dispersed equally into the centrifuge rotor via what is known as a baffle. The rotor spins at an incredibly fast rate which in turn rotates the oil at the same speed. It is here that any contaminants, grease, water and anything heavier than the oil is separated out and pushed to the inside wall of the rotor. These contaminants consolidate with one another into a thick sludge-like material while the cleaned oil leaves the rotor to drain through mounting brackets.