GB2270524A

GB2270524A - Recyling and converting waste-oil into fuel

Info

Publication number: GB2270524A
Application number: GB9219262A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William F Vidal; Salvador Sauleda
Original assignee: STAUNCH FINANCE Ltd
Current assignee: STAUNCH FINANCE Ltd
Priority date: 1992-09-11
Filing date: 1992-09-11
Publication date: 1994-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 2012-09-11
Also published as: GB2270524B; GB9219262D0

Abstract

In a plant for recycling waste-oil, the oil is strained or filtered (1, 4, 7, 9, 12), heated (3), centrifuged (5) and blended (13) with a controlled amount of kerosine to produce a fuel suitable for diesel engines and burners. The plant is automatically controlled from a central unit (23). <IMAGE>

Description

THE RT-600 RECYCLING MACHINE This invention relates to apparatus, called the RT-600, for recycling waste oil and converting it into useable fuel. The resultant fuel is suitable for Diesel engines and all types of boilers and central heating systems fuelled by gas oil or diesel.

The waste oil utilised can be used crankcase oil or used hydraulic oil, or a combination of both. In addition the process requires blending with kerosene (paraffin).

The RT-600 has a suction pump (2) which draws waste oil from an external container. This oil passes through an in-line strainer (1) and then it is sent through a thermostatically controlled heating canister (3) which raises the temperature of the oil to 60 Degrees Celsius without interrupting the flow. The heated oil then passes into a filtering canister (4) operating at high pressure where it is forced through a fine canvas filter to extract the bulk of all the impurities. The oil then passes into an in-line centrifuge unit (5) where it is subjected to high RPM's to evacuate any remaining suspended water and solids.

The purified oil now exits the centrifuge at high pressure via 3 x lmm orifices and is fed into operating tank (6).

Independently from the process thus far, holding tank (14) will have been filled with kerosene. Once both tanks (6) and (14) have respectively been filled with sufficient processed oil and kerosene, electric sensors located in both tanks will signal the Central Control Unit (23) that the blending process may commence. An electric motor will drive the processed oil pump (8) and the kerosene pump (16) which have been set to pump at approximately a 4:1 ratio, that is four parts oil to one part kerosene.

The oil will then be passed through an in-line strainer (7) and theon on to a single filtration unit (9) before entering a positive displacement flow meter (10). This meter will register the precise volume of oil passing through, independently of viscosity, and send that data, via an electric cable, to a pulse converter located in thc Control Unit (23) which in turn will display the reading on a litres per hour gauge visible on the control panel. Fine adjustments to this value can be made using the flow control valve (11). The oil will then enter the secondary filtration unit before reaching the Blending Unit (13) where it will be blended with the kerosene.

Simultaneously, the kerosene pump (16) will have drawn kerosene from the kerosene reservoir (14) via the in-line strainer (15) and then passed it through the filtration unit (17). The volume of kerosene flowing can be adjusted from the mechanical kerosene flow control unit (18) to ensure that the required 4:1 ratio is maintained. Once these ratios are achieved the RT-600 does not require further adjustment.

The oil and kerosene mix together in the Blending Unit (13) and then pass into a water separator unit (19) where any remaining water is removed and where a very fine filter delivers a final polish to the blended fuel. This fuel now enters the fuel tank (20) where it remains until discharged by activating the fuel pump (21). All fuel delivered in noted in the fuel counter/totaliser (22).

To ensure that the process is reliable and automatic, a thermostat has been fitted to the heating canister (3) and pressure gauges have been fitted to the contaminated oil filter (4), to the primary and secondary oil filtration unites (9) and (12), to the kerosene filtration unit (17) and the centrifuge (5). These pressure gauges send a pressure signal to pressure governor unit in the control unit (23) and the machine will automatically shut down if these pressures should move outside the correct operating values.

Contents sensors located in all three reservoirs, (6), (14) & (20), will also shut down the process should the oil or kerosene tank content become depleted or should the fuel tank become full.

The Control Unit Panel contains readily accessible switches an buttons to enable the operator to turn the unit on or off, start and stop all motors with the consequent operation of pumps.

The unit itself carries all the electrical components, power supply socket, pressure sensors, relays, flow control converter, circuit breakers, fuses, annunciator lights.

To operate the machine, the Oil side is activated first and the oil in-line heater if filled with oil using the raw oil pump. This pump is then stopped for approximately 3 minutes whilst the canister reaches the desired temperature of 60 C, upon which the process is restarted again.

Immediately thereafter the centrifuge unit is turned on and the purified oil will then be delivered into the Oil reservoir. The kerosene reservoir should by then also have been filled with kerosene. As soon as enough oil has reached the oil reservoir, the contents sensor will allow the start of the blending process. the operator may then press the start button and the process will thereafter automatically complete the raw material filtration and the blending, a process which will continue on its own, producing 600 litres of fuel per hour until such time as either of the reservoirs is depleted.

Should any of the filters in the primary (9) or secondary (12) oil filtration units of in the kerosene (17) filtration unit, become clogged beyond acceptable limits, pressure sensors will activate a cutoff unit and the machine will stop. A light on the control panel (23) will advise the operator that a filter or filters require changing.

The RT-600 units has been designed both for batch production or for continuous processing.

It can be mounted on a trailer and be moved from site to site.

Given that lubricating oils and diesel type gas oils have very similar paraffinic bases, the fuel produced by the RT-600 is suitable for use in diesel engines. The physical properties of the resultant fuel are equivalent to those defined under British Standard Specification for Diesel Fuels.

The RT-600 fuel has also some highly beneficial properties not found in conventional Diesel fuel, i.e. the lubricating and sealing properties of RT-600 fuel and the absence of waxing at low ambient temperatures. The calorific value of RT-600 fuel is equal to Diesel fuel and there is no loss of performance or power output.

RT1600 KEY 1. OIL INLET STRAINER 2. RAW OIL PUMP 3. IN-LINE HEATER 4. CONTAMINATED OIL FILTER 5. CENTRIFUGE UNIT 6. PROCESSED OIL RESERVOIR 7. IN-LINE STRAINER 8. PROCESSED OIL PUMP 9. PRIMARY OIL FILTRATION UNIT 10. OIL FLOW METER 11. OIL FLOW CONTROL 12. SECONDARY OIL FILTRATION UNIT 13. BLENDING UNIT 14. KEROSENE RESERVOIR 15. IN-LINE STRAINER 16. KEROSENE PUMP 17. KEROSENE FILTRATION UNIT 18. KEROSENE FLOW CONTROL 19. WATER SEPARATION UNIT 20. FUEL RESERVOIR 21. FUEL PUMP 22. FUEL FLOW METER & COUNTER 23. CONTROL UNIT HYDRAULIC LINKS: ELECTRICAL LINKS:

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A WASTE OIL RECYCLING PLANT WHICH WILL AUTOMATICALLY REMOVE IMPURITIES FROM WASTE OIL AND BLEND IT WITH KEROSENE TO PRODUCE A FUEL SUITABLE FOR DIESEL ENGINES AND BURNERS.
2. A waste oil recycling plant as claimed in claim 1 which will clean dirty and contaminated waste oil to a particle size of 25 microns or less.
3. A waste oil processing plant as claimed in claims 1 and 2 above which will automatically blend oil and kerosene at pre-set ratio's to achieve the desired calorific value in the resulting fuel.