Waste oil kiln FREE TO RUN

[joeblacky]

Hi guys, just thought i'd share something i've been working on, currently only in the planning stage though so please play nicely.

 

I've been doing a bit of reseach into making my own custom castings for table legs, solid bronze similar to the hudson table that beyonce bought for $70,000 (photos of their tables are attached)

 

the basis of my Foundry design is based around the artful bodger's waste oil furnace Home - The Artful Bodger's Home Foundry/ for which i take no credit, the guy's a genius.

 

anyway I was busy adapting the plans of his foundry to suit a much larger scale bronze melt, when the idea suddenly struck me - why not use this same design i'd come up with that could melt 80kg of bronze within an hour - using nothing but waste oil and a small amount of electricity - to dry timber?

 

I figured that my adapted foundry setup could heat a container sized kiln to just about any temperature i want to, with the temperature being controlled by some circuitry essentially reducing the output of the blower, and feeding less oil, this reducing the burn rate and temperature.

 

garages and the like have to pay to get rid of waste oil, and I've noticed as soon as you mention that you're interested in it, they'll force upon you as much as you can possibly hope for.

 

Now without going into the science of it, your average motor oil has 3 times the fuel density of the wood you're currently powering your kiln with, meaning you use a third of the fuel you're currently using, and this Doesnt accunt for the water content in that wood you're burning which would to let's say 50% of the overall mass of that wood, so in essense by burning oil you're saving six times as much timber to then put into the kiln to DRY, which can then be SOLD

 

Now like i said, this is still in it's infancy, i'm just looking for your input and experience as to whether you feel this sort of system would benefit you chaps that currently run a kiln on wood or gas.

 

Thanks for reading!

[sandspider]

Does it not burn with a black and smoky flame full of nasties? Or if you force air into it does it burn fairly clean?

[Craig.]

We used to have a waste oil heater in the workshop, a self contained unit just needing a flue and providing blown hot air, could be used in a kiln no doubt, the one in your link must be a lot more fierce to create the heat needed for the furnace.

A lot of garages are paid for their waste oil now, only pennies per litre, but still, not so keen to give it away.

[doobin]

Waste oil will go the same way as chip fat, it will be worth money.

[Craig.]

Does it not burn with a black and smoky flame full of nasties? Or if you force air into it does it burn fairly clean?

 

The workshop heater was quite clean burning.

[Goaty]

Black diesel as its called is a refined like biodiesel product that is used to power ocean going vessels, which are not regulated in pollution due to working "international waters"

My info may be out of date now.

 

I would like to make a smelter or forge that run on primarily waste oil.

 

I think environmental issues are going to be you problem if you go commercial with this. All resources in my opinion should be used and reused until they are gone, made into energy. Including plastic as its oil derived. Its getting nice stuff to come out the exhaust.

[treequip]

If you are going to do it just get a waste oil heater, you will need a permit from the powers that be

[Craig.]

Goaty, you are right about the ships using it, but things are changing in certain areas of water regarding emissions. The simple fix for ships is to use low sulphur diesel, downside demand might increase fuel pump prices for us all.

http://www.poferrymasters.com/low-sulphur-flyer.pdf

Sorry for the derail

On the plus side waste oil may be cheaper/ free again for your kiln or furnace, which in theory should work out quite cost effective.

[openspaceman]

Waste oil will go the same way as chip fat, it will be worth money.

 

It already is, as long as the premises is registered as a hazardous waste producer and you have 500 litres waste oil firms will take it for free and sort out the consignment note.

[joeblacky]

in response to the concens about environmental busybodies, from what i've read the refining of the oil to then RE-BURN in ships etc is just as polluting, if not to the air then in solid of liquid form. my limited understanding is that as long as all the energy is extracted from the waste oil whether by a ship or a furnace pollutes the atmosphere, so i don't know if they could go against the design on these plans alone.

 

when powered with a centrifugal blower feeding oxygen, it burns without any visible smoke.

 

as for the smelter, like the first post mentioned follow the link and you'll learn a great deal about setting up such a furnace