Fire
#1
Fire
Now that I have your attention, I'll tell you a stupid mistake I made that almost cost me a lot of damage.
I have processed approx 25-30 batches of BD using the "open barrel" method. I always make 40 gals at a time (8-5gal buckets) with room to put 7.5 gal of methanol in the mix. Somehow I lost count of how much I put in and ended up with 45 gal (9 buckets) of WVO in the barrel. I then put the 7.5 gal of methanol using the direct injection method with a tube into the bottom of the tank. The top of the barrel was closed at this point so I had no idea I was overfilling. I also had the external heat element on to keep the temp at 140F. The mixture started leaking out the hole at the top of the barrel where the mixer shaft enters and ran down the outside and contacted with the heat element. FIRE... I pulled the electrical power and luckily had a extinguisher handy. My control panel was damaged but nothing further. If I had not heeded Don's (Fabman) suggestion to inject nitrogen into the mix tank during and after injecting the Methanol, I have no doubt that the whole 40+ gallons of mix would have gone up big time. The only part that burned was the fuel as it ran out of the barrel. (Not onough oxygen in the barrel to support combustion)
Moral of the story. I don't care how many batches you made and how routine it becomes. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING, DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED, KEEP EXTINGUISHER NEARBY, EXPECT THE WORST IT MAY HAPPEN.
Thank you Don for steering me to the safe way.
Tom
I have processed approx 25-30 batches of BD using the "open barrel" method. I always make 40 gals at a time (8-5gal buckets) with room to put 7.5 gal of methanol in the mix. Somehow I lost count of how much I put in and ended up with 45 gal (9 buckets) of WVO in the barrel. I then put the 7.5 gal of methanol using the direct injection method with a tube into the bottom of the tank. The top of the barrel was closed at this point so I had no idea I was overfilling. I also had the external heat element on to keep the temp at 140F. The mixture started leaking out the hole at the top of the barrel where the mixer shaft enters and ran down the outside and contacted with the heat element. FIRE... I pulled the electrical power and luckily had a extinguisher handy. My control panel was damaged but nothing further. If I had not heeded Don's (Fabman) suggestion to inject nitrogen into the mix tank during and after injecting the Methanol, I have no doubt that the whole 40+ gallons of mix would have gone up big time. The only part that burned was the fuel as it ran out of the barrel. (Not onough oxygen in the barrel to support combustion)
Moral of the story. I don't care how many batches you made and how routine it becomes. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING, DO NOT LEAVE UNATTENDED, KEEP EXTINGUISHER NEARBY, EXPECT THE WORST IT MAY HAPPEN.
Thank you Don for steering me to the safe way.
Tom
#2
Wow, you sure got my attention! Glad everything came out OK............I remember my first fire. I was draining the mix tank, and the light that showed the heating element status was off ( bad bulb). When the oil level dropped to the element level, instant fire! That's when I went back to the drawing board and changed over to an external heating system. We all MUST remember that we work with dangerous chemicals, and the potential for fire. How's the blood pressure Tom???
#3
#4
Wow, you sure got my attention! Glad everything came out OK............I remember my first fire. I was draining the mix tank, and the light that showed the heating element status was off ( bad bulb). When the oil level dropped to the element level, instant fire! That's when I went back to the drawing board and changed over to an external heating system. We all MUST remember that we work with dangerous chemicals, and the potential for fire. How's the blood pressure Tom???
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I use Nitrogen in my whole system. All tanks, My processor ( not an apple seed style), even my steel plumbing gets purged with it. I use only air powered diaphragm pumps to transfer all fluids. My tanks ( including the processor) are all heated from OUTSIDE the tank. No electrical heating elements are submerged in any fluid. Safety is my main concern, then quality control of the finished Bio. I also use the Magnesol dry wash system instead of water washing.
#10
I don't have a flow meter for injecting nitrogen into the vapor chamber but I put the liquid tube from the bottom of the condensor in a bottle and turn on just enough to make it bubble. I don't know if by doing that, I am "forcing" the methanol out the condensor before it has a chance to condense. I'm running about 125-150 lbs on "your" vaporizer. Afraid with those pressures and 180F that I MUST inject nitrogen into the chamber to prevent explosion. Do you think 5/16 tubing is large enough for a condensor line ? No doubt you are following the chats between Phydeaux and myself. You know what kind of vaporizer and condensor I have so if you can add anything to the conversation I would appreciate it. I know Troy (KennedyFord) has your system and it works for him. I must be missing something.