Short answer Larry, is yes, in theory! I've learned a lot in the last few months running this burner for real, especially since it's been absolutely freezing and snow-bound here since early November last despite the Gulf Stream. We have now burned about 600 litres [US $700 worth] of fuel at 50% VO. This success has prompted the
Accounts Dept [aka
Her Indoors ] to release more funds for the next phase of fun!
My routine is to use
natural gravity settlement, for two or three weeks minimum, in 20 litre plastic jugs kept outside. These are then wiped clean & kept on the warm floor of the ute room for a week to warm the oil so it pours nicely. The crud and water are mostly then at the bottom. The jugs are decanted carefully into the separator pan, trying not to introduce any crud, water or crystals of fat. Spun oil is 'dry', as most water separates from the oil and is then pumped through a 20 micron cotton wound filter directly into the heated oil vat. This removes
floating debris that a separator won't remove. 20 microns is about 0.0008" [8 tenths of a thou' inch] which is plenty ok for a pressure jet nozzle, but as
belt 'n braces, I have a 10 micron paper element filter fitted just after the VO and diesel are mixed.
All this work is my weekly chore and takes about an hour or two to refil my oil tank. Mostly, I'm just watching the pumps run, swilling coffee and smoking some baccy while H.I. listens to The Archers on the BBC Steam Wireless!
Water is not a serious problem in small amounts. Actually, a
30% water/oil emulsion will burn nicely! In a burner, it
improves combustion and reduces pollutants, provided it's emulsified.
In fact,
This Years Project is to switch to an emulsion of oil and water as fuel instead of a diesel/vo mix. I'm thinking of switching to Used Engine oil, as it will be far easier to filter than VO and can be stored 'cold'. A 30% water emulsion will have a viscosity less than diesel oil at ambient t, so preheating
may be not needed. My
garagiste is keen- he's got a couple of thousand litres in stock which costs him $$$$ to have removed. All the fuel is then free, except for a few teaspoonfuls for ignition and flushing. To this end, I just imported a new German Hansa
Blaubrenner burner from Hamburg, which is similar to my 'homebrew', but it's not only beautifully built and more controllable, it runs at 360 psi [!]- & it also has a CE mark so my fire insurance will be valid
! I also now have a new exhaust-gas analyser, so I can set up burners accurately. It's an earner too!
More anon hopefully in the summer after some experiments if that's ok with the forum? I know this is not strictly core electrical.