Waste Oil Heater Forum - Your definitive source for burning waste oil for heat.

Thanks. I'm working on some ideas now.....the current thought is to see how clean we can practically an economically get the waste oil first, then see how much we can take advantage of its cleaner state to achieve more complete and efficient combustion. I don't think we can achieve vaporizing burner standards, but if we can'd do better than old atomizers I'd be very surprised.

Dave

Thank you....I think we're looking at a different order of magnitude. One batch for us - a tank full - is 600 gallons. So, I'm thinking an industrial process centrifuge rather than something we can fit into an oil drum.

Dave

Greetings - I'm a long time steam railroader with experience in tourist railroads and railroad museums, and now planning an overhaul of a 1926 steam locomotive. The little railroad in question is a museum operation, and has been running a small steam switch engine on waste oil for several years now. The train has grown and we need a bigger engine - so, we're overhauling one.

We get our waste oil from CAT and CUMMINS maintenance contractors changing out oil in emergency generators. It isn't all lube though....other things seem to always find their way in.

The current engine uses a Van Boden Ingles style burner - a slot drools oil out that drops down in front of another narrow slot through which blows a blast of steam. The oil is blown into a refractory lined firebox and combusts, heat being maintained through the heat sunk into the refractory material. This style of burner is very forgiving of pretty ugly oil.....but not very efficient or clean.

I'm interested in technology to allow us to make the oil cleaner so we can perhaps use more complex and advanced burners to handle it better and provide us with more complete combustion.  I'm also wondering what other high output burners might be out there wautung to be found.......

Thanks and best wishes.

Dave