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Would you just dump used cooking engine into your engine? I’d imagine there’s a few particles that don’t burn off super cleanly and gunk up the pistons or valve

Would you just dump used cooking engine into your engine? I’d imagine there’s a few particles that don’t burn off super cleanly and gunk up the pistons or valves or something

stephen_g 4y ago
If you filter it well, you actually can run a diesel engine from waste cooking oil directly (but it's not great for it, which is why it's often converted to biodiesel or HVO/HEFA). The hydro-processing that HEFA/HVO (the kind of fuel used in the above trial) goes through is mostly for cold handling properties, viscosity, etc. - it actually makes it basically chemically identical to the fossil derived hydrocarbons that are normally used, which is pretty cool and interesting.
tyingq 4y ago
The tricky part of cooking oil in engines is that it's higher viscosity / thicker than diesel. So straight cooking oil only really works well in the types of diesel engines that use glow plugs and swirl chambers...where the fuel gets fully atomized despite the high viscosity. Direct injection diesel engines have more trouble with cooking oil, with lots of deposits and gummy build up. The dirty bits aren't a big issue, other than for any fuel filters if you don't filter it first.
bombcar 4y ago
It can be done: https://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2009-09/taking-chances/ https://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2009-09/taking-chances/ it's well known enough that the grease bins behind McDonalds and places now have locks, people were looting the oils
- dotancohen 4y ago
  Why wouldn't McDonald's and places be thankful that somebody is disposing of their waste for them? Or do they do something productive with the contents of the grease bin?
  - moltar 4y ago
    They get money for it
  - wahern 4y ago
    It seems recycling grease is profitable enough that it's offered as a free service to restaurants. See, e.g., > > What does it cost me to be a DAR PRO Solutions customer? > In most cases, there is no signup or administrative fee for becoming a DAR PRO customer, though depending on market conditions, store location or other special circumstances, there may be a small delivery fee. This would be disclosed prior to finalizing any agreement. Normally, we provide the oil storage equipment and grease pick up at no charge to our customers under normal yellow grease market and operational conditions. Source: https://www.darpro-solutions.com/about-dar-pro-solutions/faqs-dar-pro-solutions https://www.darpro-solutions.com/about-dar-pro-solutions/faq... I wouldn't be surprised if a large company like McDonalds is able to recoup some of their costs by selling grease. Alternatively, even if the service is a net cost, as with residential recycling the service fee might offset by what the recycler can make from the waste, and so the recycler might require measures to safeguard their supply. Also, you might not want strangers rummaging through your bins as some of them might make a mess.
  - kylehotchkiss 4y ago
    Very american answer: maybe somebody sues mcdonalds after stealing the used oil and it breaks their engine
fy20 4y ago
Car Throttle had a good video about it a few years ago: https://youtu.be/WNJH1rikujI https://youtu.be/WNJH1rikujI The most important point is you need an older car with mechanical injection (before ~2005). Modern diesels with electronic injection are much more sensitive to the fuel used, as they run at much higher pressure and components have tighter tolerances. On an older car, yes you can just dump it in after some crude filtering (e.g. with cheesecloth). I have a neighbour with an old Land Rover and he has been running it for years on cooking oil. Some people start on diesel then switch to cooking oil later. It has a higher viscousity at room temperature than diesel, so it works better once everything is warmed up.

Would you just dump used cooking engine into your engine? I’d imagine there’s a few particles that don’t burn off super cleanly and gunk up the pistons or valves or something

stephen_g 4y ago

If you filter it well, you actually can run a diesel engine from waste cooking oil directly (but it's not great for it, which is why it's often converted to biodiesel or HVO/HEFA). The hydro-processing that HEFA/HVO (the kind of fuel used in the above trial) goes through is mostly for cold handling properties, viscosity, etc. - it actually makes it basically chemically identical to the fossil derived hydrocarbons that are normally used, which is pretty cool and interesting.

tyingq 4y ago

The tricky part of cooking oil in engines is that it's higher viscosity / thicker than diesel. So straight cooking oil only really works well in the types of diesel engines that use glow plugs and swirl chambers...where the fuel gets fully atomized despite the high viscosity. Direct injection diesel engines have more trouble with cooking oil, with lots of deposits and gummy build up. The dirty bits aren't a big issue, other than for any fuel filters if you don't filter it first.

bombcar 4y ago

It can be done: https://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2009-09/taking-chances/ https://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2009-09/taking-chances/ it's well known enough that the grease bins behind McDonalds and places now have locks, people were looting the oils

dotancohen 4y ago
Why wouldn't McDonald's and places be thankful that somebody is disposing of their waste for them? Or do they do something productive with the contents of the grease bin?
- moltar 4y ago
  They get money for it
- wahern 4y ago
  It seems recycling grease is profitable enough that it's offered as a free service to restaurants. See, e.g., > > What does it cost me to be a DAR PRO Solutions customer? > In most cases, there is no signup or administrative fee for becoming a DAR PRO customer, though depending on market conditions, store location or other special circumstances, there may be a small delivery fee. This would be disclosed prior to finalizing any agreement. Normally, we provide the oil storage equipment and grease pick up at no charge to our customers under normal yellow grease market and operational conditions. Source: https://www.darpro-solutions.com/about-dar-pro-solutions/faqs-dar-pro-solutions https://www.darpro-solutions.com/about-dar-pro-solutions/faq... I wouldn't be surprised if a large company like McDonalds is able to recoup some of their costs by selling grease. Alternatively, even if the service is a net cost, as with residential recycling the service fee might offset by what the recycler can make from the waste, and so the recycler might require measures to safeguard their supply. Also, you might not want strangers rummaging through your bins as some of them might make a mess.
- kylehotchkiss 4y ago
  Very american answer: maybe somebody sues mcdonalds after stealing the used oil and it breaks their engine

fy20 4y ago

Car Throttle had a good video about it a few years ago: https://youtu.be/WNJH1rikujI https://youtu.be/WNJH1rikujI The most important point is you need an older car with mechanical injection (before ~2005). Modern diesels with electronic injection are much more sensitive to the fuel used, as they run at much higher pressure and components have tighter tolerances. On an older car, yes you can just dump it in after some crude filtering (e.g. with cheesecloth). I have a neighbour with an old Land Rover and he has been running it for years on cooking oil. Some people start on diesel then switch to cooking oil later. It has a higher viscousity at room temperature than diesel, so it works better once everything is warmed up.