Simple Centrifuge
Clean waste vegetable oil (WVO), bio diesel, lube oils, and even hydraulic oil in your garage
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Photo Gallery - This gallery represents the work over several years. Some designs have been replaced and/or updated as time progressed. Most images contain a date stamp visable on the large version. Please note the date when viewing. We are always experimenting with new concepts and designs. If you have any questions about any photo please contact us.
Total photos in gallery 1296 - Latest photo update 2021/12/10 18:48:01
Asterisk(*) indicates new photos in the past 30 days
Adapter 56C to 56J ( 15 )
Algae Recovery ( 42 )
Bacterial fermentation ( 1 )
Balancer Mandrels ( 8 )
Bearing replacement ( 25 )
Botry Culture ( 2 )
Building a gantry ( 16 )
Chestnut Extract ( 9 )
CNC Coolant ( 6 )
Coconut Oil ( 8 )
Construction ( 43 )
Contaminated diesel ( 2 )
Craig's Machine ( 31 )
Cross Drill End Bell ( 10 )
Crude oil ( 5 )
Custom motor shaft ( 23 )
Experimental Motor ( 19 )
Explosion proof motor ( 3 )
Feed Cone ( 29 )
Feed Cone with Fins ( 8 )
Feed Tube ( 3 )
Filter Paper ( 7 )
Ford on WMO ( 2 )
Foundry ( 5 )
Foundry 2 ( 18 )
Gear pump ( 2 )
Grinding fluid ( 19 )
Grinding fluid 2 ( 14 )
Heaters ( 9 )
History ( 11 )
Homemade Diesel ( 7 )
Homemade diesel 2 ( 41 )
Homemade Diesel 3 ( 15 )
Homemade Diesel 4 ( 12 )
How it works ( 3 )
Hydraulic Oil ( 3 )
Keyless Bushing ( 11 )
Lab Centrifuge ( 16 )
Lab Centrifuge 2 ( 18 )
Lapidary Cutting Oil ( 2 )
Lock motor shaft ( 6 )
Magnesol removal ( 6 )
Microwave heater ( 7 )
Misc. Mods ( 4 )
Mitsubishi 4x4 on WMO ( 10 )
New Feed Cone ( 16 )
New Feed Tube ( 7 )
New Rotor 2013 ( 24 )
New rotor design ( 16 )
Oil and Contaminants ( 47 )
Oil Skimmer ( 8 )
Our Shop ( 37 )
Peristaltic Pump ( 32 )
Powder Coating ( 10 )
Renderings ( 8 )
Retrofit rotor for WVOD ( 17 )
Rework Mount ( 10 )
Rotor fins ( 34 )
Rotor Fins One Piece ( 6 )
Seal ( 6 )
Sea Weed ( 4 )
Sediment removal ( 16 )
See thru lid - Building ( 16 )
See thru lid - Testing ( 28 )
Sight Glass ( 6 )
Skim Tube ( 56 )
Skim Tube for VCO ( 8 )
Small Settling Tank ( 14 )
Tanks ( 9 )
Tanks - Complete System ( 13 )
Tap drain ( 10 )
Testing Seal Screws ( 6 )
Tests by fuelfarmer ( 22 )
Turn key machine ( 38 )
Two part rotor ( 30 )
Ultrasonic filter cleaning ( 8 )
Updates ( 26 )
Users Machines ( 34 )
Vacuum pickup ( 3 )
VW on WMO ( 7 )
Water-Oil Seperator ( 7 )
Water trap ( 5 )
Wine Clarification ( 4 )
WVO Heat Tests ( 7 )
WVO Pump ( 6 )
WVO Tests ( 14 )
 See thru lid - Testing
One of our customers, Glenn (fuelfarmer), has done some experiments and posted his findings on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIZT-jmyphs His video builds a compelling case for the feed cone design. Something that we have suspected for some time. I spoke with Glenn and he mentioned he'd like to have a polycarbonate (Lexan) lid so he could see what was happening. I thought that sounded like a good experiment. Last night I made the parts and today I tested. I wanted to duplicate his test using the feed cone.

Our initial tests proved perplexing. The dye separated as expected but the colored oil had a pinkish tint. I suspected it was due to the propylene glycol, an organic solvent, used to carry the color in the brand I used. After consulting with Glenn we discovered his dye had different ingredients: Water, glycerine, FD&C red #40, FD&C blue #1, citric acid, sodium benzoate. No organic solvents. We decided that colored water would provide the most accurate results without the risk of tinting the oil. We learned a lot!
This is the vegetable oil for the experiments. This is the food coloring used. Note the ingredients: Water, propylene glycol, FD&C Reds 40 and 3 and propylparaben (preservative). propylene glycol is an organic solvent that carries the color. Adding colored oil. After this experiment it was decided to color water and mix the color-water with the oil. The coloring contains propylene glycol which allows the dye to stain all organic matter.
This is the vegetable oil for the experiments. This is the food coloring used. Note the ingredients: Water, propylene glycol, FD&C Reds 40 and 3 and propylparaben (preservative). propylene glycol is an organic solvent that carries the color. Adding colored oil. After this experiment it was decided to color water and mix the color-water with the oil. The coloring contains propylene glycol which allows the dye to stain all organic matter.
Colored oil recently added. See how some of it is still in motion. You can see the clear division of the colored and clear oil. I added a bunch of colored water for fun. See the separation line.
Colored oil recently added. See how some of it is still in motion. You can see the clear division of the colored and clear oil. I added a bunch of colored water for fun. See the separation line.
I might have had some leaking around one of the screws. Polycarbonate may not be an ideal choice. I washed the rotor for a new experiment. This shows how the feed cone works. See how the water is shooting out of each of the tubes.
I might have had some leaking around one of the screws. Polycarbonate may not be an ideal choice. I washed the rotor for a new experiment. This shows how the feed cone works. See how the water is shooting out of each of the tubes.
Re-assembled the rotor and filled with fresh used oil. For this test I will be using 5 drops of food coloring in water. Each sample will be 50% colored water. This is an extreme test. Normally used oil is 5% to 10% water.
Re-assembled the rotor and filled with fresh used oil. For this test I will be using 5 drops of food coloring in water. Each sample will be 50% colored water. This is an extreme test. Normally used oil is 5% to 10% water.
Now the oil and water is mixed. Photo after adding the first 60ml of colored water and oil. Second 60ml added.
Now the oil and water is mixed. Photo after adding the first 60ml of colored water and oil. Second 60ml added.
3rd 60ml added. This is the separation line between the water and the oil. The water is red. After I let the machine run for a while the oil cleared back up. After discussing it with Mike and giving it some thought I believe the 50% water/oil mix was simply too much. I'd like to run the test with the typical 5% water.
3rd 60ml added. This is the separation line between the water and the oil. The water is red. After I let the machine run for a while the oil cleared back up. After discussing it with Mike and giving it some thought I believe the 50% water/oil mix was simply too much. I'd like to run the test with the typical 5% water.
It is very cold here. The vegetable oil clouded up. This sample has 5% colored water. This is the 5% water and oil sample agitated well. This is after adding the water/oil mixture. Note that the water layer in the rotor stripped the water from the oil without mixing with the water. This is the expected result.
It is very cold here. The vegetable oil clouded up. This sample has 5% colored water. This is the 5% water and oil sample agitated well. This is after adding the water/oil mixture. Note that the water layer in the rotor stripped the water from the oil without mixing with the water. This is the expected result.
For fun I decided to add another 50% colored water sample. This photo is awesome. This is really exaggerated but it clearly shows how the water disrupts the oil inside the rotor, causing a mixing action. Unlike the original 50% water test that clouded the entire volume this time the mixing was less severe. I suspect this is because the water wasn't prying oil off the outside wall of the rotor. I wanted to test an emulsion of vegetable oil and colored water. I started with a 50/50 mix and then for good measure I taped it to the line sander for minute and a half. This should make an unbreakable foam. The violent shaking of the sander produced a beautiful pink foam.
For fun I decided to add another 50% colored water sample. This photo is awesome. This is really exaggerated but it clearly shows how the water disrupts the oil inside the rotor, causing a mixing action. Unlike the original 50% water test that clouded the entire volume this time the mixing was less severe. I suspect this is because the water wasn't prying oil off the outside wall of the rotor. I wanted to test an emulsion of vegetable oil and colored water. I started with a 50/50 mix and then for good measure I taped it to the line sander for minute and a half. This should make an unbreakable foam. The violent shaking of the sander produced a beautiful pink foam.
The foam produced a light mixing action but it was less defined than the previous 50/50 mixes. This was an unexpected result. I had expected more violent mixing with the foam. You can see a narrow foam line between the water and oil. Generally speaking a centrifuge cannot break emulsified oil so the result is unexpected. I expected a more defined foam layer. Only seconds later the foam line is barely visible.
The foam produced a light mixing action but it was less defined than the previous 50/50 mixes. This was an unexpected result. I had expected more violent mixing with the foam. You can see a narrow foam line between the water and oil. Generally speaking a centrifuge cannot break emulsified oil so the result is unexpected. I expected a more defined foam layer. Only seconds later the foam line is barely visible.
I stopped the centrifuge after letting it run for day or so. Once it drained you can see how the food coloring separated back out of the water and formed this dark drops. A very unexpected result for sure.    
I stopped the centrifuge after letting it run for day or so. Once it drained you can see how the food coloring separated back out of the water and formed this dark drops. A very unexpected result for sure.    
Numeric Control, LLC
PO Box 916
Morton, WA 98356