Re: Fuel quality, equipment usage, and procedure

I  totally agree with you Zac. I think we will be back on track here in the next few weeks and will just have to make a few minor adjustments to iron out the wrinkles. 
  Zan

Zac Imboden <[email protected]> wrote:
  In order to reach a consensus about a certification process, we need to figure out how to make fuel with our new configuration. Since we converted to KOH back in late October/early November, we have been having problems. The mayonnaise comes from that time period. **The coop has never made fuel in the winter** as far as I know.  

   On top of this, we have reconstructed our fuel-making process. So now the coop is basically starting from scratch.  

  We need to solve these problems, not create a new program. And the way to solve it is to start making fuel with the new set-up and iron out the difficulties. We have many members who have experience making fuel. We should get a commitment from some of these members to help attack this problem as a group and keep moving forward.
  

  I am available Saturday to make a batch. The sooner we start making batches, the sooner we can iron out any problems and start making good fuel.
    

  
    On Feb 7, 2007, at 10:18 AM, R Buckner wrote:

  Mixmasters,

We have fuel quality, equipment usage, and procedure problems.  We have approximately 400 gallons of poorly processed fuel, unusuable in its present form.  We have about 25 gallons of contaminated methanol.  We had a burnt-out heating element in one of the water heaters.  We had a pump with a writing pen sucked down the propeller end.  We also have unknown chemicals in the conex and shed. 

Suggestion-
Let's create a biodiesel-making certification program.  We can reach a consensus about the process, standardize it, and teach it to everyone in the co-op interested in making biodiesel.  The program would consist of training workshops about fuel, equipment, and procedure.  Graduation would require the successful making of a five-gallon batch of biodiesel and a certificate of approval from the co-op.  You would then be allowed to use the co-op's resources to make a larger batch of biodiesel.  This process would give us oversight and assurance to fuel making quality.  

It is time consuming and costly to repair or replace broken equipment.  It is difficult to find a solution to the bad fuel and contaminated methanol.  
Karen and I are the only ones who have been working on the mayo in the last two months.  

Please approve this suggestion or come up with an alternative for quality control, and implement it as soon as possible.
 
Thanks, 
Ron

  

  
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    --------------------------------------------------------------
  Zac Imboden
  [email protected]
  1534 SE 35th Place
  Portland, OR
  97214
  971-563-2477
  







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