Brown grease separator
A system and method are disclosed for processing grease trap waste to produce brown grease oil. Heat to promote waste grease stratification is provided by combustion of brown grease itself. A portion of the brown grease, which would normally be transported to an end user, is retained in a separate holding vessel at the grease processing site. The brown grease within the holding vessel is thermally conditioned to adjust viscosity so that it may be drawn through one or more pumps to increase pressure for atomization in a boiler. The heat of the brown grease combustion is applied to grease trap waste in the containment vessel by heating tubes immersed in the grease trap waste in which a heat transfer medium circulates and gives up its heat to the grease trap waste to thereby promote stratification of the grease trap waste and production of the brown grease oil.
1. A system for processing grease trap waste to
produce brown grease fuel oil, the system comprising:
a vessel in which the grease trap waste is stored and separated into layers of brown grease, food scrap and water,
a heating system that heats the grease trap waste in the vessel, the heating system being comprised of a boiler and a burner assembly within the boiler that operates on brown grease fuel and a conduit arrangement for transferring a heat transfer medium between the boiler and the vessel, and
a fuel system for supplying the brown grease fuel to the heating system, the fuel system being comprised of a fuel tank in which the brown grease fuel is heated so that the brown grease fuel has a viscosity that allows it to be combusted in the boiler burner assembly,
the conduit arrangement including a plurality of tubes positioned within the grease trap waste in the vessel through which the heat transfer medium gives up heat to the grease trap waste to thereby heat the grease trap waste for separating the waste into the layers of water, food debris and brown grease.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vessel in which the grease trap waste is stored is a holding tank.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vessel in which the grease trap waste is stored is a holding tank that is substantially cylindrical in shape.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conduit arrangement is a piping system running between the boiler and the vessel that serves to move the heat-transfer medium between the boiler and the vessel.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the boiler is hydronic steam boiler.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat-transfer medium is hot water or steam.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the brown grease fuel stored in the fuel tank is heated to a temperature of approximately 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fuel system is further comprised of a hot water reservoir connected to a pipe loop immersed in the brown grease fuel stored in the fuel tank, the pipe loop carrying hot water that functions to transfer heat to the brown grease fuel to thermally condition the grease to thereby adjust its viscosity so that it can be combusted in the boiler.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the hot water reservoir is connected to an electric water heater.
10. The system of claim 4 , wherein the vessel includes at least one set of tubes that run through the vessel, so as to be immersed in the grease trap waste stored in the vessel, the tubes being connected to corresponding manifolds, which, in turn, are connected to the piping system running between the boiler and the vessel.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one set of tubes includes four immersion tubes.
12. The system of claim 4 , wherein the vessel includes two sets of tubes.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein each set of tubes includes five immersion tubes.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein each set of tubes includes four immersion tubes.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the set of immersion tubes is positioned substantially in the center of the vessel.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein one set of tubes is located substantially on one side of the vessel, in a lower part of the vessel, and the second set of tubes is located substantially on the other side of the vessel, in an upper part of the vessel.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vessel includes an inspection trough for inspecting the grease trap waste is stored and separated in the vessel and for filtering and harvesting the brown grease.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the water is a bottom layer in the vessel, the food debris is an upper mid layer in the vessel, and the brown grease is a top layer in the vessel.
19. The system of claim 8 , wherein the viscosity of the brown grease is adjusted so that it can be drawn through a hot oil fuel pump to increase pressure for atomization of the brown grease through a nozzle in the boiler.
20. The system of claim 8 , wherein the fuel system is further comprised of a first set of fuel filters connected between the fuel tank and a fuel pump and a second set of fuel filters connected between the fuel pump and the burner assembly within the boiler.
21. The system of claim 1 further comprising a control panel for operating the boiler and the fuel system.
22. The system of claim 1 further comprising an inspection trough for inspecting, filtering and/or harvesting the brown grease in the vessel.
23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vessel in which the grease trap waste is stored is heated to a temperature of approximately 140 degrees to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the vessel in which the grease trap waste is stored is, after the vessel has been heated to a temperature of approximately 140 degrees to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, then allowed to rest for a period of approximately 6 to 12 hours, to thereby achieve separation of the waste into the layers of water, food debris and brown grease.
25. A system for processing grease trap waste to produce brown grease fuel oil, the system comprising:
a tank in which the grease trap waste is stored and separated into layers of brown grease, food scrap and water,
a heating system that heats the grease trap waste in the tank, the heating system operating with brown grease fuel, and
a fuel system for supplying the brown grease fuel to the heating system,
the heating system being comprised of a hydronic steam boiler, a burner assembly within the boiler that operates on brown grease fuel and a piping arrangement for transferring a heat transfer medium between the boiler and the tank,
the fuel system being comprised of a fuel tank that stores the brown grease fuel and a hot water reservoir connected to a pipe loop immersed in the brown grease fuel stored in the fuel tank, the pipe loop carrying hot water that functions to transfer heat to the brown grease fuel to thermally condition the grease to thereby adjust its viscosity so that it can be combusted in the boiler burner assembly,
the piping arrangement including a plurality of tubes positioned within the grease trap waste in the tank through which the heat transfer medium gives up heat to the grease trap waste to thereby heat the grease trap waste for separating the waste into the layers of water, food debris and brown grease.
26. A system for processing grease trap waste to
produce brown grease fuel oil, the system comprising:
a vessel in which the grease trap waste is stored and separated into layers of brown grease, food scrap and water,
a heating system that heats the grease trap waste in the vessel, the heating system being comprised of a boiler and a burner assembly within the boiler that operates on brown grease fuel and a conduit arrangement for transferring a heat transfer medium between the boiler and the vessel,
a fuel system for supplying the brown grease fuel to the heating system, the fuel system being comprised of a fuel tank in which the brown grease fuel is heated so that the brown grease fuel has a viscosity that allows it to be combusted in the boiler burner assembly,
the conduit arrangement including a plurality of tubes positioned within the grease trap waste in the vessel through which the heat transfer medium gives up heat to the grease trap waste to thereby heat the grease trap waste for separating the waste into the layers of water, food debris and brown grease, and
a connection between the vessel and the fuel system through which a part of the separated brown grease is pumped from the vessel to the fuel system to refill the fuel tank.