Oilybits, OB Series, Centrifugal Oil Cleaner Kit

Complete OB Series Oil Centrifuge removes water and all heavier-than-oil particle contamination from oils. Designed for use with Diesel, Bio Diesel, Vegetable Oil, Gear Oil, and Lubricating Oil, the centrifuges will work more efficiently if the oil is heated prior to introduction to reduce viscosity to approximately that of water, this is especially important when using with vegetable oil

This centrifuge uses pressurised oil as a wet seal to prevent wear, and turns the incoming liquid flow into a fine jet which propels the rotor at speeds of up to 9100 RPM, creating centrifugal forces of 4166 times gravity. At this point all heavier-than-oil particles such as soot, dirt, swarf, earth, glycerine, fat, grease and water, are forced to the outside wall of the rotor, where they mass into a solid, or near solid layer, cleaner oil then flows outward into your storage vessel. Multiple passes (up to 3) may be required to gain the highest purity, as the centrifuge uses the incoming oil as a wet seal, and therefore passes some dirty oil throughout its operation

By increasing G-Force, you are doubling the relative weight of an object by 100% per 1G, at 0G an object weighs true upon the surface of the earth, at 1 G an object weighs twice its true weight, so, for example at 4000 G, a particle of dirt which might weight 0.1 gram will weigh 400 grams, and because of this, it will settle through a body of liquid much faster than it would if it were its original weight

The centrifuge will require emptying of contaminants periodically, although regularity will depend upon how contaminated your oil is, the better you strain your oil beforehand, the longer the centrifuge will operate before cleaning is required

Oil must be strained down to a maximum of 200 microns prior to introduction to the centrifuge, failure to do this will result in blocking of one or both propulsion jets, this will either reduce rotor speed and flow rate, or prevent the device from functioning at all. If this happens the jets will need to be cleaned. The centrifuge is fully user-serviceable.

For cleaning of lubrication oil that has been used in a combustion engine, please note that whilst the centrifuge will remove all heavier-than-oil particles, it will not reverse changes that have occurred to the oil at a molecular level - for example the black colour of used engine oil is not only caused by carbon deposits such as soot (which will be removed) but by a change in the molecular structure of the oil caused by the combustion of hydrocarbons within it, and this colouring cannot be removed by using a centrifuge or any other means of filtration

All of these kits come completete with a Centrifuge, a High Pressure Pump of your choosing (see options below) and a Deluxe Fitting Kit, They are supplied in component form with instructions for user assembly

OILYBITS RECOMMEND MODELS

OB-020 - For small batch cleaning in confined areas, such as in a vehicle (Based on 3 passes, OB-020 will purify 65 lph)
OB-025 - For small batch cleaning in the workshop, or in a vehicle with adequate room (Based on 3 passes, OB-025 will purify 65 lph)
OB-050-INVERT - For medium batch cleaning in the workshop (Based on 3 passes, OB-050-INVERT will purify 135 lph)
OB-100 - For large batch cleaning in the workshop (Based on 3 passes, OB-100 will purify 250 lph)
OB-200 & OB-600 - For very large batch cleaning in the workshop, or for very high contaminant level removal, for example metal silt from machinery

Pictured Below, OB-020, OB-025, and OB-050(-INVERT)

Pictured Below, OB-200

MOUNTING BRACKETS

OB-020, OB-025, and OB-050 centrifuges are supplied complete with a mounting bracket for ease of mounting (shown in main image at top). Brackets are not available for any of the larger models after OB-050, they are just supplied with 4x bolt holes for mounting to a flat surface with centre hole for drainage. The lack of brackets on the larger models is simply because the brackets are made in the UK and we dont sell high enough volumes of the larger models to warrant making brackets for them, but of course we can have one-offs made if you would like us to get a quotation

PLEASE NOTE - WE CAN ALSO SUPPLY WITHOUT BRACKET IF A BRACKET IS NOT REQUIRED, THIS WILL REDUCE PRICE OF CENTRIFUGE BY £25.00 FOR OB-020 & OB-025, AND BY £45.00 FOR OB-050 & OB-050-INVERT

CENTRIFUGE SIZE VS. SPEED & G-FORCE

If you look at the RPM figures based on oil pressure in the chart below, you will notice that the bigger the Centrifuge, the less RPM the rotor moves at. This reduction in RPM is caused by the increasing weight, and surface area (drag), at the maximum permissible pressures for safety the rotors will only spin at the RPM stated. The reduction in RPM results in lower G-Forces inside the rotor, and therefore contamination will not seperate as fast in the larger models as it does in the smaller ones. It would make huge sense therefore to have multiple smaller units rather than one big Centrifuge. Consulting the chart below you will see that OB-050-INVERT has the greatest G Force of all models, and OB-100 the least

INVERTED ROTORS

There is one technical anomaly in the range, this is the OB-050-INVERT model. To achieve the much greater speed that this unit has, and the larger sump, the propulsion jets are situated on the top of the machined rotor, however, whereas a normal centrifuge will continue to hold this waste after the centrifuge has been shut down, the OB-050-INVERT will not hold onto any liquid waste, and this will drain out through the bottom when the centrifuge stops spinning.

Summarising, not only does OB-050-INVERT have by far the greatest G force (making it more efficient per pass), it also retains 50% more dirt and water than OB-050, and slightly more than the next model up OB-060, BUT it will not hold onto liquid waste when the centrifuge stops spinning.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM AN OB SERIES CENTRIFUGE & GENERAL GUIDANCE

Due to a large number of enquiries following supply, we have enhanced the information and manuals provided with the equipment, and summarise what to expect (in average workshop conditions) from a Centrifugal Oil Cleaner below;

Purpose - An OB Series Centrifuge is a progressive fuel-polishing device, it is not intended to purify foul oil in one pass, moreso to gradually remove contaminants from oil that cannot be removed by the lowest rating of washable filter (this being 80 micron), and particles that are too small to be removed by any filter (smaller than 1 micron), by combining Washable Filters Socks, or Washable Filter Elements with a Centrifuge you can eliminate the need for disposable filter elements

Particles - Any centrifuge will remove heavier-than-oil particles, but it will find it more difficult to seperate any particles if the main body of oil is heavily contaminated with material of the same Specific Gravity, in this case it would help if the oil is filtered / settled out to a better standard before pumping into the Centrifuge. The cleaner the main body of oil is, or gets, the faster the rate of separation will be, the progressive cleaning action of the Centrifuge will mean that the speed of cleaning will increase as the oil gets cleaner

Liquids - Any centrifuge will remove heavier-than-oil liquids by the same means as it removes particles, but it will not remove "miscible" liquids, for example liquids that have the same "Specific Gravity" as the oil, or contaminants that are bonded to the oil molecules chemically. It is worth noting particularly with liquids that the maximum capacity of the centrifuge rotor cap (where dirt is held) is approximately 295 Grams, if you pump a lot of water, glycerol, or animal fat through the Centrifuge then it will become full very quickly and this will prevent further separation of contaminants, and additional contaminants will be forced straight through the Centrifuge

Number Of Passes - An OB Series Centrifuge is not designed to purify oil in a single pass, unless the oil is very clean. The speed at which the Centrifuge separates contaminants from oil is determined by the cleanliness of the main body of oil and the RPM (not the RPM alone). The Centrifuge Rotor is driven by oil squirting out from two small jets around the circumference of the rotor base, creating a propulsional force, without the jets the rotor will not spin, so to spin at all it needs to pass oil at a rate of about 3 lpm... if your oil is too contaminated then most contamination will go straight through the Centrifuge with the oil to provide the propulsion, and only a small amount of contamination will be separated in the initial pass/es, if your Centrifuge fails to remove anything after repeated passes then your oil may need to be strained to a better standard beforehand

Perseverance - OB Series Centrifuges take a bit of getting used to, many people expect too-much-too-soon and get frustrated without investigating their problems properly. Most problems are experienced by those who purify waste vegetable oil, and are mostly caused by excessive animal-fat in the oil (this is white in colour at room temperature) Animal Fat makes the oil cloudy and, being almost the same S.G. as the oil, makes it extremely difficult to separate. We recommend passing a small amount of oil through an ion-exchange or cellulose media to determine if any cloudiness is caused by animal fat

How We Do It In Our Workshop;

• Heat waste oil to 40c and filter through a 200 Micron Washable Filter Bag
• Pour oil into a Conical HDPE Tank in a room at 20c+ (do not heat the tank as this causes convection and mixing currents) allow oil to settle over a few days
• Via a tap in the bottom of the conical tank, drain off all settled waste solids and liquids and discard completely
• Either heat the oil in the Conical Tank using an Immersion Heater and Thermostat, or heat in a seperate tank, to 45 celcius or above (we use a 200 Litre Metal Drum over a Gas Stove, then pour the oil back into the Conical Tank)
• With the 230vAC "Viscomat 200/2" Option, Pump oil into the Centrifuge, remember that during the start-up and shut down period, the Centrifuge will only pass foul oil. Ensure the oil going in is free of air bubbles, and that the Centrifuge can drain freely from the bottom, maintain 100PSI pressure throughout the operation, leave Centrifuge to circulate the oil for as long as it takes to gain the purity you desire
• The oil in the tank is now ready for use, we use a Goldenrod Water-Block Filter before pumping into vehicles, as condensation and dust can contaminate the oil after Centrifuging

How We Do It When we Are Mobile (With Centrifuge Built Into A Vehicle);

• Using a Metal Drum of 20 Litres Capacity over a gas stove or fire, Heat waste oil to 40c and strain through a 200 Micron Washable Filter Bag into another vessel, such as an HDPE Fermenting Bin. Once the oil is strained, return it to the metal drum and keep on a low heat throught the following process
• With the 12vDC "Viscomat 120/1" Pump option, and by putting both the suction and drain hoses back into the metal drum, pump oil into the Centrifuge, remember that during the start-up and shut down period, the Centrifuge will only pass foul oil. Ensure the oil going in is free of air bubbles, and that the Centrifuge can drain freely from the bottom, maintain 100PSI pressure throughout the operation, leave Centrifuge to circulate the oil for as long as it takes to gain the purity you desire
• The oil in the tank is now ready for use, we use a Goldenrod Water-Block Filter before pumping into vehicles, as condensation and dust can contaminate the oil after Centrifuging

Working Diagram Shown Below:

Various Sludge Deposits Shown Below:

See the Oilybits OB-020 Centrifuge on Blue Peter! Click link below;

Read Lindsay Porters 4 Page Article on the OB-020 in the November 2009 Issue of Land Rover Monthly:

Optional Extras:

Sump Mounting Bracket -The Oilybits Centrifuges can also be used on vehicles, to continually purify engine oil by using pressure from the vehicles oil pump bypass. This is done as standard by many American truck manufacturers, but providing your oil pump has a bypass which operates at an appropriate pressure then you can fit the Centrifuges in retrospect. To do this a bracket is available which bolts through the side of a sump (sump removal required to facilitate), this is pictured below and the bracket will fit models OB-020 and OB-025

OB-050 Bracket -New to our range for 2010, the OB-050 / OB-050-INVERT Bracket is also available as an accessory for those who purchased from us previously when the bracket was not available

32mm Socket -To remove the Rotor nut on OB-050-INVERT you will need a 32mm Socket, these can be purchased from us. The socket we offer has a 1/2" Square Drive

Download Centrifugal Filtration - Help Sheet PDF

Download Oilybits OB Series Centrifuge Pump - Pressure Warning Sheet PDF

Download Oilybits OB Series Centrifuge - Service Instructions PDF

Download Oilybits OB-050-INVERT Centrifuge - Service Instructions PDF