Building a Unique Small-Scale Solution

by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) When he was only 14 years old, Sam Flournoy set out to design and build his own biodiesel processor.

...According to Flournoy, it took about six months of work before he was able to produce his first batch of biodiesel fuel. “It was kind of like a work in progress for most of the time that I had it,” he says. Once the processor was operational, Flournoy began to automate the machine. “I introduced the PLC (programmable logic controller) to the machine, and eventually got it to where it could run a whole batch pretty much by the touch of a button,” he says.

The first processor Flournoy built could produce a 60-gallon batch of biodiesel in approximately 8 hours. He has since sold that machine, and constructed a new model. The new processor can also produce 60-gallon batches of biodiesel, but does it much faster.

...Flournoy is collecting waste vegetable oil from his high school, several other schools, hospitals and restaurants for use as feedstock. The fuel he currently produces is being used to fuel equipment in his father’s fleet. According to Flournoy, depending upon the specific piece of equipment, the company is using anywhere from a B20 to a B100 blend. READ MORE