How to turn plastic waste into diesel fuel cheaply

[fibuslitero]

Hi Imakebiodiesel:
When you fill the reactor at 2:25 I can see the upper part.
Is the circular joint built in or is it an external graphite joint?.
In this case how many runs does it last?.
Thank you very much.

You may want to watch this video describing my latest processor and showing it in action.

Waste plastic to kerosene fuel - YouTube

IMB Biodiesel Processors

[fibuslitero]

Thanks for sharing

You may want to watch this video describing my latest processor and showing it in action.

Waste plastic to kerosene fuel - YouTube

IMB Biodiesel Processors

[mjohnson1]

You may want to watch this video describing my latest processor and showing it in action.

Waste plastic to kerosene fuel - YouTube

IMB Biodiesel Processors

Very well done video & your rig looks great.

[Excalibur]

You may want to watch this video describing my latest processor and showing it in action.

Nice video, thanks for sharing

[imakebiodiesel]

You may want to watch this video describing my latest processor and showing it in action.

Waste plastic to kerosene fuel - YouTube

IMB Biodiesel Processors

[imakebiodiesel]

Lpg or natural gas is very easy to control and its an easy matter to feed the off gas back into this type of heater. I used LPG for my first small unit and I couls control the cracking temperature to within 3 degrees. However natural gas is not available here and LPG is too expensive for a larger processor.

[mjohnson1]

what about bigger units. what would you use for heating lets say 20,30, 50 Litters ?

I use LPG right now for my test unit and larger unit. I have a LPG tank with a high pressure regulator hooked up to a high BTU cast iron cooking stove which sits under the retort and heats it.

Natural gas would be ideal here in the USA since it's fairly inexpensive but it's more hassle than it's worth to save a bit of $$.

[imakebiodiesel]

Im using a kerosene burner of the type used here commonly for house heating . They are cheap and reliable and allow me to use my own fuel.
At the moment I just use it for heating the retort but the waste flue gases could also heat the reflux column and the first condenser. The off gases could also be used but its difficult to combine a continuous gas flame with a cycling on and off kerosene flame. Difficult but not impossible.
To see details of the kerosene burner do a search for "Riello series 40 burner".
I will shortly post a video to utube of my latest processor. watch this space.

IMB Biodiesel Processors

[lowriderzzz]

The most efficient way that i've came across is copying an electric kiln design. With electric heating coils you don't have to worry about oxygen for a fire and you'll be able to close it all up. The bad part is electricity is more expensive (at least here it is) than natural gas or LPG.

If you use the alumina firebricks for holding the electric coils you won't have to worry about it melting the fiberglass.

Personally, I would only use electricity for small testing retorts under 4L in capacity.

what about bigger units. what would you use for heating lets say 20,30, 50 Litters ?

[mjohnson1]

because im interested to make some unit/units that can convert all domestic waste. Having a zero waste household.

Anyway I have another concern. I was wondering what would be the most optimal way to ddesign a reactor so least possible heat escapes. In other word -how to construct the reactor so the maximum of the heat is being used and not dispersed?

Here on the picture i designed what I was thinking about. What do you think of it? How do you perceive it ? Do you know of more convenient ways to build optimat heat absobtion reactor ?


what about inner heating source - what is the best heater for inner heating and will it make enought temperature - 450 - 500c ??

The most efficient way that i've came across is copying an electric kiln design. With electric heating coils you don't have to worry about oxygen for a fire and you'll be able to close it all up. The bad part is electricity is more expensive (at least here it is) than natural gas or LPG.

If you use the alumina firebricks for holding the electric coils you won't have to worry about it melting the fiberglass.

Personally, I would only use electricity for small testing retorts under 4L in capacity.

[Excalibur]

My idea was t use fire from leftover gases being burned back below the reactor and or add additional bottom heating source to heat the reactor to lets say 300 - 350c and use electric coils for only up heating to 400 - 500c. Also using a controler to maintain the desired temeperature.
This is with as less energy to create maximum efficienty.


By the way share a link for your blog please.

The blog address is permanently at the bottom of each of my posts. I re-paste it here Fuel from waste oil & plastic DIY if for some reason it's not been visible to you.

Using the waste gases from the retort is another idea I like. Whatever you can do maximize the heat transfer would be a good thing. I'm currently assembling my new turk-powered-retort where I hope to run on those gases alone. In trials with my last prototype, I ran for over half an hour on the gases alone at cracking temperature. The concept works but I may have to sacrifice some of the lighter fractions for heat production. Feel free to look over the blog and use any ideas you want. Hope it helps.

[lowriderzzz]

It's good that you're giving some thought to efficiency. Getting maximum use out of the available heat you have is paramount.
Your dual heat source idea has some merit. Whatever heat the lower fire can't deliver, the heating coils will pick up the slack.
As far as design efficiency goes, I'd thought a tall slim retort might have the edge. Heat rises so the logical path is upward, through the rest of the retort vessel. Another thought was to maximize the surface area for the heat to latch onto. In other words give the flame heat a longer path, covering more surface area for this to happen.
I just finished updating my blog with my plans for heat recovery when I read your post...

For maximizing surface area you mean something like this:


this is what I came up with.


My idea was t use fire from leftover gases being burned back below the reactor and or add additional bottom heating source to heat the reactor to lets say 300 - 350c and use electric coils for only up heating to 400 - 500c. Also using a controler to maintain the desired temeperature.
This is with as less energy to create maximum efficienty.


By the way share a link for your blog please.

[Excalibur]

because im interested to make some unit/units that can convert all domestic waste. Having a zero waste household.

Anyway I have another concern. I was wondering what would be the most optimal way to ddesign a reactor so least possible heat escapes. In other word -how to construct the reactor so the maximum of the heat is being used and not dispersed?

Here on the picture i designed what I was thinking about. What do you think of it? How do you perceive it ? Do you know of more convenient ways to build optimat heat absobtion reactor ?

It's good that you're giving some thought to efficiency. Getting maximum use out of the available heat you have is paramount.
Your dual heat source idea has some merit. Whatever heat the lower fire can't deliver, the heating coils will pick up the slack.
As far as design efficiency goes, I'd thought a tall slim retort might have the edge. Heat rises so the logical path is upward, through the rest of the retort vessel. Another thought was to maximize the surface area for the heat to latch onto. In other words give the flame heat a longer path, covering more surface area for this to happen.
I just finished updating my blog with my plans for heat recovery when I read your post...

[lowriderzzz]

Lowriderzzz, Why do you want to turn organic waste into fuel? I make about half a ton of compost every year from organic waste from my home, my garden and my vegetable plot. Its worth more, both economically and environmentally, than half a ton of fuel and it doesnt cost a cent to make.

because im interested to make some unit/units that can convert all domestic waste. Having a zero waste household.

Anyway I have another concern. I was wondering what would be the most optimal way to ddesign a reactor so least possible heat escapes. In other word -how to construct the reactor so the maximum of the heat is being used and not dispersed?

Here on the picture i designed what I was thinking about. What do you think of it? How do you perceive it ? Do you know of more convenient ways to build optimat heat absobtion reactor ?



what about inner heating source - what is the best heater for inner heating and will it make enought temperature - 450 - 500c ??

[imakebiodiesel]

Lowriderzzz, Why do you want to turn organic waste into fuel? I make about half a ton of compost every year from organic waste from my home, my garden and my vegetable plot. Its worth more, both economically and environmentally, than half a ton of fuel and it doesnt cost a cent to make.