How to turn plastic waste into diesel fuel cheaply

[Excalibur]

l put terra cotta in retort

To be clear, I put mine in the reflux. Size was 10mm - 40mm pieces.

2mm by 2mm ok thanks but l am worry that my reflux was clogged

That thought occurred to me too. For the 2mm particles to be captive by the strainer screen in the reflux, the holes in it would need to be tiny.
In my prototypes, I used 6mm mesh (hole size) so consequently I used 10mm+ catalyst pieces. What are others using for screen mesh in the reflux? And what minimum particle size?

[jonathan]

retort catalyst

thanks excalibur l will try it today l will try my oil burner l find schematics on net if it works l will try my pyrolysis thanks all for help

[Beyond Biodiesel]

I use aluminum bug screening from the hardware store. I think it is a 1/8" mesh (.125", 3mm). It seems to work fine at reducing boil-over.

[jonathan]

pyrolysis

did some one have schematic for turk burner that work 100 percent

[Excalibur]

A turk burner is a very simple concept. See many videos on Youtube and you will quickly understand the idea. Also my blog has a pic in the archives of one of my early prototypes. While the design is simple, it's getting the required fuel in to achieve the target temperature that is the more difficult part.

[jonathan]

retort burner

thanks excalibur l try to make one but not working very well l thing my problem is because l leave 3 inch from the holes to the bottom. l try cut 3 inch from the top to take more oxygen it works better but not good did someone have the exactly size please

[Excalibur]

Jonathan,
What fuel are you burning? What adjustment have you got on the blower?
How are you metering the fuel?
Please post up some pics so we can better understand.
The Air/fuel ratio will need tweaking for the exhaust will be clear. Also the exhaust sound should be like..."howling"! Allow some warm up time before expecting efficiency.

[imakebiodiesel]

Beyond biodiesel, production of acrolein starts at 280C well before cracking temperatures. It has a boiling point of 53C so will condense in an efficient condenser. So most if not all of the acrolein will be in the liquid output which is what gives it the terrible smell.
This is not directly on subject But since doing my batch of veg oil/ lard/sawdust I have been thinking of a glycerol processor using a vapourizing pot burner like the US army M1945 tent heater insert.
The advantage would be that the acrolein would be used immediately as a fuel for the process and to heat water so no problems of the horrible smell while in storage.

Ill post a sketch.

[imakebiodiesel]

Here is the sketch.

It will be of more interest to biodiesel brewers who want to use up their by product but I would value your input on the idea.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

IMB Biodiesel Processors

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Thanks, imakebiodiesel, that looks like a useful way of consuming the glycerin and animal fat I have stockpiled.

[jonathan]

retort burner

thanks excalibur l found this on internet but l leave 3 inch from bottom to holes and l put copper pipe about l inch under the holes it work clean fire l mean orange no black fumes but not huge flame

[lowriderzzz]

Idea on how to bring new feedstock into the system while operating.

Having a way to add more feedstock while the unit still process the other seems to me energy efficient, since that way you already use the pre generated heat from the initial heating up.

Here on this picture is how I was thinking for a way to put new and continual feedstock into the system.



http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8938/e2f9.png


If someone has a better suggestion please, let me know.

1. You open the lid secondary lid.
2. Put new feedstock
3. Seal the lid back
4. Open the valve and let the new feedstock go in the main retort.
5. Close back the valve

And the process can be repeated as much as necessary.

[jonathan]

retort

its good idea lowriderzz l like that design keep it up if my system works well l will try that

[mjohnson1]

For my continual feeding system i'm using a premelt tube. It's basically a vertical steel tube with some heating elements surrounding it.

The idea is to melt the plastic and allow it to turn into a liquid (150-200C). Once it's a liquid the purge gas will be able to bubble up and any air trapped in there will also bubble up.

It's kind of like the water seal on a bubbler. Once it's setup and you keep a minimum level of liquid plastic in the tube you can add more and feed it into the reactor without worrying about air getting in.

[Excalibur]

thanks excalibur l found this on internet but l leave 3 inch from bottom to holes and l put copper pipe about l inch under the holes it work clean fire l mean orange no black fumes but not huge flame

Much simpler is this ,,,, or this