How to turn plastic waste into diesel fuel cheaply

[lowriderzzz]

Almost ready with my installment.

Hey guys I just wanted to check my system. How do you think. Do you think my retort and heating is too close to the cooling condenser.

How about the long vertical pipe that is taking away the gases from the reflux to the condenser. Do you think I should put a valve somewhere along it ? Or should I distance more the retort and the condenser and make the pipe go diagonal ?

I just tested the "U" shaped piping for the fuel outlet and it is working just great.



Another quick question regarding pressure. Do you think this pressure gauge that I have will indicate if there is a bit of pressure. It was taken from an air compressor that is designed to out stand high pressures and I know this system should be of no pressure.



Any other comments will be well appreciated.

Thank you

[mtrans]

pressure in retort is less than 1bar,by me ofcorse.

[imakebiodiesel]

The pressure inside a retort should not exceed one tenth of one bar so yes your pressure gauge is not going to be useful.

I have posted the video on viscosity which may be of interest to anyone producing their own fuels either by pyrolysis, distillation or simple blending.

Falling Ball Viscometer - YouTube

IMB Biodiesel Processors

[lowriderzzz]

The pressure inside a retort should not exceed one tenth of one bar so yes your pressure gauge is not going to be useful.

I have posted the video on viscosity which may be of interest to anyone producing their own fuels either by pyrolysis, distillation or simple blending.

Falling Ball Viscometer - YouTube

IMB Biodiesel Processors

Thank you - will get myself a smaller scale pressure gauge so.

What do you think about the connecting pipe - reflux - condenser. Do you think vertical is OK like on the image or a diagonal like your CP unit is better ?

[mjohnson1]

lowriderzzz

I don't see any inlet for a purge gas. Are you planning on using steam to purge your retort of oxygen?

Using steam means you'll end up with water (albeit a very small amount) in your fuel after you're finished unless you have some way to separate them.

[lowriderzzz]

lowriderzzz

I don't see any inlet for a purge gas. Are you planning on using steam to purge your retort of oxygen?

Using steam means you'll end up with water (albeit a very small amount) in your fuel after you're finished unless you have some way to separate them.

maybe initially I will choose the water/steam method.
Well the water is heavier than fuel so it will remain on the bottom - that's basic plain separation isn't it ?

What do you think about the vertical connecting pipe that goes from reflux to condenser ? Do you think it is suitable that way or I should disanance away a bit the retort and make the pipe go diagonal between reflux and condenser ?

Thanks

[Beyond Biodiesel]

lowriderzzz, I find it a mistake to try to do too much condensing in too short a time/distance, so I accommodate many stages of condensation in several horizontal condenser traps works well for my pyrolysis unit. Doing so also allows me to fractionate my vapor stream on the fly.

Also, on your water condenser, water should always enter at the bottom and exit out the top, which will assure your condenser is full of water, and not air.

[lowriderzzz]

lowriderzzz, I find it a mistake to try to do too much condensing in too short a time/distance, so I accommodate many stages of condensation in several horizontal condenser traps works well for my pyrolysis unit. Doing so also allows me to fractionate my vapor stream on the fly.

Also, on your water condenser, water should always enter at the bottom and exit out the top, which will assure your condenser is full of water, and not air.

I tried to replicate the imakebiodiesel design for his waste to kerosine unit from this video. That's is why I have only one condenser.

For my condenser water is going through the inner pipe and the vapor remain in the big pipe. What is the difference if the water comes from top to bottom or bottom to top ?

[mjohnson1]

maybe initially I will choose the water/steam method.
Well the water is heavier than fuel so it will remain on the bottom - that's basic plain separation isn't it ?

What do you think about the vertical connecting pipe that goes from reflux to condenser ? Do you think it is suitable that way or I should disanance away a bit the retort and make the pipe go diagonal between reflux and condenser ?

Thanks

Yes the water sits at the bottom. I'll leave the separation question to someone with more knowledge as I don't want to fill the thread with false information.

The distance isn't that big of an issue as long as things are insulated properly and you don't have excess heat making its way over to the condenser. A diagonal pipe sloping downwards is what you want between the reflux and condenser. Otherwise your fuel will accumulate at the horizontal pipe. Unless you know how your catalyst reacts and the fuel type it produces I would suggest keeping a close eye on your condenser. A cold condenser with no catalyst during plastic pyrolysis will clog up with wax.

[lowriderzzz]

Yes the water sits at the bottom. I'll leave the separation question to someone with more knowledge as I don't want to fill the thread with false information.

The distance isn't that big of an issue as long as things are insulated properly and you don't have excess heat making its way over to the condenser. A diagonal pipe sloping downwards is what you want between the reflux and condenser. Otherwise your fuel will accumulate at the horizontal pipe. Unless you know how your catalyst reacts and the fuel type it produces I would suggest keeping a close eye on your condenser. A cold condenser with no catalyst during plastic pyrolysis will clog up with wax.

OK i will re arrange it with diagonal pipe so I avoid fuel collecting in the pipe.

I will use catalyst in the REFLUX column but should I have catalyst in the condenser ?

My condenser is hollow pipe with another smaller pipe in it through which will run water from a pump (to cool the hot vapors to a liquid).

Actually I don't know what what temperature I should maintain my condenser ? For the purpose of making diesel.

Thanks

[mjohnson1]

OK i will re arrange it with diagonal pipe so I avoid fuel collecting in the pipe.

I will use catalyst in the REFLUX column but should I have catalyst in the condenser ?

My condenser is hollow pipe with another smaller pipe in it through which will run water from a pump (to cool the hot vapors to a liquid).

Actually I don't know what what temperature I should maintain my condenser ? For the purpose of making diesel.

Thanks

You can use catalyst in either the vapor phase (reflux), liquid phase(retort) or both.

You can run your condenser at around 15C. This will condense nearly all the liquid fuel. Stainless steel wool in your condenser tube is great to make sure the vapors make contact with the cool condenser. Be warned though that if you begin making waxes it will quickly clog and you'll see the pressure rise. This is why I suggest putting the steel wool towards the end of your condenser so worst case you can pull the stainless wool out to clear the blockage. I wouldn't add the stainless wool until you've done a few runs and know your unit isn't producing waxes.

[lowriderzzz]

You can use catalyst in either the vapor phase (reflux), liquid phase(retort) or both.

You can run your condenser at around 15C. This will condense nearly all the liquid fuel. Stainless steel wool in your condenser tube is great to make sure the vapors make contact with the cool condenser. Be warned though that if you begin making waxes it will quickly clog and you'll see the pressure rise. This is why I suggest putting the steel wool towards the end of your condenser so worst case you can pull the stainless wool out to clear the blockage. I wouldn't add the stainless wool until you've done a few runs and know your unit isn't producing waxes.

Thanks I will do as you suggest.

[lowriderzzz]

another way of heating

I was interested in magnets and their properties. So it came to my mind what if use liquid magnet as a heating source.

I made a simple sketch to get the idea.

Basically it represents a hollow donut shaped closed space with in which a liquid magnet circulates and produces heat going to the center of the donut.



Has anyone encountered something like this. Maybe it will be bit pricy.

[ashiki]

I was interested in magnets and their properties. So it came to my mind what if use liquid magnet as a heating source.

I made a simple sketch to get the idea.

Basically it represents a hollow donut shaped closed space with in which a liquid magnet circulates and produces heat going to the center of the donut.



Has anyone encountered something like this. Maybe it will be bit pricy.

Do you mean Eddy current?
formed due to Magnetic flux change on a ferromagnetic core?
Which could heatup the reacter.

[Col]

fire box wall insulation material

Excuse my ignorance, but instead of casting 'fire bricks' is there a reason why we wouldn't just make a turk style burner oven out of two drums, one inside the other and fill the space between the two drums with dirt or sand?

I am thinking about shaping the burner chamber, casting bricks, etc. and I just figured that dirt would probably hold the heat about as effectively as bricks would, and be a lot easier and faster. Eventually the wall of the inner drum would burn out and spill dirt into the burner oven, but if that wall was thick enough to handle the heat then this would work?

Thanks
Col