How to turn plastic waste into diesel fuel cheaply

[AAS]

Wonderful job ... How much that you have calculated to complete the reaction ?
This time shall decide your KW inputs . Any way a great and nice job .

Dear ndsunil

I think the total reaction using 30Kw to start will need about 6 hours to melt and heat everything, ignoring latent melting phase(added an hour from 5 hours for melting and heat loss ) then about 4 to 5 hours, at present about roughly 12 hour run if everything works out okay

P = ?
m = 500kg
c = 2700 J kg-1 oC-1 (approximate)
θ = 400 - 25 = 400oC
t = 18 000 seconds(5hours)

We assume,
all the electrical energy supplied = heat energy absorbed by the water
Pt = mcθ
(p) 18 000 = (500)(2700)(400)
P = 30 000w or 30kw

Regards

[AAS]

Wow, look at you go! I recall someone mentioning galvalised material was not a good idea? The pipes going from the retort to the condenser look galvanised. Does anyone still see this as a problem? (tried the search function to find the notes but couldn't find any reference to galvanis(/z)ed)
What diameter is your reflux pipe? What a beast!
Looks like you're about to have some fun!
Col

No the pipes are s/s, the couplings are galvanized and will be replaced after initial couple of testing rounds.

[AAS]

Welcome and very nice work!!

Wow, 30 -45kw!! How much can you get kw for? I looked at it when I first started and normal rates were 33c per kw.

Have you a schematic of the condensers? I'm always looking to learn, especially how to improve efficiency or recover heat.

Wishing you best of luck and watching progress with interest.

Thanks for sharing!

HI excalibur

My calculations are rough and in Rand which is about R11 to a dollar at present:

In SA the cost for a kw per hour is around R1 the cost of diesel is about R12 at present per Litre.( due to our very weak currency!)

Thus R35 per hour for the oven x 12 hours = R420 per run.

Raw material costs is about R1,50 per kg of shredded mixed PE and PP x 500kg = R750

Catalyst about R100 per run

Labour excluded at present.

Yield approximate 350litre per run.


750+420+100= R1270

R1270/ 350 = R3.62 per Litre compared to R12 at pump excluding labor.

This means assuming we think in dollars about 30 to 40 cents cost of production and diesel costs about 1 dollar per litre

Was thinking of using a generator and own fuel, but do not think with electricity prices at present it is worth that investment.

I might be a bit off, think the electricity is now R1,50 per KW/h but still doable about 15cents per KW US dollar

[AAS]

Post production fuel will be purified using a pabiodiesel 120 inverted centrifuge.

I looked everywhere for a centrifuge that is affordable in SA, could simply not find one, had to import one from the USA, difficult to obtain a centrifuge in SA.

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Wow, look at you go! I recall someone mentioning galvalised material was not a good idea? The pipes going from the retort to the condenser look galvanised. Does anyone still see this as a problem? (tried the search function to find the notes but couldn't find any reference to galvanis(/z)ed)
What diameter is your reflux pipe? What a beast!
Looks like you're about to have some fun!
Col

Galvanized pipe when heated to oxidation of the magnesium coating produces magnesium oxide, which is carcinogenic, if inhaled. So, Galvanized pipe is fine up to a few hundred c, but at 400c is likely to oxidize. So, in the retort black iron pipe is better, and stainless steel pipe is best.

[ndsunil]

Dear ndsunil

I think the total reaction using 30Kw to start will need about 6 hours to melt and heat everything, ignoring latent melting phase(added an hour from 5 hours for melting and heat loss ) then about 4 to 5 hours, at present about roughly 12 hour run if everything works out okay

P = ?
m = 500kg
c = 2700 J kg-1 oC-1 (approximate)
θ = 400 - 25 = 400oC
t = 18 000 seconds(5hours)

We assume,
all the electrical energy supplied = heat energy absorbed by the water
Pt = mcθ
(p) 18 000 = (500)(2700)(400)
P = 30 000w or 30kw

Regards

Dear AAS ,
Very good . You have done your home work well .
Latent heat for melting is very small . ie. 0.000303 KWH per kg.
So the calculations at your end is ok.Looking at your the pictures of your prototype it reflects that you can taken a lot of pains in building the machine .I wish you a good luck
Regards
NDSUNIL

[AAS]

Dear ndsunil

I think the total reaction using 30Kw to start will need about 6 hours to melt and heat everything, ignoring latent melting phase(added an hour from 5 hours for melting and heat loss ) then about 4 to 5 hours, at present about roughly 12 hour run if everything works out okay

P = ?
m = 500kg
c = 2700 J kg-1 oC-1 (approximate)
θ = 400 - 25 = 400oC
t = 18 000 seconds(5hours)

We assume,
all the electrical energy supplied = heat energy absorbed by the water
Pt = mcθ
(p) 18 000 = (500)(2700)(400)
P = 30 000w or 30kw

Regards

all the electrical energy supplied = heat energy absorbed by the plastic
Just a typo sorry, water is around 4500 J kg-1 oC-1

[mtrans]

AAS
great job and "mashine",I think your pressure gauge is too too close,put it away and put some relief/safety valve.Inside pressure gauge has solder that melt on 280c.

[faraway]

just Ask

Hi
nice work my friend,
could i ask about my idea, could i use immersion heater to heat oil to 400 c for cracking? what about safety issue? qp53.jpg

[Babataku]

Hi faraway,

According to your pic, are you using an ordinary Steel drum of 200Ltrs? If so thats extremely dangerous, you need some thick steel material for your tank, minimum 3mm thickness. anything lighter will give in after a few runs, maybe the 1st one!!!

And your drain Valves, can they handle the Temps? Otherwise you will get some leaks and possibly a fire.

You need to think through your design and put safety first. As it is you might be courting trouble.

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Also, faraway, a standard immersion heater, such as is used for a water heater, is not designed for cracking temperatures, so it will fail on the first run, and the elastomeric seal will leak.

[faraway]

thanks for replay, this was my test idea and i was think it will work, anyway,
this week i will test 50 liter drum with waste plastic, i will use red clay as catalytic and i will mix it 50/50 waste engine oil, did water car radiator work for distillation ,, aluminium or copper is better for radiator ?

[Babataku]

Kedigen,

I Suggest that you start with a small prototype system maybe 10 - 20ltr capacity and then when you have mastered how it all works and you have gained experience, then you can build a bigger unit...

[Beyond Biodiesel]

thanks for replay, this was my test idea and i was think it will work, anyway,
this week i will test 50 liter drum with waste plastic, i will use red clay as catalytic and i will mix it 50/50 waste engine oil, did water car radiator work for distillation ,, aluminium or copper is better for radiator ?

Copper or aluminum radiators as condensers of the vapor stream should work fine, you would only want to make sure that the radiator never sees temperatures above 100c.

I do not use any catalyst. catalysts What it does?
I'm doing 2-ton system. AAS's same system. Is there anything you can suggest to me?
thans

prototype no problem. i have 3 prototip. now bigger system time. maybe someone can tell me different things. I think for plastic automatic feeding. with valve blade. I did not use the catalyst. I need information about it. AAS in systems such as the ones I'm waiting for help from them. have basically information. I do not know what use zeolite or sulfuric acid. I've done without the use of catalysts. What happens as a catalyst not use the new system?We need to know about it. I have no problems with the prototype.
I broke the previous prototypes. No photos for this reason. The first prototype in the video.
1234567890 - YouTube

Catalysts aide in cracking large hydrocarbon molecules, like plastics, into smaller hydrocarbon molecules, like diesel and petrol (gasoline). A wide range of substances can be used as a Catalyst, including ash, clay, volcanic ash, marine sediments, such as diatomateous earth, Zeolite, etc.

To use a Catalyst one simply adds it on top of the contents in the retort, and/or puts it into the reflux column, then start your run, and the vapors will contact the Catalyst and crack on their way to the condensers.

[faraway]

Copper or aluminum radiators as condensers of the vapor stream should work fine, you would only want to make sure that the radiator never sees temperatures above 100c.

WAY? i need diesel???