How to turn plastic waste into diesel fuel cheaply

[Excalibur]

I was thinking to have an outlet from the reactor coming near the top but off its side. This would save the trouble with uncoupling pipes every time to load the substrate in.
Vtech

Yes. I had this thought too. I was puzzling over ways to use quick release hatches at top and bottom of the reactor. The upper one to fill and the lower to empty the char. The proviso is they should be 100% air tight. The upper filler hatch could be a simple as a plumbing blanking plug of 2 or 3 inch diameter and utilize a funnel for filling.

An old water filter could be modified for such -

Vtech

Very nice idea there blackchisel. I like the prospect of being able to see the action.

[blackchisel97]

I think this is my final design on paper before starting to build. I replaced the idea of burner for gravity feed with blower. This should give me flame adjustment and ability to power everything from 12V (portable) instead of 110V.
I decided to use top removable flange for re filling and lower door for carbon removal.
[IMG][/IMG]

Thanks
Vtech

[WALMAR]

Simple spark arrester made with steel wool inside the pipe is the cheapest option but to be 100% safe I would make a bubbler, where non soluble gasses enter through the pipe immersed in water. Output collector pipe needs to be above the water surface.
An old water filter could be modified for such -

Vtech

A Bubbler is a must , but be careful not to use glass , hard plastic or thick steel, as this is safety non return valve and the most lightly place an explosion can occur. if the air fuel mix is just right - boom !!!
full it with as much water as possible to push out most of the air.

[imakebiodiesel]

On the subject of using the uncondensable gas as a extra heat source to power the reactor consider this. The supply of gas can be a bit inconsistent , sometimes when you open a valve on a condenser the gas output can drop abruptly. If the gas flame went out and then the gas began to flow again there is a possibility that this could build up and cause an explosion. If you are going to use this gas better to hook it up in tandem with a propane supply, set low. This way even if the gas stops completely the propane will stay alight.

[Excalibur]

I think this is my final design on paper before starting to build. I replaced the idea of burner for gravity feed with blower. This should give me flame adjustment and ability to power everything from 12V (portable) instead of 110V.
I decided to use top removable flange for re filling and lower door for carbon removal.
Vtech

Now that's cool.
How are you going to seal the top flange and lower door?

[blackchisel97]

Now that's cool.
How are you going to seal the top flange and lower door?

I'll have to order both flanges to be made with "V" groves so the spigot and blind flange will interlock. I was thinking of using automotive brake discs and get someone to modify their surface on the lathe. Will have to get the quote and see which would be cheaper to make or modify. Bottom one will be below the melted waste level for the most of the process but the top one needs to be done very well. I could make them myself but I don't own any tools for metalwork. Well, except the grinder and the hacksaw



Vtech

[blackchisel97]

On the subject of using the uncondensable gas as a extra heat source to power the reactor consider this. The supply of gas can be a bit inconsistent , sometimes when you open a valve on a condenser the gas output can drop abruptly. If the gas flame went out and then the gas began to flow again there is a possibility that this could build up and cause an explosion. If you are going to use this gas better to hook it up in tandem with a propane supply, set low. This way even if the gas stops completely the propane will stay alight.

Yes, that's true. I'm planning to have a gas nozzle right in the fire pit. My goal is to make this unit mounted on the frame/trailer and running independent of external power source and fuel other than its own. Something what can be hauled with a truck and parked/used anywhere. I want to be able to take this with me without major hassle, in case if I'll decide to move again.

Vtech

[Excalibur]

I'll have to order both flanges to be made with "V" groves so the spigot and blind flange will interlock. I was thinking of using automotive brake discs and get someone to modify their surface on the lathe. Will have to get the quote and see which would be cheaper to make or modify. Bottom one will be below the melted waste level for the most of the process but the top one needs to be done very well. I could make them myself but I don't own any tools for metalwork. Well, except the grinder and the hacksaw
Vtech

I love your line of thinking with the recycling of old existing materials. Not meaning to be picky but give some thought to what disc rotors are made from.
Wiki says: For automotive use, disc brake discs are commonly manufactured out of a material called grey iron. This is a cast iron that makes me wonder if you'll get trouble with brittleness. Also any cast iron weld type will really need to be braze. Just some thoughts.

[blackchisel97]

I love your line of thinking with the recycling of old existing materials. Not meaning to be picky but give some thought to what disc rotors are made from.
Wiki says: For automotive use, disc brake discs are commonly manufactured out of a material called grey iron. This is a cast iron that makes me wonder if you'll get trouble with brittleness. Also any cast iron weld type will really need to be braze. Just some thoughts.

Yes, good point. I was wondering about that too.
I was browsing Chinese companies and some might sell "sample" from existing stock. I was looking at flanges priced $10-25 Even with DHL to Canada it would be fraction of what I'll have to pay here to get one done.
So far I got a few condenser tanks, couple options for the reactor vessel, few valves, pipes, two digital thermocouples, possibly a trailer frame and a few hundreds pounds of good plastics to begin with.

Vtech

[Asad Farooqui]

Reactor

I think this is my final design on paper before starting to build.
Thanks
Vtech

Hello ;
Good ,Your reactor drawing seems to be quite close to my drawing which I suggested few months back .

I would like to suggest you to use only NEW-Stainless steel sheet for fabricating the Main-reactor .

I would like to share my experience with you . I made a small 02-3kg reactor with electric heater-bands & Bottom gas-burner .
I used M/steel for the reactor . It use to take 05-6 hours to reach 400 celcius .
I threw away the M/steel & instead re-fabricated reactor with S/Steel.
Same heating system was installed on the S/S reactor .
Amazingly the 400 ceclius reached in less than 01-hour instead of 5-hours.

[blackchisel97]

Hello ;
Good ,Your reactor drawing seems to be quite close to my drawing which I suggested few months back .

I would like to suggest you to use only NEW-Stainless steel sheet for fabricating the Main-reactor .

I would like to share my experience with you . I made a small 02-3kg reactor with electric heater-bands & Bottom gas-burner .
I used M/steel for the reactor . It use to take 05-6 hours to reach 400 Celsius .
I threw away the M/steel & instead re-fabricated reactor with S/Steel.
Same heating system was installed on the S/S reactor .
Amazingly the 400 Celsius reached in less than 01-hour instead of 5-hours.

Thank you Asad. Yes I'm aware of SS benefits but it would cost me a fortune (which I don't have) to get it built from SS. I really want to start instead of giving up because of the $. I have a few project stalled because of that and it is driving me crazy. I was going to make a small reactor first,with stainless steel extinguisher (rated at 125 PSI) and straight piece of Selkirk double wall chimney but I still need all welding and flanges to be subcontracted and paid for.

Vtech

[dutchdivco]

"Noncondensable" gasses

Perhaps I am mistaken, but I THOUGHT the gaseous end product of this process, after all the liquids have been condensed off, woud be something like Propane or butane.
So, I started researching to find out what pressure Propane would need to be compressed to, to turn it into a liquid, and hopefully reduce the amount of space needed to store it.
What I read is that it depends on temperature, and on the Butane/propane ratio. From what i read, I'm 'concluding' Propane and butane are 2 'different' (chemically) things, with different properites; BTU's per cubic foot, burn temperature, etc. But, again what I'm 'gathering' from what I'm reading, while you can get 'pure' Butane, Propane that we buy seems to be some combination of what is chemically Propane, and butane. And the ratio of each can be one of the detirmining factors in how much pressure is requred to liquify it. So, I figure "Propane" is kind of like kerosene; its the crap thats left over, and is kinda 'dirty'. That is to say they are able to seperate off SOME 'pure' Butane, which they can sell as such. But either they can't, or its more expensive than it is worth, to seperate out ALL the Butane, so some ends up in the product they sell as "Propane".
Anyway, wondering what kind of a compressor is needed to compress this gas to the point of liquifying, so it can be stored in a practical amount of space.
I've heard it jokingly said that LP stands for Low Pressure, and it does seem like "Propane" isn't compressed to very high pressure. Anyone tested the gas coming out, to try to detirmine WHAT it is; Methane, Propane, Butane, Hydrogen, or some combination. And, any idea what kind of a compressor you would need to compress it? I HAVE an old oxygen concentrator, wondering if it would do the job? Jim

[CRMoore]

As the summer nears I should like to be able to map out this group with the possible long term goal of planning visits or even a convention. To this end would those interested list nearest city to their home?

[quintusk]

Dutchdivco i think the gases are hydrocarbons Hydrocarbon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Depending on your material for pyro, there might also be: co, co2, water vapors, acids( pyrolysis of ABS gives a acid that turns vapors above 27C), etc

A freon cylinder can be used for storing, but is much beter to burn the gases in the process. You don't want to recycle methane

[Excalibur]

Hello ;
Good ,Your reactor drawing seems to be quite close to my drawing which I suggested few months back .

I would like to suggest you to use only NEW-Stainless steel sheet for fabricating the Main-reactor .

I would like to share my experience with you . I made a small 02-3kg reactor with electric heater-bands & Bottom gas-burner .
I used M/steel for the reactor . It use to take 05-6 hours to reach 400 celcius .
I threw away the M/steel & instead re-fabricated reactor with S/Steel.
Same heating system was installed on the S/S reactor .
Amazingly the 400 ceclius reached in less than 01-hour instead of 5-hours.

Hi, I'm amazed at the difference. That's a ratio of 5:1 !! This result is most unexpected.

Google search tells me that 1% carbon steel has a thermal conductiveness of 2 or 3 times that of stainless.
Notes:
Mild steel has up to .3% carbon.
One chart showing that the higher the carbon content, the less conductive the steel becomes.

So I puzzle over why a SS vessel would have such a huge difference. Perhaps it has nothing to do with thermal conductivity of the metal?

I asked 3 fitter welders who work in the dairy industry where SS is used almost exclusively. The response was that SS is more likely to crack, steel was better for heat and SS not a good conductor of heat.

Are there other factors that may have influenced the result?
Thanks.