How to turn plastic waste into diesel fuel cheaply

[dushkriv]

plastic to fuel process small plant design needed

HI Thks for quick reply

Now i have learned very much from your articles you have posted and i m trying to make diesel from waste plastic in my workshop with the help of my friends. the only thing i want 2 know that after collection the liquid fuel from plastic it need any further process before it used in diesel engine if yes the what is the process

and exactly what temprature we needed for this process to convert plastic into vapours and how to cool this vapour and convert into liquid form.

I am verymuch intrested in this process as i have 20000 kg of plastic every year to dispose and its very good process to dispose it without any reaction of hazard gases

it will be good for me if you provide a small design for this process with consulting with you friends which is very helpfull for me

[Jetijs]

To all new posters.
PLEASE read this thred through, all the posts I mean. Most of your questions are already answered. I hate to repeat myself.

[dutchdivco]

Yes, jetsis

That was the point of my earlier post.I used sarcasm, which is a mistake, particularly when dealing with people for whom english is not their first language.So let me repeat;

If You are new to this thread, and have questions, go back to the first post, on page 1, that started this thread, and READ EVERY POST, RIGHT UP TO THE LAST ONE. Every question you have is most likely answered.Jim

[islander]

Hi Jetijs

I started from page 1

Thank you for letting us know about your experience, we are lucky here enough in fact !

I have a question for you :

why don't you use insulation on the top of your plastic processor ?

you are very wise, and you would not let such a convector uncovered as you pay the electricity bill, if had no reason for that.

Did you got the same problem than me, I mean if the top is kept too hot, it seems to decompose too much ?

[Jetijs]

Hi Islander.
This setup is just for research and to find out the needed temperatures and other stuff. Based on the info gotten from this device, we will build the next one. The top part was covered with insulation to see if it makes any difference, and with this setup it does not. The efficiency stays the same. In colder weather the insulation might help. That is why we dont use it, also it allows you to see ehat is going on with the lid, if the seal is thight and if there is any fuelo uzing out from the seal, joints or anywhere else

[otpadnoulje]

Today evening I changed something, remove some insulation on top of the reactor/boiler.

And I got liquid !

There is a point. You removed some insulation, temperature go down.
Temperatura is most important. 360 - 370 c. Amen!
If you use vacuum pump the temperature could be about 300 c.
Ofcourse that temperature will not crack big molecule of oil, but you will get some more energy. Uncracked "diesel" distilled at 300 c wiht help of vacuum pump gives you 10 % more power. Viscosity will be still some heigher, but who care, there is sommer. No problem start up.

Hope, you have good themperature controler.

[otpadnoulje]

Today evening I changed something, remove some insulation on top of the reactor/boiler.

And I got liquid !

There is a point. You removed some insulation, temperature went down.
Temperatura is most important. 360 - 370 c. Amen!
If you use vacuum pump the temperature could be about 300 c.
Ofcourse that temperature will not crack big molecule of oil, but you will get some more energy. Uncracked "diesel" distilled at 300 c wiht help of vacuum pump gives you 10 % more power. Viscosity will be still some heigher, but who care, there is sommer. No problem start up.

Hope, you have good themperature controler.

[islander]

thanks for reply Jetijs.

otpadnoulje : yes my controller works well. In fact for the moment I use it only as a thermometer, and I control the heat myself for the moment.

in fact the temperature is not exactly affected, it is more the distribution of temperature that is different.

before with fully insulated, the whole reactor was heated at same temp (proof is given when the reactor turn red at 700°C, and it was totally red at the same red colour.

now, with a big opening on the top and some insulation removed, the heat is more at the lower part, until about half volume of the tank.

I mention it : with the fully insulated, even at 400°C, I had only gaz, and even lower the same.

To my opinion, the gaz would continue cracking in the volume. why a liquid can get cracked but a vapour would not ? So to my opinion, the vapours have to be removed as quick as possible from the volume, once they have merged from the liquid. The more free volume you have in the reactor, the more the vapours are likely to be cracked again.

My belief was if I use vacuum as I do, the vapour would be quicker removed from the hot vessel. but seems it changes nothing.

at http://www.coking.com/DECOKTUT.pdf

they explain the thermolysis (cracking) of heavy oil. it seems to me the job should be very similar to process wmo ?

they use forced pipes with a quick heavy oil speed at the heater; then it ispassed thru a coker where it can deposit the coke it have to. I think may be I would have to do the same, maybe. because from that I have seen in my reactor, really I've got coking !


I had a 33mm pipe long one meter welded on the side of reactor, in the purpose to put a floating sensor in a cool zone, to manage the wmo input.

yesterday I had some condensation in this area, when I opened it I found a green-yellow oil very clean looking.

Why I got clean oil there, but at my output, the oil is very contaminated by carbon dust.

I build today a simple condensation "tower" to screw at this area. I will put new oil as this one don't want produce more cracked oil, and 'll see If I get an output there.

seems to me I can crack only 20-25% of the wmo into diesel only. the part left would give only gaz and coke and need more temp to process it.

Ok my setup is faulty.
(to my actual view)

[islander]

otpadnoulje : at 300°C, with a quite good vacuum, lets say half athmosphere, with a new wmo, I get a little something a few minutes, that's all !!!

[dutchdivco]

Islander

In reading your posts, i don't see where you've got a condenser in your set-up? Maybe I'm missing it, but that may be why you get nothing but gaseous vapor; you need to run that vapor thru a condeser; think car radiator or better yet an air condiotioning condenser. As the vapor cools, the liquid diesel fuel will condense out of it.Then will probably need a centrifuge to clean it up. There are pictures and a description of the centrifuge in this thread.I am familiar from this, from other forums on WVO and Biodiesel, but I think some reading on this forum might either have missed or not understood this.A centrifuge 'filter' out any solids in the oil. Should probably be done BEFORE trying to run used motor oil thru a reactor, and after diesel product has been made by reactor? Jim

[islander]

I have a long condenser. it is the 10 meter 12mm pipe that connects the reactor top to the liquid collection tank. it works well, but it works with the vacuum pump. seems to work very well to my point of view.

it also let me to evaluate the quantity of liquid I get, as more long it's hot, the more liquid production I get.

If have gaz only, the condenser stay cool.

Centrifuge, I have one. Build from bowl and motor purchased with the maker itself, simple centrifuge.

it's a good and necessary tool, But It won't remove everything at all. I think I should not think simply take the diesel as it comes & centrifuge it. Much better get it clean from the condensing !!! if others can do it, why not me !!

use the centrifuge before cracking : I beleive the wmo don't pollute the thing at all. dirt from wmo will be kept in the coke. that happens is we have carbon fumes going out from the boiling pot. (gaz+gaseous liquids fuels+carbon dust)

it leaves the pot at a dry state. but it contaminates the condenser. If you remove it at a dry (hot) area with an electrofilter as example, you could get rid of it. but maybe a good way could be having a first condenser at high temp for the heavy oils, the carbon dust would be stuck in it, syphoon shape, and the second condenser for diesel would be clean.

It is my opinion, but I really wonder why the petroleum set up don't seem to have this problem. but the problem should happen even at the stage of first level petrol distilling. The petroleum industry speaks about a foam formed at the top of the boiling area in the coker drum ??? they use chemicals to keep it down

I personally tried to distill diesel in the past, first I got easily a light fraction looking pure white just like kerosene, but no smell, and second it was hard and the product had a lot of carbon dust and smelled bad.

[dutchdivco]

O.k

Maybe I'm not understanding you, correctly.I thought what you were calling the condeser pipe was the pipe that is underground.So, I'm confused. Any chance you could post pictures or diagrams of your set-up.
I, too, am trying to decide whether to go with waste oil, plastic, or a system that could do either.;-) Jim

[hurkatm]

Electrical Part

Dear Jetijs,
I have gone through ur all the post right from starting to end, I belive everything related to the convertion of Plastic to Oil is shared and was quite confident that i will be able to make one for me, but than recent post from Mr. Islander made me think twice. I have some doubts and it will be ur great help if u guide me.
1. the solid state relays used in Heater, I think they are used only for switching ON/OFF so Can I use contactor to control ON/OFF of heater using Temp. Controller.
2. I am planning to use HDPE. LDPE and PP for Cracking, so please suggest what temp should I maintain.
3. I think insulating top cover create a problem, so is it vise decision to keep it open.
4. Regarding condenser simple Car Radiator can be used with forced water cooling, or need to go with three tank as in ur project.
5. I dont have centrifuge machine and I want to use diesel produced in heavy vechile like truck or utility and car so what additional process is needed.
6. any good additive and catalyte that u suggest to be used to get more quantity of clean Diesel.
Hope u or other members reply to my this mail ASAP.

[RAMSET]

Great Stuff!

Jetijs
Thank you just isn't good enough ..................
You are an amazing man with "Mad "Skills!!You inspire men to action[myself being one ]This is priceless!
We will be following your new "self run" direction with great interest!
Can you post a link to your Carb idea??[why waste the Fuel we make?]

Thanks
Chet
PS
Thanks to all here that help !
PPS
Jetijs Was it you that played with the Turbine?

[Jetijs]

Dear Jetijs,
I have gone through ur all the post right from starting to end, I belive everything related to the convertion of Plastic to Oil is shared and was quite confident that i will be able to make one for me, but than recent post from Mr. Islander made me think twice. I have some doubts and it will be ur great help if u guide me.
1. the solid state relays used in Heater, I think they are used only for switching ON/OFF so Can I use contactor to control ON/OFF of heater using Temp. Controller.
2. I am planning to use HDPE. LDPE and PP for Cracking, so please suggest what temp should I maintain.
3. I think insulating top cover create a problem, so is it vise decision to keep it open.
4. Regarding condenser simple Car Radiator can be used with forced water cooling, or need to go with three tank as in ur project.
5. I dont have centrifuge machine and I want to use diesel produced in heavy vechile like truck or utility and car so what additional process is needed.
6. any good additive and catalyte that u suggest to be used to get more quantity of clean Diesel.
Hope u or other members reply to my this mail ASAP.

1.Yes you can use contactors, but I am afraid they will wear out fast because the sparking contacts, also the power tu turn it on and off is way greater than solid state relays. I would go with solid state relays as they cost about the same as a good and powerful contactor.
2. For those plastics anuthing from 420-450 degree celsius should be fine
3. It is all adjustable, if you can't seem to get any fuel produced with the uncovered lid, pot some insulation on there and see how that performs. See what works best for you.
4. Car radiator would work, but it has small tube diameters and this might cause a problem of cogging the tubes with carbon residue. Use something with at least an inch of diameter or even bigger pipe diameter.
5.On older cars just fractionating the fuel and filtering it through a fine cloth will work just fine, you just need to get rid of the waxes.
6. We don't use any catalysts, but I have heard that aluminum oxide can be used. Don't know anything more about this.
Hope this helps.