How to turn plastic waste into diesel fuel cheaply

[Excalibur]

Good news, it works OK on my quadcore PC!! Java.exe uses about 25% of the cpu and appears to be quite stable.

Ok, so tomorrow after a small welding job then a good clean up, I'll try a run of 200liters WMO.

The 80liters diesel I recently made with the retort from WMO is proving good. There's a smoothness to the way the motor runs and the economy is great.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to take some video and put it up on Youtube. In particular I want to capture the diesel coming through the viewing port sight glass. I can't tell how satisfying it is to see the flow of fuel after all the hard work!! See my blog for progress.

BB. If I can iron the bugs out of the Arduino, it will be a good step forward. I think that the advent of the very affordable microcontroller is allowing DIY's to achieve new heights. Imagine trying to do this task manually.

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to take some video and put it up on Youtube. In particular I want to capture the diesel coming through the viewing port sight glass. I can't tell how satisfying it is to see the flow of fuel after all the hard work!! See my blog for progress.

If you have two view ports on opposite sides of the flow, then you could illuminate the flow from the rear, and photo from the front.

BB. If I can iron the bugs out of the Arduino, it will be a good step forward. I think that the advent of the very affordable microcontroller is allowing DIY's to achieve new heights. Imagine trying to do this task manually.

I agree that the Ardiuino, and other affordable microcontroller platforms, could, and have, allowed the DIY person to do excellent work, but I am not sure why you would need your computer involved in the loop. The Ardiuino should be in control, and dumping a data stream, where your computer could collect it via USB, or ethernet, or an LCD display. I plan to use all three output options with my Arduino, when I get to working on that aspect of the project. Right now I am focused upon the long range development of a more flexible and robust pyrolysis unit that can distill WMO, or crack plastic, or extract volatiles from wood, etc.; do it in a mobile package that can be operated on a daily basis.

[Excalibur]

but I am not sure why you would need your computer involved in the loop.

The computer interface is required to control and adjust the setpoint, so for example the temperature can be lifted in steps. Also it gives a live graphic display of the 3 variables. Currently the PC is handling the PID control as well.
Even if the Arduino could do PID, at some stage an interface is required.
Looking at the setup, you'd think it's complicated and there was lots to go wrong. It's software after all.
I have the option of manual over-ride, just in case.

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Thanks, Excalibur, I plan to my Arduino for full PID control. I also plan to be able to monitor and download data from it as I need to. This is why I ordered a ethernet card for it, so that I can just put it on my hub. It also means that I could run it remotely. So, if the Arduino cannot do full PID control, then it is next to useless.

[Excalibur]

BB. It's complex thing this Arduino PID. Actually, just thinking about the set up, I think it is probably the arduino that handles the PID and the Java based graphical front-end interface is the program for monitoring and adjustment.
It makes adjustment much, much easier. I suppose the alternative is to edit the Arduino sketch each time any change is required, then upload.
I had a very good run yesterday with the Arduino and the Front-end program. It ran without hiccup for over 12 hours

[Excalibur]

My new video featuring my Mk6 Turk-Retort test shows in particular the viewing port sight glass in operation. I made 130 liters in 13 hours. Feedstock was various WMO and pump fed via the lower section reflux chamber. There was no catalyst but there was stainless swarf in the reflux. There were a few problems and things to fix and sort along the way otherwise the yield would have been much better. The fuel fed turk heat was perhaps the biggest problem with flameouts.
See the video on my blog post. Click the link below...

[rozier56]

mtrozier

Hi folks,
The diesel i have produced burns with a flame at room temp{23-25*c} but the diesel sold at our pump does not.Why and what do you think even when the Sg falls in range .84-.86.the starting material is ldpe irrigation pipe.

[Beyond Biodiesel]

My new video featuring my Mk6 Turk-Retort test shows in particular the viewing port sight glass in operation. I made 130 liters in 13 hours. Feedstock was various WMO and pump fed via the lower section reflux chamber. There was no catalyst but there was stainless swarf in the reflux. There were a few problems and things to fix and sort along the way otherwise the yield would have been much better. The fuel fed turk heat was perhaps the biggest problem with flameouts.
See the video on my blog post. Click the link below...

Good work Excalibur, great video.

Hi folks,
The diesel i have produced burns with a flame at room temp{23-25*c} but the diesel sold at our pump does not.Why and what do you think even when the Sg falls in range .84-.86.the starting material is ldpe irrigation pipe.

Your diesel, rozier56, has some gasoline and/or kerosene in it. If you want to keep your fractions separate, then improve your fractionation system. Otherwise, I I find it all too simple to just check the specific gravity of the blend and run with it. I have been burning waste oils blends with gasoline, or kerosene for almost 7 years with no problems.

[rozier56]

Thks Beyound,do you suggest that my reflux column is to efficient or should be shorter to allow easier flow through to the condenser stage.As it was my belief that diesel is made before petrol/gasoline.

[Excalibur]

Rozier56, I agree your diesel has some volatile fractions in it. A couple of things might help.

You could try raising the reflux temperature however there will be a limit because the diesel (from plastic) may become waxy when cool.

The other likely thing is to hold the diesel at say 80*C- 100*C and allow those volatile fractions to evaporate off. You would do this on the fly allowing the volatile fractions to proceed downstream to a gasoline condenser trap. Logically, it is a time vs temperature situation. A lower temp will require a longer time, while higher requires shorter.

I hope this helps.

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Thks Beyound,do you suggest that my reflux column is to efficient or should be shorter to allow easier flow through to the condenser stage.As it was my belief that diesel is made before petrol/gasoline.

I see no reason to try to drive off the light fractions, because most diesel engines will run just fine with them in the fuel blend, as long as they are not the dominant fraction. So, I am in favor of having as much condenser surface area as one can make reasonably, and collect it all. After all, hydrocarbons are fuel, so why not burn them?

However, you could build several condenser traps that operate at successively cooler temperatures starting at 300c and working down in 100c stages to 0c. That way you trap the fractions in separate traps. This is what I have in my WMO distillation unit.

[jonathan]

retort problem

l try my pyrolysis yesterday l have retort,empty reflux,and 2 condensors l fire my oil burner it was too hot that after 15 minutes first condensor was very hot and the other condensor was hot too that you dont keep your hand.after that 15 minutes l have problem in burner and stop it. after my system cools l find about 200 ml oil it burn easily and smell like resin.today l try my system with gas burner but after 1 and half hour l dont find any oil l notice that my retort was so hot and reflux but the pipe from reflux to first condensor was little hot that l leave my hands on it. l dont know whats going on?

[rozier56]

mtrozier56

Thank you yo Beyond and Excalibur for those helpful ideas.It all makes good sense and i will be trying all your suggestions.You are right about the time factor as i have been trying to improve this area by changing my burners to suit my retort and have drastically reduced the time to get up to temp. But this makes down the line temp control a bit more difficult, but am getting there, as the condenser temp control is a bit tempermental,

[Excalibur]

l try my pyrolysis yesterday l have retort,empty reflux,and 2 condensors l fire my oil burner it was too hot that after 15 minutes first condensor was very hot and the other condensor was hot too that you dont keep your hand.after that 15 minutes l have problem in burner and stop it. after my system cools l find about 200 ml oil it burn easily and smell like resin.today l try my system with gas burner but after 1 and half hour l dont find any oil l notice that my retort was so hot and reflux but the pipe from reflux to first condensor was little hot that l leave my hands on it. l dont know whats going on?

Normal to expect would be the vapor stream would travel downstream, heating pipework and condensers as it flowed. If there is little heat then it's likely there is no/little vapor flow. There could be a variety of reasons i.e. blockage, low retort temperature, a retort that has become too empty, too much refluxing, etc. Critical is that the operator needs to be completely aware of what's happening at all times. Because the operator can't see inside the retort ,the use of thermocouples/probes, sight glasses, bubbler, etc helps with monitoring and understanding behavior. Take your time, carefully observe results. Pics of your set up would be helpful.

Thank you yo Beyond and Excalibur for those helpful ideas.It all makes good sense and i will be trying all your suggestions.You are right about the time factor as i have been trying to improve this area by changing my burners to suit my retort and have drastically reduced the time to get up to temp. But this makes down the line temp control a bit more difficult, but am getting there, as the condenser temp control is a bit tempermental,

What may be of help is what I'm trialing on my new retort build. I'm aiming to control the temperature of the diesel vessel. At the vapor stream entry to my diesel vessel is a water cooled heat exchanger/condenser. There is a button thermostat on the reservoir which operates the water solenoid via a relay. It works like this: If the diesel vessel is below target the solenoid remains closed so no water flowing. Once the temperature reaches target, the solenoid opens to allow cooling of the vapor stream/condensate that enters the vessel. I hope this helps. I'll be updating this page of my blog shortly

[jonathan]

retort problem

thanks so much excalibur my vapor from retort to condensor is downstream l notice that bubbler was not bubbling and when l open my condensor tap l hear some air presure and no smoke come out so l dont think it my retort was blocked l will upload photos maybe my pipe from reflux to condensor doesnt be hot enough maybe 120 degrees c l am very sad