Project number
25070
Organization
PeakView Environmental Solutions
Offering
ENGR498-F2024-S2025
Two problems often plague disaster sites: an excess of plastic waste and lack of fuel. This project simultaneously solves both using pyrolysis – breaking down a substance by heating it in an oxygen-deprived atmosphere to prevent combustion. Plastic polymers are ideal for pyrolysis because they break down into a combustible liquid that is much more volatile than their plastic source. This liquid can be distilled into usable fuel.
This multi-year project already has a portable device for pyrolyzing plastic in disaster areas to produce emergency liquid fuel. It reaches temperatures of up to 500°C while maintaining an inert environment to produce gaseous and liquid products by pyrolyzing a pure polypropylene plastic sample.
This year’s team focused on refining this crude product into fuel for use in combustion engines. The team conducted research and lab testing to characterize the product and determine its chemical composition. Simulations on ASPEN software revealed the best distillation methods and parameters. Through these simulations, the team developed a batch distillation column to separate the product oil into different keys based on molecular weight. These separate keys, along with the necessary additives, have potential as fuels for different purposes – e.g. lighter key for gasoline engines and heavier key for diesel engines. Findings from this project also advised Team 25051’s experimental design and execution.
This multi-year project already has a portable device for pyrolyzing plastic in disaster areas to produce emergency liquid fuel. It reaches temperatures of up to 500°C while maintaining an inert environment to produce gaseous and liquid products by pyrolyzing a pure polypropylene plastic sample.
This year’s team focused on refining this crude product into fuel for use in combustion engines. The team conducted research and lab testing to characterize the product and determine its chemical composition. Simulations on ASPEN software revealed the best distillation methods and parameters. Through these simulations, the team developed a batch distillation column to separate the product oil into different keys based on molecular weight. These separate keys, along with the necessary additives, have potential as fuels for different purposes – e.g. lighter key for gasoline engines and heavier key for diesel engines. Findings from this project also advised Team 25051’s experimental design and execution.