Process and plant for conversion of waste material to liquid fuel

Abstract

A process and plant for the thermocatalytic conversion of waste materials into reusable fuels and a fuel produced by the process, involving the steps of delivering melted waste material to one or more pyrolysis chambers via heated and valved manifolds and effecting pyrolysis of the waste material into a gaseous state in an oxygen purged and pressure controlled environment. Pyrolytic gases are then transferred to a catalytic converter where the molecular structure of the gaseous material is altered in structure and form, with gases then transferred to one or more condensers to distil and cool gases in to their respective fractions. After post pyrolysis treatment, fuel fractions form a useable fuel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process for conversion of waste organic materials into reusable fuels, comprising the steps of:
 a) delivering waste material to a hot-melt in-feed system to melt the waste material and form a molten material and feeding the molten material into a pyrolysis chamber by the hot-melt in-feed system to partially fill the pyrolysis chamber with the molten material;   b) further heating said molten waste material in the pyrolysis chamber to a temperature in the range of 390° C. to 410° C. to effect pyrolysis of said material into a gaseous state in a substantially oxygen purged and pressure controlled environment;   c) agitating the molten waste material in the pyrolysis chamber with a rotating agitator within the pyrolysis chamber during the heating to effect the pyrolysis so as to promote uniform heating in the molten waste material.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising transferring gases resulting from the pyrolysis to one or more condensers to cool the gases into fractions for recovery as reusable fuels. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising transferring gases resulting from the pyrolysis to a series of high-surface area metal plates to cool the gases into fractions for recovery as reusable fuels. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more condensers comprise a series of high-surface area metal plates. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the process produces at least a majority by weight diesel fuel. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the process produces a fuel product with carbon chains of a length between C6 and C25, peaking at C16. 
     
     
         7 . A plant for the conversion of plastic materials into diesel fuels, said plant including:
 a) a comminuting device for breaking said plastic material into particulate matter;   b) a hot-melt in-feed system for receiving and melting said particulate plastic material to form a molten plastic material and for transferring the molten plastic material therethrough;   c) a pyrolysis chamber for receiving the molten plastic material from said hot-melt in-feed system until said pyrolysis chamber is partially filled with the molten plastic material, said pyrolysis chamber operative to:
 i) seal the chamber from the environment and to purge air-borne oxidants from said pyrolysis chamber by the introduction of a non-oxidising gas; and 
 ii) further heat said molten plastic material to a temperature in the range of 390° C. to 410° C. to effect pyrolysis of said plastic material into a gaseous state in a substantially air-borne oxidant-free and pressure-controlled environment; 
 iii) agitate the molten plastic material in the pyrolysis chamber with a rotating agitator within the pyrolysis chamber during the heating to effect the pyrolysis so as to promote uniform heating in the molten plastic material; and 
 iv) receive the molten plastic material fed thereto by the hot-melt in-feed system as the pyrolysis therein generates gases. 
   
     
     
         8 . The plant of  claim 7 , further comprising a condenser operative to receive, cool, and separate said gases into fractions to form a majority by weight diesel fuel. 
     
     
         9 . The plant of  claim 7 , further comprising a series of high-surface area metal plates operative to receive, cool, and separate said gases into fractions to form a majority by weight diesel fuel. 
     
     
         10 . A substantially carbon based fuel product produced by the process of  claim 1  that is suitable for use as a diesel fuel. 
     
     
         11 . The fuel of  claim 10 , wherein said fuel is substantially equivalent to the diesel fuel standard specified as Australian Standard AS 3570-1998. 
     
     
         12 . A substantially carbon based fuel product produced by the plant of  claim 7  that is suitable for use as a diesel fuel. 
     
     
         13 . The fuel of  claim 12 , wherein said fuel is substantially equivalent to the diesel fuel standard specified as Australian Standard AS 3570-1998.