Waste to Fuel System

Abstract

A waste to fuel system is disclosed that provides for simplified pyrolysis and cracking of useful hydrocarbons from waste by using molten salt as a heat transfer medium in the pyrolysis stage and using molten salt mixed with catalyst in the cracking stage.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A system for converting waste to fuel, the system comprising:
 a pyrolysis chamber receiving waste, the chamber heated to temperatures sufficient to vaporize most of the waste, except for some remaining asphalt tars and biochars;   a molten salt catalyst chamber where vapors from the pyrolysis chamber are pulled through a column of molten salt mixed with a catalyst, removing oxygen from the vapors and cracking long carbon chain hydrocarbons into shorter carbon chain hydrocarbons, creating cracked vapors; and   a plurality of distillation chambers separate the cracked vapors into paraffin, heavies, water, lights, and syngas.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the pyrolysis chamber uses molten material as the primary heat transfer medium. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein:
 the waste is one of:
 waste plastic; 
 paper and plastic municipal solid waste; 
 biomass; and 
 organic municipal solid waste. 
 
 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a centrifugal cleaner that removes particulates from the heavies and lights. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a mixer for mixing a ratio of heavies and lights to create diesel fuel, renewable crude or other renewable petroleum products. 
 
     
     
         6 . A system for converting waste to fuel, the system comprising:
 a pyrolysis chamber containing molten material, the pyrolysis chamber receiving waste which is heated to a point where some of the waste begins to vaporize and the remainder of the waste is melted, the melted waste is further heated to temperatures sufficient to vaporize most of the waste, except for some remaining asphalt tars and biochars;   a molten salt catalyst chamber where vapors from the pyrolysis chamber are pulled through a column of molten salt mixed with a catalyst, removing oxygen from the vapors and cracking long carbon chain hydrocarbons into shorter carbon chain hydrocarbons, creating cracked vapors; and   a plurality of distillation chambers separate the cracked vapors into paraffin, heavies, water, lights, and syngas.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein:
 the molten material chamber contains molten material heated by airtubes and troughs running through the molten material that contains the melted waste. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6  wherein:
 the waste is one of:
 waste plastic; 
 paper and plastic municipal solid waste; 
 biomass; and 
 organic municipal solid waste. 
 
 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6  further comprising:
 a centrifugal cleaner that removes particulates from the heavies and lights. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a mixer for mixing a ratio of heavies and lights to create diesel fuel, renewable crude or other renewable petroleum products. 
 
     
     
         11 . A system for converting waste to fuel, the system comprising:
 a pyrolysis chamber receiving waste which is heated to a point sufficient to vaporize most of the slurry, except for some remaining asphalt tars and biochars; and   a catalyst chamber where vapors from the pyrolysis chamber are pulled through a column of molten material mixed with a catalyst, removing oxygen from the vapors and cracking long carbon chain hydrocarbons into shorter carbon chain hydrocarbons, creating cracked vapors   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein:
 the pyrolysis chamber uses molten material as the primary heat transfer medium. 
 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein:
 the waste is one of:
 waste plastic; 
 paper and plastic municipal solid waste; 
 biomass; and 
 organic municipal solid waste. 
 
 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising:
 a mixer for mixing a ratio of heavies and lights to create diesel fuel, renewable crude or other renewable petroleum products. 
 
     
     
         15 . A system for converting waste to fuel, the system comprising:
 a pyrolysis chamber comprised of an upper chamber and a lower chamber:
 the upper chamber receiving waste which is heated to a point where some of the waste begins to vaporize and the remainder of the waste is melted; 
 the lower chamber receiving the melted waste from the upper chamber which is further heated to temperatures sufficient to vaporize most of the waste, except for some remaining asphalt tars and biochars; and 
   a plurality of distillation chambers separate the cracked vapors into paraffin, heavies, water, lights, and syngas.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein:
 the lower chamber contains molten material heated by airtubes and troughs running through the molten material that contains the melted waste. 
 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein:
 the waste is one of:
 waste plastic; 
 paper and plastic municipal solid waste; 
 biomass; and 
 organic municipal solid waste. 
 
 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising:
 a centrifugal cleaner that removes particulates from the heavies and lights. 
 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15  further comprising:
 a mixer for mixing a ratio of heavies and lights to create diesel fuel, renewable crude or other renewable petroleum products.