Design, construction, and performance testing of a fixed-bed pyrolysis reactor for production of pyrolytic fuel

Abstract

In an attempt to produce fuel from plastic waste, a cylindrical fixed-bed pyrolysis reactor with a capacity of 0.01053m3 was designed and fabricated. The pyrolytic fuel produced serves as a substitute to fossil fuel. A thermal degradation process, known as fixed-bed pyrolysis, was employed to obtain the pyrolytic fuel from the plastic waste. The operating pressure and the design pressure of the pyrolysis reactor are 25.16 MPa and 28.93 MPa, respectively. The performance testing of the reactor shows that the pyrolytic fuel has higher calorific value, flash point, cetane rating, and density of 39.5 MJ kg-1, 72.5 °C, 40.5, and 804.0 kgm-3, respectively. The corresponding values for the fossil fuel (diesel) are 44.8 MJ kg-1 68.0 °C, 48.0, and 820.0 kgm-3, respectively. It was confirmed through the performance testing that the reactor was properly designed and can, therefore, be reliably used to produce pyrolytic fuel, which can be made use of as a good alternative to fossil fuel.