Commercialisation of plastic waste derived fuel for generating electricity
Project details
Funding body: EPSRC - Innovate UK (grant details).
Collaborators: Collaborating with Farad Dailami in UWE Bristol's Department of Engineering, Design and Mathematics.
Dates: 2017 - 2019.
Project summary
Distributed power and security of electrical supply; with the
advent of photovoltaic, wind, wave and other power generation
technologies, there is a growing trend for the electrical energy
generation to become more and more distributed. However, many of
these power-generating systems, because of their reliance on
natural effects, suffer from short-term peaks and troughs in their
energy production. In many cases, diesel engine generating sets
provide a viable option to reduce the variability and augment the
electrical generating capacity and dynamically optimise
contribution from each source to the distributed electrical power
generation.
The regulations defining incineration as a recovery process rather
than a disposal activity are very demanding and generally require
the incineration plant to have a high efficiency. The route of
converting mixed plastic waste in to diesel fuel immediately
removes the ambiguity of waste disposal versus waste recovery and
as such would be highly desirable by local authorities and waste
management companies.
Long-term maintenance of capital equipment depends, amongst other
factors, on better sensors, data acquisition, data analysis and
ultimately more capable predictive software models; in terms of
sustainability 'engineering systems for life' is a strategic
initiative that is gaining ground. The aim is to develop
methodologies that can 'guarantee the required and predictable
performance of complex engineering system throughout its expected
operational life with optimum whole-life cost, taking in into
account design, manufacture, maintenance, repair, overhaul and
disposal or re-use'. A contribution to the development of this goal
would be realised from the development of 'wear models' that allow
predictive maintenance of diesel engine power plants. In the
context of diesel engine power plants a key decision would be the
choice between large slow speed longer lasting engines, which have
good specific fuel consumption values but are expensive to acquire
and install. The alternative is a high-speed multi-engine facility,
which may be potentially cheaper to implement, but have shorter
life and poorer SFC values. This work will
contribute to this decision-making problem.
This research project will investigate Plaxx and a standard diesel
fuel and compare them in terms of engine performance, engine
emissions, wear and reliability. Trials on two single cylinder
small engines have already demonstrated that Plaxx is a viable fuel
for diesel engines. As part of this programme, Plaxx will also be
used on a multi cylinder engine, a large fully instrumented single
cylinder engine and finally on 1MW generating set for extended runs and power
supply to the grid. The two small single cylinder engine-generating
sets will be equipped with variety of sensors to measure amongst
other parameters, Plaxx and distillate diesel SFC, thermal and volumetric
efficiencies and engine emissions. One of the single cylinder
engines will have a modified liner incorporating a wear sensor to
measure real time wear of liner. Lubricating oil samples will be
monitored to measure metallic debris in real time and relate this
to engine wear and performance. A series of designed experiments
will be performed to relate the interaction of the various factors
on performance, emissions and wear.
These trials will be performed for a range of fuel blends and load
conditions. The aim is to develop predictive models and validate
these models on the large single cylinder engine and in the longer
term identify optimum running conditions for the 1MW engine. The investigation will
develop a methodology to assist future planners with the type and
mix of diesel engine power generating facilities in terms of engine
size and fuel blends. Using Plaxx produced at the waste handling
yards, it will be possible to perform waste recovery by processing
mixed plastic waste and provide electrical energy for the grid,
sending less waste to landfill sites.
For more details, email Professor Jim Longhurst.