CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

The demand for a cleaner and more viable alternative fuels has shown a

significant leap throughout the years with the depletion of non-renewable resources,

which met the majority of the world energy consumption. With the reserves being used

up faster than its creation, there is a huge possibility of an energy crisis in the future as a

result of the limited fuel supply and its high demand.

Aside from its diminishing supply, utilizing such fuels produces significant

ecological impacts, which aggravates the current declining ecological status.

Combustion of fossil fuels has been proven to produce toxic fumes, which can be fatal to

human and spells destruction to the environment. According to the United States

Environmental Protection Agency, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have soared

by about 90% since 1970 with the combustion of the fossil fuels and industrial processes

as the primary source of the emissions supplying about 78% of the total greenhouse gas

emissions hike up to the year 2011. The detrimental effects of the utilization of such

fuels has been debated over the decade with the such effects of the global warming

caused by abnormal levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere being witnessed all

over the planet. Thus, the world has been on a massive hunt for alternative, renewable

fuel resources, which can signal energy sustainability and reduction of carbon footprints.

Solid waste management has been also a problem over the past century since

the rapid population growth has brought tons of residual waste, which are not properly

addressed and handled. On a report released by the World Bank, municipal solid wastes

(MSW) that will be generated by the cities on the country will balloon up by 165 percent

to 77,776 metric tons per day as a consequence of a projected 47.3 percent increase in
Design and Development of a Flash Pyrolyzer with Chapter I: The Problem and Its Background
Fast-Paced Heating and Cooling Mechanism Using
HDPE Wastes and Sugarcane Bagasse
Añonuevo, H.A., Bersabe, J.M., Caringal, K.A., Cena, R.C., Espina, K.R.A.

urban population by 2025. As they continue to accumulate, different air and water borne

diseases might sprout from these wastes especially with its direct interference to

residential areas. Thus, there is a great need to formulate ingenious solutions that can

reduce these solid wastes or convert them into beneficial products.

One of the solid wastes which are not properly managed is the plastic wastes.

Plastics are synthetic materials made from a wide range of organic polymers such as

polyethylene, PVC, nylon, etc. Since mostly of the plastics are not biodegradable, its

disposal has been a problem as it continues to accumulate on the sanitary landfills and

worse, to our bodies water where it destroys the marine and aquatic ecosystems. In fact,

a new study on plastic pollution conducted by the Ocean Conservancy and McKinsley

Center for Business and Environment showed that the Philippines ranked third in the top

source of plastic wastes being dumped in the oceans. The report revealed that the

country generates 2.7 million metric tons of plastic garbage per year on which 20% leads

up to the oceans.

Aside from plastic wastes, agricultural wastes has also been an issue needed to

be addressed since these wastes have high potentials to be converted into a cleaner

energy due its high cellulosic content. The country is known to be one agricultural

country along with its Southeast Asian neighbors with its soil fit enough to raise different

crops and agricultural products. With the passage of the Biofuels Act of 2006, utilization

of these agricultural wastes has been maximized. It is estimated that 1.17 million tons of

sugarcane wastes is retrievable as a biomass resource in the country. In addition, 6.4

million tons of surplus bagasse is accessible from the sugar mills.

Recent technologies gave rise to the potentiality of pyrolytic oil as an alternative

fuel, which will help address our problems on fuel shortage and waste management.

Pyrolysis involves the decomposition of an organic material in absence of oxygen. The

oil, produced from the pyrolysis of different materials like solid wastes, biomass,
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Design and Development of a Flash Pyrolyzer with Chapter I: The Problem and Its Background
Fast-Paced Heating and Cooling Mechanism Using
HDPE Wastes and Sugarcane Bagasse
Añonuevo, H.A., Bersabe, J.M., Caringal, K.A., Cena, R.C., Espina, K.R.A.

agricultural wastes and plastics, is composed of heavy hydrocarbon chains, which can

be used as a fuel in combustion engines or boiler systems.

Integrating this technology to tackle the ecological problems brought by the

skyrocketing volume of solid wastes at the same time produce a viable fuel that will

contribute on the world’s energy sustainability, the proponents aimed to design and

develop a prototype that will convert the plastic and agricultural wastes into a possible

alternative fuel through pyrolysis.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study was to design and develop a flash pyrolyzer with

fast-paced heating and cooling mechanism using high-density polyethylene (HDPE)

wastes and sugarcane bagasse as feedstock. Specifically, it seeks to attain the

following:

1. Design and develop a prototype of a flash pyrolyzer with fast-paced heating and

cooling mechanism using HDPE wastes and sugarcane bagasse as feedstock

with the following considerations.

1.1. Pyrolyzer Components,

1.2. Specification of Materials,

1.3. Operation Flow, and

1.4. Material and Energy Balance

2. Assess the performance of the prototype flash pyrolyzer at varying HDPE wastes

to sugarcane bagasse weight ratio (30:70, 50:50 & 70:30) in terms of:

2.1. Cycle time of operation (in hours)

2.2. Production rate (in liters per hour)

2.3. Pyrolytic oil yield (%)

2.4. Biochar yield (%)

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Design and Development of a Flash Pyrolyzer with Chapter I: The Problem and Its Background
Fast-Paced Heating and Cooling Mechanism Using
HDPE Wastes and Sugarcane Bagasse
Añonuevo, H.A., Bersabe, J.M., Caringal, K.A., Cena, R.C., Espina, K.R.A.

3. Perform laboratory testing of the pyrolytic oil yield at varying HDPE wastes to

sugarcane bagasse weight ratio (30:70, 50:50 & 70:30) to determine its physico-

chemical properties in terms of:

3.1. Color

3.2. Odor

3.3. Turbidity

3.4. Density (g/cc)

3.5. Heating Value (BTU/lb)

4. Conduct proximate analysis of the produced Biochar at varying HDPE wastes to

sugarcane bagasse weight ratio (30:70, 50:50 & 70:30) to qualify its properties in

terms of:

4.1. Residual Moisture (%)

4.2. Volatile Matter (%)

4.3. Ash (%)

4.4. Fixed Carbon (%)

5. Formulate an instructional manual for the prototype multi-feed flash pyrolyzer.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study is significant in designing and developing a prototype flash pyrolyzer

with fast-paced heating and cooling mechanism intended for the co-pyrolysis of plastic

wastes (HDPE) and agricultural residues (sugarcane bagasse).

The outcome of this study is beneficial to the following:

For the local sugar manufacturing industry, the study aided them to convert

their waste products (sugarcane bagasse) into viable fuel, which can be used in their

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Design and Development of a Flash Pyrolyzer with Chapter I: The Problem and Its Background
Fast-Paced Heating and Cooling Mechanism Using
HDPE Wastes and Sugarcane Bagasse
Añonuevo, H.A., Bersabe, J.M., Caringal, K.A., Cena, R.C., Espina, K.R.A.

operation upon further refining of the pyrolytic oil yield. The reduction of their solid

wastes certainly helped minimize the ecological impact of their operation.

For the community, this study bolstered the solid waste management drive of

the locality since plastic wastes (HDPE) were regulated and converted into something

useful. Aside from its ecological benefit, this study also provided income generation for

the community since the yield can be processed for commercial uses.

For the government, this study can be used on a large-scale operation upon

further researches and testing in order to harness feasibility of the machine to reduce

plastic and agricultural wastes in order to produce a viable fuel that might power the

country’s grid and contribute to the nation’s energy sustainability.

For the environment, this study might help mitigate the possible effects of global

warming as it minimizes the greenhouse gas emissions due to the combustion of fossil

fuels. Since it runs on the wastes, waste generation of different sectors was lessened.

For the Chemical and Food Engineering Department, this study became one

of the innovations of the flash pyrolyzer designs housed within the department. Also, it

can also be one of the reference material for the further researches to be conducted by

the future proponents in the department.

For Batangas State University, this study might help the regulation of its plastic

wastes and other solid wastes and can be considered as one of its innovative

contribution to the nation’s hunt for a more sustainable energy source.

For the present and future researchers, this gave them more knowledge to

strengthen their technical skills and problem solving techniques.

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Design and Development of a Flash Pyrolyzer with Chapter I: The Problem and Its Background
Fast-Paced Heating and Cooling Mechanism Using
HDPE Wastes and Sugarcane Bagasse
Añonuevo, H.A., Bersabe, J.M., Caringal, K.A., Cena, R.C., Espina, K.R.A.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study focused on the design and fabrication of a multi-feed flash pyrolyzer

prototype that would produce alternative from the co-pyrolysis of agricultural wastes

specifically sugarcane bagasse and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastics.

Moreover, this study includes the prototype design, the schematic diagram of the

pyrolysis set-up, the fabrication and capital cost tabulation of the prototype, and the

testing and optimization on the prototype itself. The operating conditions, specifically the

temperature at which the prototype can withstand in vacuum conditions is limited to

300°C±10°C up to 600°C±10°. The maximum capacity of the pyrolysis chamber was set

to 1.5 kilograms of feed mixture.

The study was conducted on Batangas State University wherein the proponents

conducted the pilot and the final testing of the machine. The yield was tested on the

Department of Energy’s Geoscientific Research and Testing Laboratory (GRTL) to

determine its compliance to the Philippine National Standards (PNS).

The feed was limited to 500 grams of sugar cane bagasse and high-density

polyethylene (HDPE) plastics prepared on a 30:70, 50:50 and 70:30 ratio wherein its is

pre-washed and dried before it is transferred to the pyrolysis chamber.

Furthermore, the prototype shall be able to produce maximum yield on the

constraint of operating time and operating temperature. The materials of construction to

be used must be of highest quality which can be able to withstand the operating

conditions. Steel was used as one of the primary material of construction since its

thermal expansion remains relatively constant up to 1200 degrees centigrade. It has

good strength and good resistance to corrosion and oxidation. Moreover, it can

withstand temperature up to 1700 degrees centigrade. The study of the correlation of the

other parameters of the feed such as particle size to the yield is not included in this

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Design and Development of a Flash Pyrolyzer with Chapter I: The Problem and Its Background
Fast-Paced Heating and Cooling Mechanism Using
HDPE Wastes and Sugarcane Bagasse
Añonuevo, H.A., Bersabe, J.M., Caringal, K.A., Cena, R.C., Espina, K.R.A.

study. The further processing of the pyrolytic oil for commercial use is not also included

in the study and is subject for future researches.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The central framework of the study focuses on the design and development of a

flash pyrolyzer prototype with fast-paced heating and cooling mechanism intended for

HDPE wastes and sugarcane bagasse.

This study began with the design conceptualization and fabrication of the

prototype on which material cost and specification were projected and computed. Basic

knowledge of the process specifically pyrolysis should be acquired by the proponents.

The study proceeded to the most efficient design with the highest quality of materials

used at the lowest cost possible. Raw materials are prepared during this stage.

Preliminary testing on the prototype was also conducted for the assessment of the

machine capabilities and identification of possible oversight in the machine design.

The trials made in the equipment give insights for certain modifications in the

design and materials of construction. These modifications are rendered in order to

achieve vacuum conditions at desired temperature. When the pyrolyzer is tested and

deemed ready, the operating conditions was then optimized for maximum yield. The

conceptual model of the prototype is precisely manifested in the figure below.

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Design and Development of a Flash Pyrolyzer with Chapter I: The Problem and Its Background
Fast-Paced Heating and Cooling Mechanism Using
HDPE Wastes and Sugarcane Bagasse
Añonuevo, H.A., Bersabe, J.M., Caringal, K.A., Cena, R.C., Espina, K.R.A.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Conceptualization of the
Existing Prototype Design
Design of Vacuum Development and
Pyrolyzer Materials of Fabrication
Proof of Concept
Construction Preliminary Testing of the
Design
Coal Equipment
Prototype
Agricultural Residue Identification of the
Operating
(Sugarcane Bagasse) Operating Conditions
Conditions
Plastic Waste (HDPE) Preparation of Feed Raw
Synthesis gas
Basic Knowledge on Materials
Pyrolytic oil
Pyrolysis and Cracking Actual Testing of the
Analytical Testing
of Materials Equipment
Results
Analytical Testing of
Basic Knowledge on Analysis Results
Products
Chemical Engineering Operation Manual
Modification of the
Techniques and Statistical Results
Equipment and Operating
Thermodynamics
Conditions
Basic Skills on Solid Statistical Treatment
Works and E-draw

Figure 1. Conceptual Model of the Research Study

DEFINITION OF TERMS

In order to fully understand the study, the researchers define the following terms:

Agricultural residue. These are residues of plant parts, common example of

this include corn stover (stalks, leaves, husks, and cobs), wheat straw, and rice straw

(U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 2016).

The agricultural residue in this study is sugarcane bagasse.

Biochar. Biochar is a product of low temperature heating of plant residues or

other lignocellulosic organic material in the presence of low O2 concentration. Under

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Design and Development of a Flash Pyrolyzer with Chapter I: The Problem and Its Background
Fast-Paced Heating and Cooling Mechanism Using
HDPE Wastes and Sugarcane Bagasse
Añonuevo, H.A., Bersabe, J.M., Caringal, K.A., Cena, R.C., Espina, K.R.A.

such conditions solid residue (biochar), liquids, and gases were produced. The liquids

and gases can be used for fuels or industrial feedstock (Baoteng et al., 2010).

Centrifuge. An equipment using centrifugal force in separating substances of

different densities, for dehumidifying, or for simulating effects of gravity (Merriam-

Webster, 2017). This equipment was used by the researchers to separate solid particles

on pyrolytic oil.

Flash Pyrolysis. Flash pyrolysis among the other types occurs at rapid heating

rates and moderate temperatures between 400 and 600°C (752 and 1112°F)

(AzoCleanTech, 2013).

Fossil fuel. It is a non-renewable source of energy. It is a material containing

hydrocarbon, such as petroleum, coal, or natural gas, that is derived from the Earth’s

crust (Kopp, 2017).

HDPE. High density polyethylene is a thermoplastic derived from petroleum and

has a little branching of hydrocarbon giving it a stronger intermolecular forces and tensile

strength than low density polyethylene (Sci-Tech Encyclopedia, 2008). In this study,

HDPE waste was utilized to produce pyrolytic oil through pyrolysis.

Heating element. It is usually a coil, ribbon (corrugated or straight), or strip of

wire that produces heat much like a lamp filament. As the electric current flows through

the heating element, it glows red showing that there is a conversion of electrical energy

to heat. Heat generated is radiated out in all directions (Woodford, 2017).

Heating Value. Higher heating value (HHV) is defined as the amount of heat

released by the unit mass or volume of fuel (initially at 25 °C) once it is combusted and

the products have returned to a temperature of 25 °C. It includes the latent heat of

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Design and Development of a Flash Pyrolyzer with Chapter I: The Problem and Its Background
Fast-Paced Heating and Cooling Mechanism Using
HDPE Wastes and Sugarcane Bagasse
Añonuevo, H.A., Bersabe, J.M., Caringal, K.A., Cena, R.C., Espina, K.R.A.

vaporization of water. HHV can be measured in a bomb calorimeter using ASTM

standard D-2015 (withdrawn by ASTM 2000, and not replaced) (Biomass Gasification

and Pyrolysis, 2010).

Plastic wastes. The raw materials for plastics production are natural products

such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and, of course, crude oil (Plastics Europe,

2017). HDPE was the only plastic waste used in this study.

Proximate Analysis. Proximate analysis of a fuel provides the percentage of the

material that burns in a gaseous state (volatile matter), in the solid state (fixed carbon),

and the percentage of inorganic waste material (ash), and is therefore of fundamental

importance for biomass energy use (Torrefaction of Biomass for Energy Applications,

2018).

Pyrolytic Oil. It is the end product of waste such as biomass or plastic (HDPE).

The oil can be used as substitute to furnace oil. It is also used in machines that do not

require high quality fuel (Xinxiang Doing Renewable Energy Equipment Co., 2014). In

this study, pyrolytic oil was the end product of the flash pyrolyzer.

Sediments. It is a solid material that is deposited and moved in a new location.

In terms of particle size, it can be small like a grain of sand or as large as a boulder

(National Geographic, 2017). The sediment pertaining on the study was the solid

particles after centrifugation of the pyrolytic oil.

Sugarcane Bagasse. Bagasse is sugarcane fiber waste left after the extraction

of its juice (ecoKloud, 2017). It was utilized on the study on producing pyrolytic oil.

Synthesis gas. Also called as “syngas”, it is a mixture comprising of carbon

monoxide(CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and hydrogen(H2). Through gasification of a

carbon based material, the syngas is produced ([Link], 2010).

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Design and Development of a Flash Pyrolyzer with Chapter I: The Problem and Its Background
Fast-Paced Heating and Cooling Mechanism Using
HDPE Wastes and Sugarcane Bagasse
Añonuevo, H.A., Bersabe, J.M., Caringal, K.A., Cena, R.C., Espina, K.R.A.

Thermocouple. It is known as “temperature sensors” and widely used in

measuring temperature. In terms of its parts, it consists of two dissimilar metal wires

that’s joined at one end. (Omega, 2017). In this study, thermocouple was be used in

determining the operation temperature of the flash pyrolyzer.

Wax. Waxes contain of high molecular weight compounds such as fatty acids,

alcohols, and saturated hydrocarbons. It appears solid at low temperature and easily

melt at high temperature environment (Britannica Encyclopedia, 2008). In this study, it

was the by-product of the flash pyrolyzer.

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