Thermal Depolymerization

[redpoint5]

There is a waste incinerator/generator in Brooks Oregon that disposes of large quantities of household waste and produces energy in the process.

[oil pan 4]

Up to 90% to 95% of a diesels fuel can come from natural gas or bio gas.

Or you can do a natural gas conversion. I have seen 5.9L cummins converted to run on natural gas for sale on the government surplus web sites.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Up to 90% to 95% of a diesels fuel can come from natural gas or bio gas.

Or you can do a natural gas conversion. I have seen 5.9L cummins converted to run on natural gas for sale on the government surplus web sites.

100% biodiesel is easier, cheaper and renewable. Also can be produced with TDP. For a conversion to gas, one needs an ignition system in addition to a large heavy fuel system. Much more feasible starting with a gasoline engine.

Liquid fuels make a whole lot of sense.

[oil pan 4]

Yes liquid fuels are so much easier to handle.

I have been trying on and off for years to get into CNG but the tanks and fill station have always been cost prohibitive.

Where as with WVO, setup and running costs are effectively $0.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

I have been trying on and off for years to get into CNG but the tanks and fill station have always been cost prohibitive.
Where as with WVO, setup and running costs are effectively $0.

In warm New Mexico that'll work, but not in colder climates where you'll need WVO heaters to be able to use it as a fuel.
But still, the cost would be far less than for CNG.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

There is a waste incinerator/generator in Brooks Oregon that disposes of large quantities of household waste and produces energy in the process.

They're probably simply burning the waste and making steam + electricity.

Waste incinerators here have trouble with the low caloric value of our waste.
They need to get to high temps to avoid dioxine formation, but with paper and plastics mostly gone due to recycling efforts, the caloric value has dropped significantly.
They've resorted to adding fuel again - scrap wood, paper (though sorted and collected separately).

[sendler]

Originally Posted by UFO

I'd be all for recycling plastics in other ways, but that carbon came from fossil sources, and I don't think we should be burning it, even in a clean way. That carbon, if not re-used as plastic, should go back into the ground and get re-sequestered.

Sorry but as long as we are burning ANYTHING (coal, natural gas, fuel oil, ect.) to make electricity it doesn't make sense to put a fuel source that is already riding around in a truck, back into the ground just so we can try to forget about it. Reduce consumption. Sequester emissions. Don't waste fuel to sequester fuel.

[TheEnemy]

Originally Posted by euromodder

In warm New Mexico that'll work, but not in colder climates where you'll need WVO heaters to be able to use it as a fuel.
But still, the cost would be far less than for CNG.

Even here it gets cold enough in the winter for WVO to gell.

[oil pan 4]

I would burn up to 25% WVO if I could even collect that much in the summer back in virginia.
During the winter time I would run 5% or less most of the time.

Burning WVO would push my diesel only fuel milage well into the 30s, over all WVO+diesel consumption stayed about the same in the 20s.

Originally Posted by TheEnemy

Even here it gets cold enough in the winter for WVO to gell.

It was 22 here this morning, I think they called for a low of 31. The low being 10 degrees lower than forcasted is pretty normal.
I am in clovis how about you?
Last year we had a 10 day stretch of -10'F or lower for a week, this year we had a few mornings where is was right around 0'F.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by sendler

Sorry but as long as we are burning ANYTHING (coal, natural gas, fuel oil, ect.) to make electricity it doesn't make sense to put a fuel source that is already riding around in a truck, back into the ground just so we can try to forget about it. Reduce consumption. Sequester emissions. Don't waste fuel to sequester fuel.

I basically agree with that. I do my best to reduce my plastic consumption, but when it comes to recycling, I'm not that committed where plastics are concerned. I'm ok with letting them get put into landfills, as that carbon represents carbon not going into the air. That's what would happen if we used plastics as fuel via TPD or direct incineration.