The energy required to heat the material to get py
Post# of 43066
Posted On: 08/15/2014 1:12:15 PM
Re: PaperProphet #12431
Quote:
The energy required to heat the material to get pyrolysis going isn't highly significant whether the heat comes from off gas or electric heaters. When you hear that someone wants to calculate cost per gallon based on the energy used, that person is barking up the wrong tree. Per gallon, even the cost of electric heat will be an insignificant part of the cost.
That statement pinpoints what got WM in so much trouble with Agilyx. The Agilyx machine is fueled entirely from external energy. Their cost exceeded $3/gallon in energy and disposal. A properly reviewed M&E balance would have exposed that.
The energy to do pyrolysis is quite high when considering heat required to melt, vaporize, pyrolysis (or activation), losses and all of the energy required to operate the pumps, heaters, feed, pumps, controls, and in Agilyx case,, the thermal oxidizer. A junior engineer with little or no experience would see the "pyrolysis energy" insignificant as they do not have the experience or depth to understand the total energy cost of the system.
To an experienced engineer, the energy could be calculated to exceed 6000 Btu/lb for commercial-scale equipment which is significant. 2750+ lbs/hr (based on Agilyx 30T/day) 24 hours a day has a very significant electricity cost of several thousand $ per day bringing the cost per gallon to $1.50/hr.
Most pyrolysis projects fail on energy cost or fuel quality. What goes in ,biomass or plastic, is generally free or cheap and that goes for biomass or plastic.
What experience do you have with pyrolysis equipment?
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