Turning an Environmental Problem to an Opportunity Siamak Elyasi, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Turning an Environmental Problem to an Opportunity

Siamak Elyasi, PhD, PEng

Assistant Professor, Lakehead University Lakehead chapter of the Professional Engineers Ontario Technology Conference November, 2016

Outlook

• Who am I?
• Why is there a problem for the environment?
• Which opportunities are there?
• How can we materialize the opportunities?
• What is the conclusion?

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My Background and Experiences?

• Bachelor in Chemical Engineering (Iran)
• Master of science in Biotechnology (Iran)
• Master of science in Environmental (Sweden)
• PhD in Chemical Engineering (Canada)
• More than 15 years engineering experience
• Seven years research in Canada
• Five years teaching (Lakehead University)
• ………………………………………………………………..

I love to think, design, and build

I am an Engineer

Safeguarding Public and Environment

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Environmental Problem(s)

WASTE PLASTICS

• Not degradable in environment
• Converting to small piece after a few years
• Potential Migration
• Risk for Aquatic Creatures
• Landfill problem (thousands of years)
• Leachate of harmful chemical
• Land is not usable for many years

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Best Permanent Solution

• Reduce, Reduce, Reduce
• Replace with biodegradable plastics
• Reuse/recycle

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Total Solid Waste Per Capita (2014) : Canada 706 kg/year Ontario 670 kg/year

5,000,000 10,000,000 15,000,000 20,000,000 25,000,000 30,000,000 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Metric Tonne Year Canada Ontario

Total Solid Waste (Residential/Non-Residential) Canada, Ontario (2006-2014)

(Ontario + Quebec 60% of total plastic waste in Canada)

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16% 19% 9% 5% 3% 1% 2% 4% 0% 3% 2% 9% 26% 1% Construction Glass

Plastic

Organics Cardboard Newspaper Mixed paper

Composition of Total Solid Waste Canada (2008)

Total waste Produced = 25,000,000 Metric Tons/year Plastics = 4% Waste Plastics = 1,000,000 Added Value (processing) 10 cent/kg Added Value (processing) 100,000,000 $/year

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Opportunity? Chemical Composition of Plastics

Hydrogen + Carbon Hydrocarbons

𝒐

Cutting (Cracking)

Polyethylene

Motor Oil Kerosene Gasoline

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Plastic Waste Incineration (20-25%)

How is Plastic Waste Managed?

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Landfill (65-70%) Recycle/Reuse (Calculated 10-15%) Thermal Cracking Catalytic Cracking Produce Hydrocarbons Wax, Diesel, Kerosene, Gasoline, Raw Material for Petrochemical Industries, …

Opportunity

Different Processes Thermal vs. Catalytic

NOTE: Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene are the best raw material for this process

Thermal Cracking Catalytic Cracking

Disadvantageous

• Higher temperature
• Higher reaction time (larger reactor)
• Higher production of gases (Methane, etc.)

Advantageous

• Simpler technology
• Lower operating cost
• High tolerance to contamination

Disadvantageous

• Contamination makes problem
• Cost of catalyst/ Higher Operating cost
• Regeneration of catalyst
• Complex process
• High fix capital investment

Advantageous

• Lower temperature
• Low reaction time
• High value product

(e.g. high octane Gasoline)

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Preliminary Financial and Technical Feasibility (Available Data) Feasible? Stop

NO YES

Gather Data (Experimental Tests) Bench Scale Test Feasible? Stop

NO YES

Opportunities Training of Undergraduate Students Training of Graduate Students Training of Graduate Students

How can we materialize the opportunities?

Academic/Research Opportunities

Pilot Test (Design, Procurement, Construction, for Larger Scale) Bench Scale Test Revised Financial and Technical Feasibility (Obtained Data) Move for Full Scale Feasible? Stop

NO YES

Feasible? Stop

NO

How can we materialize the opportunities?

Academic/Research Opportunities Investment Opportunities

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• First step

– Collecting data/Literature review – Basic design – Preliminary design – Cost estimation – Financial evaluation

(Opportunity for Undergraduate Students, CAPSTONE PROJECT) The capstone projects were send to “SNC Lavalin Plant Design Competition” and won the first prizes. From left to right are Kayte Sutherland, Christopher Lock, Terry Milton, Ryan Gerlach, and Natasha Bieniek (2015)

Preliminary Financial and Technical Feasibility

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Preliminary Financial and Technical Feasibility (Undergraduate Capstone project)

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STORAGE

SHREDDER

PLASTIC FEED

REACTOR

PHASE SEPARATION REFREGERATED PHASE SEPARATION GASOLINE DISTILLATION PRIMARY ETHYLBENZENE DISTILLATION SECONDARY ETHYLBENZENE DISTILLATION GASOLINE ETHYL- BENZENE KEROSENE FUEL GAS STYRENE DISTILLATION STYRENE SECONDARY ETHYLBENZENE DISTILLATION TERTIARY ETHYLBENZENE DISTILLATION

Preliminary Financial and Technical Feasibility

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Process

Plastic 25 tonnes/h HDPE 2.8 tonnes/h PS Catalyst (2%) 570 kg/h ZSM-5 Solid 2.2 tonnes/h Coke 570 kg/h ZSM-5

Energy

Products 9.8 tonnes/h Styrene 3.6 tonnes/h Ethylbenzene (EB) 2.5 tonnes/h Gasoline 3.3 tonnes/h Kerosene 6.4 tonnes/h Fuel Gas

Preliminary Financial and Technical Feasibility

• HDPE+PS
• Free of Charge
• No Contamination
• 40$/kg
• No Regeneration is Required
• Safe to Put it into Landfill
• Landfill at no Cost
• Market Value (2015)
• No Market (Zero Value)

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Preliminary Financial and Technical Feasibility

𝑮𝑮𝑮𝑮𝑮 𝑫𝑫𝑫𝑮𝑫𝑫𝑫 𝑱𝒐𝑱𝑮𝑱𝑫𝑱𝑮𝒐𝑫 = $𝟐𝟐𝟐 𝑱𝑮𝑫𝑫𝑮𝒏𝒐

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Preliminary Financial and Technical Feasibility

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Analysis Method Target Our Process Return on Investment (ROI) ROI ≥ 32% 56% Pay Back Period (PBP) PBP ≤ 2.3 years 1.8 years Net Present Worth (NPW) NPW≥ $0 $110 million DCFR* i≥32% 162% Net Return (NR) NR ≥ $0.7 billion $3.7 billion * DCFR = Discounted Cash Flow Rate of Return

It is too good to be true!

Preliminary Financial and Technical Feasibility

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Preliminary Financial and Technical Feasibility (Available Data) Feasible?

YES

Gather Data (Experimental Tests)

How can we materialize the opportunities?

Our extensive (PhD student) study (micro scale)

• n thermal and catalytic cracking proves that:
• It is technically feasible to produce hydrocarbon
• Rate of production can be controlled from 5 to 60 minutes
• Conversion rate of plastic (HDPE) is almost +95%

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Bench Scale Test Feasible?

YES

Preliminary Financial and Technical Feasibility (Available Data) Feasible?

YES

Gather Data (Experimental Tests)

How can we materialize the opportunities?

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Bench Scale Test (Experimental Tests, Research)

Reactor Diesel Collector Condenser CW Chiller Gas Collector Kerosene Collector Gasoline Collector Electrical Heater (Controlled by PC) Local Control Panel Portable

Plastic and Catalyst

91 cm (3 ft) 60 cm (2 ft)

Designed and Built by S. Elyasi and S. Khderi (PhD Student)

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Preliminary Feasibility Study Our Finding

• 2% of catalyst is required
• Catalyst is not regenerated
• Reaction time 30 minutes
• Conventional reactor is employed
• Conversion of plastic is 90%
• Aromatic material are

the main products

• Contamination does not have effect
• Mix plastic can be used
• 20% of catalyst is required
• Catalyst should be regenerated

40 times

• Reaction time 10 minutes
• More complicated reactor is needed
• +95% conversion is achievable
• No answer yet
• No answer yet
• No answer yet

No thought about Regeneration Regeneration is crucial Smaller reactor is needed More focus should be on Reactor design

Bench Scale Test (Experimental Tests, Research)

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• Catalyst should be regenerated in-situ
• Design of Reactor should be main priority
• Effect of contamination on performance of reaction is unknown
• Performance of the reactor using mixed plastics is unknown

One PhD student works on this subject Another PhD student works on this subject No plan yet No plan yet

Needs to be Addressed Bench Scale Test (Experimental Tests, Research)

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Preliminary Financial and Technical Feasibility (Available Data) Feasible? Stop

NO YES

Gather Data (Experimental Tests) Feasible?

NO YES

?

Bench Scale Test

How can we materialize the opportunities?

NOT Enough Information

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• There is a good potential for converting waste

plastic to hydrocarbons

• Till commercialization, several important

issues should be addressed

• More research is needed

Conclusion

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Email: 𝑱𝑮𝑫𝒕𝑫𝑱𝑮𝒕𝑫𝑫𝒕𝑮𝒕𝑮𝑫𝑮𝒕. 𝒅𝑫 Tel: 𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒𝟒

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