Carbon Capture Systems

Abstract

A method for processing plastics includes receiving an input plastic to be processed. The method further includes moving the input plastic in a reactor chamber having at least two zones each containing a heating fluid that is heated to a higher temperature in the subsequent zone, and remaining plastic of the input plastic is exposed to increasingly higher temperatures in each zone of the reactor chamber. The method also includes collecting condensable vapors exiting the at least two zones of the reactor chamber. The method further includes condensing the condensable vapors into a liquid condensate. The method also includes removing the biochar product from the heating fluid. The method further includes removing contaminants from the reactor chamber.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 342,185, entitled "Carbon Capture System," filed May 16, 2022, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] 1.Technical Field The present invention relates to a process for processing plastics, and more particularly to a process for processing mixed plastic waste into oil and oil products on an industrial scale while significantly reducing the production of hazardous by-products.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Technology Plastic waste has become an environmental crisis of unprecedented proportions. An estimated 400 million tons of plastic will be produced in 2022, a figure that is expected to continue to grow by 10% per year. Although plastics are presented by manufacturers as safe and recyclable, less than 10% of plastic waste is actually recycled, and hundreds of millions of tons end up in landfills and oceans annually. Microplastics are small pieces of plastic small enough to be ingested and are currently found in human and animal bodies, food eaten by humans, drinking water, and the air in and around human settlements. Although the health effects of these microplastics on humans and wildlife are not yet fully understood, plastic pollution has been linked to cancer, infertility, gastrointestinal problems, liver damage, endocrine system disruption, and developmental disorders. Furthermore, marine plastics have been identified as a major contributor to ocean acidification, which threatens marine ecosystems and global food security. These issues, along with claims of safety and recyclability by plastic manufacturers and petrochemical companies, have not gone unnoticed by national governments. In April 2022, California's attorney general launched an investigation into fossil fuel companies for potentially breaking the law by spreading misinformation about plastic recycling.

[0004] There are no existing commercially viable methods for processing relatively large amounts of mixed plastic waste. Existing recycling methods are type-specific and require sorting and cleaning of plastics prior to processing. As a result, existing plastic recycling methods require significant cost and effort in pre-processing to ensure that recycled plastic materials are properly sorted and cleaned prior to processing. Most recycling methods are relatively energy intensive and require significant amounts of external energy to drive the recycling process. The relatively high cost of pre-processing, separation, and processing, combined with the reduced quality of the final product compared to virgin plastics, provides insufficient commercial incentive for effective management of plastic waste streams using existing recycling methods.

[0005] Thus, there is a need in the art for an economically viable system and method for processing multiple types of plastics into end products of significant value. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Described herein is a method for processing plastics. The method includes receiving an input plastic to be processed. The method further includes moving the input plastic in a reactor chamber having at least two zones, each containing a heating fluid that is heated to a higher temperature in the subsequent zone, and the remaining plastic of the input plastic is exposed to increasingly higher temperatures in each zone of the reactor chamber. The method also includes collecting condensable vapors exiting the at least two zones of the reactor chamber. The method further includes condensing the condensable vapors into a liquid condensate. The method also includes removing the biochar product from the heating fluid. The method further includes removing contaminants from the reactor chamber.

[0007] In any of the preceding embodiments, the heating fluid in the reactor chamber comprises a molten salt.

[0008] In any of the above embodiments, the at least two zones include a first zone that heats the fluid to a temperature below 350 degrees Fahrenheit (350°F, 177 degrees Celsius (177°C)), a final zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of at least 800°F (427°C), and a middle zone that heats the fluid to a temperature between 250°F and 900°F (121°C and 482°C).

[0009] In any of the foregoing embodiments, the intermediate zones include a second zone that heats the fluid to a temperature between 300°F and 450°F (149°C and 232°C), a third zone that heats the fluid to a temperature between 450°F and 650°F (232°C and 343°C), and a fourth zone that heats the fluid to a temperature between 650°F and 850°F (343°C and 454°C).

[0010] Any of the above embodiments may further include collecting the non-condensable gases and routing the non-condensable gases to at least one generator to generate electricity or to at least one burner to provide thermal energy for heating a heating fluid.

[0011] Any of the foregoing embodiments may further include sensing a temperature of the heating fluid at a plurality of locations within the reactor chamber, and controlling the heating element to increase or decrease a temperature of the heating fluid based on the sensed temperature of the heating fluid.

[0012] Any of the foregoing embodiments may further include detecting data corresponding to a condition of the reactor chamber, a component within the reactor chamber, or a component coupled to the reactor chamber, monitoring a condition of the reactor chamber, a component within the reactor chamber, or a component coupled to the reactor chamber based on the detected data, and adjusting an adjustable parameter of the reactor chamber, a component within the reactor chamber, or a component coupled to the reactor chamber based on the monitored condition.

[0013] Any of the foregoing embodiments may further include pelletizing the input plastic into plastic pellets prior to moving the input plastic within the reactor chamber.

[0014] In any of the previous embodiments, the input plastic comprises a mixture of multiple types of plastics.

[0015] Also disclosed is a system for processing plastics. The system includes a reactor chamber configured to receive an input plastic, the reactor chamber having an input end designed to receive the input plastic and an output end opposite the input end, the reactor chamber being at least partially filled with a heating fluid having a higher temperature at the output end than the input end, the heating fluid being heated to a sufficiently high temperature to cause thermal decomposition of the input plastic and at least partially convert the input plastic to condensable vapors. The system also includes a condenser configured to receive the condensable vapors from the reactor chamber and condense the condensable vapors into a liquid condensate.

[0016] In any of the foregoing embodiments, the reactor chamber includes, defines, or both, a port configured to receive the biochar product and separate the biochar product from the reactor chamber.

[0017] In any of the foregoing embodiments, the reactor chamber includes at least three zones including a first zone that heats the fluid to a temperature below 350 degrees Fahrenheit (350°F, 177 degrees Celsius (177°C)), a final zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of at least 800°F (427°C), and an intermediate zone that heats the fluid to a temperature between 250°F and 900°F (121°C and 482°C).

[0018] In any of the foregoing embodiments, the intermediate zones include a second zone that heats the fluid to a temperature between 300°F and 450°F (149°C and 232°C), a third zone that heats the fluid to a temperature between 450°F and 650°F (232°C and 343°C), and a fourth zone that heats the fluid to a temperature between 650°F and 850°F (343°C and 454°C).

[0019] Any of the foregoing embodiments may further include a reactor auger disposed within the reactor chamber and extending along a length of the reactor chamber, the reactor auger configured to move the input plastic within the reactor chamber.

[0020] In any of the foregoing embodiments, the reactor auger has an upper portion and a lower portion, and the upper surface of the heating fluid is configured to be located between the upper and lower portions of the reactor auger.

[0021] Any of the aforementioned embodiments may further include a mesh cage configured to at least partially surround the reactor auger at a location of the reactor auger disposed above the upper surface of the heating fluid such that the input plastic remains between the mesh cage and the upper surface of the heating fluid, and the reactor auger can continue to move the solid plastic within the reactor chamber.

[0022] Any of the foregoing embodiments may further include a contaminant auger disposed toward a lower portion of the reactor chamber and configured to move contaminants within the reactor chamber to a position where they can be removed from the reactor chamber.

[0023] Any of the foregoing embodiments may further include at least one of an electric generator configured to convert non-condensable gases produced by pyrolysis into electricity, and an electric heating element configured to convert electricity from the generator into thermal energy and heat a heating fluid, or a fuel-powered heating element configured to combust the non-condensable gases to generate thermal energy and heat a heating fluid.

[0024] Any of the aforementioned embodiments may further include at least one sensor configured to detect data corresponding to the system; an input auger configured to move the input plastic into the reactor chamber and having an adjustable input auger speed for adjusting a feed rate of the input plastic into the reactor chamber; a reactor auger disposed within the reactor chamber and extending along a length of the reactor chamber, the reactor auger configured to move the input plastic within the reactor chamber and having an adjustable reactor auger speed for adjusting a rate at which the input plastic moves within the reactor chamber; and a controller coupled to the at least one sensor, the input auger, and the reactor auger and configured to adjust at least one of the adjustable input auger speed or the adjustable reactor auger speed based on the detected data.

[0025] A system for processing plastics is also disclosed. The system includes a reactor chamber configured to receive an input plastic, the reactor chamber having an input end designed to receive the input plastic and an output end opposite the input end, and at least partially filled with a heating fluid, the heating fluid being heated to a sufficiently high temperature to cause thermal decomposition of the input plastic to at least partially convert the input plastic to a condensable vapor. The system further includes a reactor auger disposed within the reactor chamber and extending along a length of the reactor chamber, the reactor auger configured to move the input plastic within the reactor chamber. The system further includes a condenser configured to receive the condensable vapor from the reactor chamber and condense the condensable vapor into a liquid condensate.

[0026] In any of the preceding embodiments, the heating fluid comprises molten salt: a first contaminant having a first density greater than the salt density of the molten salt falls through the molten salt toward a bottom of the reactor chamber; and a second contaminant having a second density less than the salt density floats above the molten salt and is moved within the reactor chamber by the reactor auger. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages are intended to be included within this specification, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims. The components shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale and may be exaggerated to better illustrate the key features of the present disclosure. In the drawings, like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the different views. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating various components of a system for preconditioning mixed plastics prior to processing into plastic oil and oil products according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of a system for processing mixed plastic materials into petroleum and petroleum products, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional front view of the reactor chamber of the system of FIG. 2, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a system diagram illustrating various components of the system of FIG. 2 along with additional components according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for preconditioning mixed plastics prior to processing the plastics into oil and oil products according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6A]6A, 6B, and 6C are flow charts illustrating methods for processing mixed plastic materials into petroleum and petroleum products according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6B] 6A, 6B, and 6C are flow charts illustrating methods for processing mixed plastic materials into petroleum and petroleum products according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6C] 6A, 6B, and 6C are flow charts illustrating methods for processing mixed plastic materials into petroleum and petroleum products according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The present disclosure provides a system and method for processing plastic waste, including a mixture of multiple types of plastics. In particular, the system and method convert the mixed plastic waste into petroleum and petroleum products (e.g., in oil form), biochar (or "char"), and heavy pollutants. The petroleum and petroleum products may be used in a manner similar to any other petroleum product, may be converted into fuel to generate energy, may be converted into plastics or other products, etc. The biochar may be used, for example, in water filtration systems, disinfection, composting, animal feed, waste management, soil conditioner, etc. Use may be found for some or all of the heavy pollutants, or some or all of the heavy pollutants may be properly disposed of.

[0029] The present system and method provide various benefits and advantages over conventional plastic processing methods. An exemplary benefit is that the present system is designed to receive a plastic feed containing a broad mixture of plastic types as an input, reducing or eliminating the need for pre-treatment sorting, thus reducing the complexity and cost of the process. Another benefit is that the oil and oil products produced by the system have commercial value, providing a significant economic incentive to process waste plastics. This provides the benefit of reducing global plastic waste and leaving a cleaner planet for future generations. The system also beneficially produces biochar, which has significant commercial and agricultural value, providing further incentive for plastic processing. The system also produces additional by-products, some of which can be used as inputs to the system (e.g., for disinfection, for power generation, etc.), thus reducing the cost of operating the system.

[0030] 1-3, an exemplary plastics processing system 200 includes a hopper 132 that receives pretreated plastic waste and provides plastic waste to a reactor chamber 202. The reactor chamber 202 contains a heating fluid 310 (e.g., fluidizing salt) having multiple zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232 therein, each designed to heat the fluid 310 to a predetermined temperature range, such that each subsequent zone 224, 226, 228, 230, 232 has a higher temperature range of the fluid 310 than the previous zone 224, 226, 228, 230, 232. A reactor auger 208 can push the plastic waste within the zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232 of the reactor chamber 202. When the plastic waste encounters fluid 310 having a temperature that causes the thermal decomposition of certain types of plastics, the plastic waste breaks down into liquids, condensable gases (which may also be called "vapors" or "vapors"), and non-condensable gases (or simply "gas" or "gases") comprised of oil and oil products. The vapors may be removed from the reactor chamber 202 and condensed into oil and oil products. The lighter contaminants may be converted to biochar and removed from the reactor chamber 202, and the heavier contaminants may also be removed from the reactor chamber 202 and utilized / sold or disposed of appropriately. The system 200 may be designed to receive a wide range of plastic type mixtures. In some embodiments, the system 200 may be designed to receive any type of plastic mixture without issue. In some embodiments, the system 200 may be designed to receive any type of plastic mixture, except for tires and waste electrical and electronics (WEEE).

[0031] General Description of the System and Method

[0032] Continuing with general reference to Figures 1-3, we now move to a general description of systems and methods for processing mixed plastics into usable by-products. An important aspect of the present disclosure is the use of pyrolysis via a heated fluidized bed reactor to recover useful oil and oil products from mixed plastics (e.g., plastic waste of a mixture of multiple plastic types such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) etc.), where the mixed plastics are heated in a heated fluidized bed reactor 202 (which may also be referred to as a "reactor chamber"). The reactor chamber 202 may include a molten salt as a heating fluid 310, although in some embodiments, additional or alternative fluids may be used in addition to or in place of the molten salt. As used herein, "salt" may refer to any chemical compound formed from the reaction of an acid with a base, where all or a portion of the hydrogen of the acid is replaced by a metal or other cation. For example, salt may refer to simple salts (e.g., sodium chloride), acid salts (e.g., sodium carbonate and ammonium chloride), basic salts (e.g., sodium acetate, potassium cyanide, and zinc chloride hydroxide), neutral salts (e.g., potassium chlorate, calcium phosphate, and sodium nitrate), and the like. Some salts may be preferred in some embodiments due to different desirable or undesirable properties of different salts, such as melting temperature, reactions of salts and other compounds, and the like. In some embodiments, "salt" may refer to any one or more specific compounds known as salts, such as sodium chloride. In some embodiments, the heating fluid 310 may include any material capable of reaching the desired temperatures described below without chemically reacting with materials in contact with it.

[0033] Pyrolysis is the thermal decomposition of materials at high temperatures and is often carried out in an inert (oxygen-free) atmosphere. Pyrolysis generally involves a change in the chemical composition of a substance. In that regard, the mixed plastics can be heated in the reactor chamber 202 until they undergo pyrolysis, as discussed further below, to break down various types of input plastics into output compounds.

[0034] In some embodiments, a blanket of inert gas (e.g., nitrogen or another gas) may be used within the volume defined by the reactor chamber 202 to initially create a positive pressure oxygen-free atmosphere within the reactor chamber 202 during process start-up. Gases and vapors generated by the ongoing pyrolysis reaction may maintain a positive pressure within the reactor chamber 202 after start-up and during steady state operation of the fabrication process. In some embodiments, the pressure sensor 234 and the controller 128 coupled to the pressure sensor 234 may monitor the pressure within the reactor chamber 202, and the controller 128 may control additional components to add nitrogen to the reactor chamber 202 to replenish the pressure if the detected pressure falls below a predetermined threshold pressure. The predetermined threshold pressure may correspond to a pressure within the reactor chamber 202 below which undesirable operation of the system 200 may occur. For example, if the pressure within the reactor chamber 202 drops below a certain threshold pressure, then oxygen may flow into the reactor chamber 202, thereby disrupting the pyrolysis process or creating the possibility of undesirable combustion within the reactor chamber 202.

[0035] As used herein, controller 128 may include any controller or processor capable of performing logical functions. For example, controller 128 may include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a general purpose processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a proportional integral derivative controller (PID controller), any combination of discrete logic devices performing logical functions, and the like. In some embodiments, controller 128 may further include memory for storing instructions usable by controller 128 to perform logical functions, memory for storing information or data required by controller 128, and the like. Controller 128 may be housed within one or more components of system 200, may be coupled to one or more components of system 200, may include remote functionality (e.g., by providing cloud-based processing), or any combination thereof. For example, controller 128 may be included as part of a separate dedicated recording and monitoring system connected or coupled to at least one of system 100 or system 200.

[0036] Controlling the reactor chamber 202 to a maximum temperature within it of about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit (1000°F, 537.8°C) ensures the decomposition of all plastics. As used herein, "about" refers to a reference value of plus or minus 10% of the reference value. The pyrolysis process pyrolyzes plastics to produce a mixture of oil, oil products, and other products (e.g., condensable oil-related vapors, non-condensable oil-related gases, biochar, and non-oil contaminants such as metals). The condensable vapors produced by the pyrolysis process can be condensed (e.g., into sour oil, sweet oil, or other oil or oil products) and then made available for reuse (e.g., burned as fuel, converted to gasoline, used as a feedstock to make other products, etc.). The pyrolysis process has several factors that affect the properties of the end product. For example, factors affecting the final product may include temperature, residence time (i.e., the time the material is exposed to temperature in a particular zone or within the reactor chamber 202), velocity (e.g., the speed at which the input plastic moves within the reactor chamber 202), the temperature and temperature range to which the input plastic is exposed, the particular catalyst used for pyrolysis, the duration of time the input plastic is exposed to pyrolysis-inducing temperatures, and the like. The systems and methods may be designed to facilitate adjustments to these factors, as needed, to favor the production of certain products over others. In other words, the systems and methods herein may be adjusted by varying the rate of pyrolysis, the temperature range, and the particular catalyst to obtain a target output product. For example, the controller 128 may vary the speeds of the various augers, heating elements, and catalyst input devices (e.g., nozzles or valves) of the system 200.

[0037] Each type of plastic may have a different temperature or temperature range at which melting of the plastic may occur, at which the plastic material may boil, and at which thermal decomposition of the particular type of plastic may occur. The reactor chamber 202 is designed to have multiple zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, or stages, each of which exposes the plastic to a temperature or range of temperatures corresponding to the various melting, boiling, and thermal decomposition temperatures of the plastic, with each subsequent zone 224, 226, 228, 230, 232 exposing the plastic to a higher temperature range than the previous zone. This attribute allows for the removal of the vapor at a relatively low temperature (i.e., a temperature that may be slightly higher than the temperature at which the plastic undergoes thermal decomposition), causing the process to produce more condensable vapors and less non-condensable gases than if the input plastic were immediately exposed to the maximum temperature. This is a beneficial result, since the condensable vapors can be condensed and sold as a relatively high quality oil. In other words, the faster the vapors are removed by exposure to an increased temperature, the greater the ratio of condensable vapors to non-condensable gases will be. The temperatures of subsequent zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232 are progressively hotter so that plastics already removed in previous zones are not subjected to the hotter temperatures of the subsequent zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232. Similarly, chemicals released by plastics undergoing pyrolysis at higher temperatures do not react with chemicals already removed in vapor form from depolymerized plastics at lower temperatures. This zoning effect limits interactions between the chemical components of different types of plastics and allows for the processing of mixed plastic waste without the need to pre-sort input plastics by plastic type.

[0038] Importantly, the disclosed systems and methods have been shown to be effective even with combinations of plastic materials that may include glass fibers along with multiple additional types of plastics. For example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane are often melted together to obtain a composite with desirable physical and / or mechanical properties (e.g., tensile strength, yield strength, density, melting temperature, etc.). The disclosed systems and methods can process materials containing both of these types of plastics (PVC and polyurethane) without the need for separation of the different types of plastics, or even separation of the glass fibers, prior to processing. The successive zones of the reactor chamber described herein allow for the decomposition of these plastic compositions without excessive production of ash and harmful air pollutants, as plastics with lower thermal decomposition thresholds are processed in earlier zones and plastics with higher thermal decomposition thresholds are processed in later, hotter zones.

[0039] Additional details regarding systems and methods for processing mixed plastics are provided in more detail below, including discussions of preconditioning, oil removal, additional oil product removal, and char removal.

[0040] Advance adjustment

[0041] Certain steps may be beneficial in preparing materials for processing in a reactor, such as reactor chamber 202 of FIG. 2. Referring now to FIG. 1, a preconditioning system 100 may include a vibratory hopper 102 or other components that may be used to remove excess contaminants 104 (e.g., water, dirt, rocks, and other debris) from a collection of input plastics, which may include a mixture of multiple types of plastics. The input plastics may then be passed through hot air 108 (e.g., on a belt conveyor 106) to clean the input plastics. However, additional or alternative means for cleaning the input plastics may be contemplated without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As described below, some of this hot air may be provided by a later stage of the process as a by-product of burning recovered non-condensable gases (or even recovered condensable vapors). For example, the hot air 108 may include flue gases generated during combustion of non-condensable gases (e.g., in a separate combustion stage). These non-condensable gases can include relatively light hydrocarbons (e.g., ethane, methane, etc.) that are cleaved off the ends of larger molecules and burn relatively cleanly (i.e., producing flue gases containing primarily carbon dioxide and water vapor). Hot air 108 may be a by-product that heats various zones of the reactor chamber 202 (see FIG. 2).

[0042] After cleaning via hot air 108, the input plastic may then be received by another hopper or other container 110, which may include or be coupled to one or more grinding components 112 (e.g., gears, burr grinders, etc.). The one or more grinding components 112 may shred the input plastic to reduce the size of the input plastic (e.g., the average diameter of the resulting shredded plastic, or the maximum dimension of the resulting shredded plastic). For example, the input plastic may be shredded to a size of about one-eighth (1 / 8) inch to about one-quarter (1 / 4) inch (about 3.2 millimeters (3.2 mm) to 6.4 mm). After shredding, the input plastic may be conveyed (e.g., by another conveyor 114 to another hopper or container 116, which may include or be coupled to a pelletizer 118). The pelletizer 118 may pelletize the shredded input plastic into units of a desired size or size range. For example, the pelletizer 118 may pelletize the input plastic into spheres or other shapes having an average diameter, maximum diameter, or maximum dimension of about three-eighths (3 / 8) inch to five-eighths (5 / 8) inch (9.5 mm to 16 mm).

[0043] The pelletized input plastic may then be conveyed (e.g., using another conveyor 120) to another hopper or container 122, which may include or be coupled to a scale 124 (e.g., a digital scale or other device capable of detecting or measuring the weight or mass of the pellets). The scale 124 may determine the mass of the pellets to be used for various purposes. For example, the determined mass may be used by the controller 128 in controlling various inputs of the preconditioning system 100 or system 200, may be used to assign credits to an entity for processing or destroying the input plastic, may be used to troubleshoot the system 100 or system 200, etc. Additional sensors 126 may detect additional information regarding the pelletized plastic, such as the temperature or environment of the pellets, the type or contaminants of the plastic, the size of the pellets, the flow of the pellets through the preconditioning system 100, the humidity of the environment of the preconditioning system 100, the amount of radiation emanating from the pellets, etc. In that regard, the sensors 126 may include, for example, imaging sensors, temperature sensors, radiation sensors, proximity sensors, pressure sensors, position sensors, photoelectric sensors, particle sensors, motion sensors, metal sensors, mass spectrometers, level sensors, leak sensors, humidity sensors, chemical sensors, force sensors, flow sensors, flaw sensors, flame sensors, electrical sensors, contact sensors, non-contact sensors, etc. Information from the scale 124 or at least one of the additional sensors 126 may be provided to a controller 128 where it may be stored in a database, used for calculations or other data inputs, used to control the operation of the preconditioning system 100 or system 200, etc.

[0044] After having one or more characteristics detected by the scale 124 or additional sensor 126, the pelletized plastic may be conveyed (e.g., via another conveyor 130) to another hopper or other container or element 132, which may be coupled to the reactor chamber 202. In that regard, the hopper or other element 132 may be part of the system 200 or may be coupled to the system 200. In some embodiments, the hopper or other element 132 may not be present such that the pelletized material may be conveyed directly to the system 200. In some embodiments, the material may be processed by the system 200 without any pre-conditioning or with omitting any one or more of the pre-conditioning steps.

[0045] pyrolysis

[0046] After preconditioning by system 100, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the pelletized material may be prepared for further processing by system 200 (e.g., in reactor chamber 202). A conveyor 130 or other components may be used to move the pelletized material to a hopper 132 (or directly to an auger 204), where the auger 204 of system 200 may push the pelletized material into the reactor chamber 202. The auger 204 may be referred to as a hopper auger (because it receives pellets from the hopper 132) or an input auger (because it receives pellets as an input to system 200). A separate reactor auger 208 may move input plastic within the reactor chamber 202. In some embodiments, a funnel 206 may be coupled to the hopper or input auger 204 and may leak plastic pellets into the reaction chamber 202 (e.g., to a location within the reactor chamber 202 where the reactor auger 208 may move plastic within the reactor chamber 202).

[0047] While the system 200 can adequately process the input plastics without pelletizing them, the pelletization process can provide advantages over the use of non-pelletized input plastics. In some embodiments, the input plastics may be chopped and mixed together prior to pelletization, allowing plastics with different melting and vaporization temperatures (e.g., the temperature at which thermal decomposition occurs) to transfer heat via conduction through plastic-to-plastic contact. For example, within a pellet containing a low melting point plastic and a high melting point plastic, the low melting point plastic begins to liquefy at a lower temperature, which more efficiently transfers heat energy to the plastic particles with the higher melting point. This contact conduction heat transfer can be significantly more efficient than transferring heat through a secondary surface (e.g., the inner surface of the reactor chamber 202). The heating fluid 310 (e.g., molten salt) provides an opportunity for the mixed plastic pellets to come into direct contact with additional plastics within the pellet, thereby transferring heat via conduction. Thus, pelletizing shredded mixed plastics can convert plastics with a relatively low melting temperature into a liquid (or vapor or gas) while in direct contact with other plastics in the same pellet that have a higher melting temperature, resulting in a heat transfer mechanism of conduction throughout the cross-section of the pellet. Additionally, pelletizing feedstock plastics can allow for easier handling and weighing of the processed plastics, which may assist users when applying for plastic carbon credits.

[0048] 2 and 3, in some embodiments, the reactor chamber 202 can have at least three zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232 that progressively heat the pelletized plastic material to a temperature increase large enough to cause pyrolysis of the input plastic. In that regard, the input plastic can be vaporized into condensable vapors and non-condensable gases by the various zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232. The reactor chamber 202 can have a reactor body 203 that surrounds various portions of the reactor chamber 202. For example, the reactor body 203 can surround the zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, the reactor auger 208, etc. The reactor chamber 202 components (e.g., reactor body 203 and reactor auger 208, or any additional or alternative parts of system 200 exposed to temperatures within reactor chamber 202) may be constructed from steel, ceramic, or another material, combination of materials, compound, or alloy capable of withstanding temperatures of at least 1000°F, 1200°F, 1500°F, etc. (538°C, 649°C, 816°C). Able to withstand these temperatures may mean that the material or materials of reactor chamber 202 are subjected to (or exposed to) these temperatures for a period of time (e.g., minutes, hours, days, etc.) without deformation, degradation of the material, melting or vaporization, change in material properties, other undesirable reactions, etc. Stated another way, reactor chamber 202 and other components of system 200 can continue to operate while being constantly exposed to these extreme temperatures without degradation, deformation, or other undesirable effects.

[0049] During process start-up, a nitrogen blanket may be used in the volume 314 of the reactor chamber 202 to purge the reactor chamber 202 of oxygen and create a positive pressure inert atmosphere in the reactor chamber 202. That is, nitrogen or another inert gas (a gas that does not react (e.g., combust) with elements in the reactor chamber 202, e.g., argon, neon, radon, helium, etc.) may be released into the volume 314 to purge oxygen from the reactor chamber 202 and to increase the pressure in the volume 314 above the ambient pressure of the environment of the system 200. By increasing the pressure in the volume 314 above the ambient pressure of the environment, the possibility of oxygen ingress into the volume 314 is reduced, thus reducing the possibility of undesired reactions in the reactor chamber 202. In some embodiments, the fluid 310 may not be heated (or the heating fluid 310 may not be provided into the reactor chamber 202) until after the oxygen has been purged from the reactor chamber 202. In some embodiments, the fluid 310 may be heated, but plastic pellets may not be provided to the reactor chamber 202 until oxygen has been purged from the reactor chamber 202. For example, the hopper or input auger 204 may begin moving plastic pellets into the reactor chamber 202 only after oxygen has been purged (and the reactor auger 208 may move input plastic within the reactor chamber 202 only after oxygen has been purged). Gases and vapors resulting from an ongoing pyrolysis reaction may maintain a positive pressure within the reactor chamber 202 after the pyrolysis reaction begins.

[0050] In some embodiments, the pressure sensor 234 and the controller 128 can monitor and adjust various controls of the reactor chamber 202. For example, the controller 128 can be programmed to ensure that the pressure in the reactor chamber 202 remains above a threshold pressure value. The controller 128 can monitor the pressure in the reactor chamber 202 continuously, periodically, or from time to time using the pressure sensor 234 and can control various input parameters of the system 200 based on the detected pressure. The input parameters that the controller 128 can control can include, for example, the speed of various augers (e.g., the hopper or input auger 204, the reactor auger 208, the contaminant auger 214, components of the preconditioning system 100), the temperatures of the various zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232 of the reactor chamber 202, the flow of nitrogen or other inert gas to the reactor chamber 202, the flow of catalyst to the reactor chamber 202, etc. In some embodiments, the controller 128 can determine (e.g., in communication with one or more additional sensors) additional or alternative values ​​within the system 200 (e.g., the amount of steam, gas, biochar, contaminants, etc. produced by pyrolysis, the temperatures within the zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, the quality of the heating fluid 310, the types of steam and gas produced by pyrolysis, etc.) and can control various input parameters of the system 200 based on the detected values ​​within the system.

[0051] 1 and may control various parameters of at least one of system 100 or system 200 based on the monitored values ​​in at least one of system 100 or system 200. For example, controller 128 may control the rate at which preconditioning system 100 produces plastic pellets based on detected values ​​in system 200. In some embodiments, preconditioning system 100 may be separate from system 200 such that operation of system 100 does not affect operation of system 200.

[0052] 2-4, the input plastic may move successively through the zones of the reactor chamber 202, beginning with the first zone 224. For example, the input plastic may move through the zones using at least one of the hopper or input auger 204 or the reactor auger 208. While moving through the reactor chamber 202, the plastic is successively exposed to the temperatures of each of the zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232 (which temperatures are achieved via the heating fluid 310), and the plastic is exposed to higher temperatures as it progresses from zone to zone within the reactor chamber 202. In some exemplary embodiments, the various zones may be designed to expose the plastic to the following temperature ranges:

[0053] Zone 1: Approximately 200 to 300°F (approximately 93 to 149°C)

[0054] Zone 2: Approximately 300 to 450°F (approximately 149 to 232°C)

[0055] Zone 3: Approximately 450 to 650°F (approximately 232 to 343°C)

[0056] Zone 4: Approximately 650 to 850°F (approximately 343 to 454°C)

[0057] Zone 5: Approximately 850 to 1112°F (approximately 454 to 600°C)

[0058] In some embodiments, reactor chamber 202 may include more or fewer zones than those shown, and the temperature ranges within each zone may be different or similar. For example, reactor chamber 202 may include a first zone where the plastic is exposed to a temperature of about 77°F to 230°F (about 25-110°C), a second zone where the plastic is exposed to a temperature of about 230°F to 850°F (about 230-454°C), and a third zone where the plastic is exposed to a temperature of about 850°F to 1112°F (about 454-600°C).

[0059] The zones may or may not be separated within the reactor chamber 202. In that regard, a zone may generally refer to a portion of the reactor chamber 202 in which the plastic is exposed to a temperature within a predetermined range, and the length of the zone may vary as the temperature of the heating fluid changes. For example, the input end of the reactor chamber 202 (i.e., the end that receives the input plastic) may expose the plastic to a temperature of less than about 300°F (about 149°C), a location toward the output end of the reactor chamber 202 (i.e., the end opposite the input end) may expose the plastic to a temperature of at least about 850°F (about 454°C), and the plastic may be exposed to a temperature of about 300°F to 850°F (about 149°C to 454°C) between the input end and the output end. In that regard, locations where the plastic is exposed to temperatures less than 300° F. may be considered a first zone, locations where the plastic is exposed to temperatures of at least 850° F. may be considered a third zone, and locations between the first and second zones may be considered a second zone. It may be desirable to expose the plastic to temperatures (e.g., through zones) in a manner such that the plastic is exposed to increasingly higher temperatures as it passes through the various zones.

[0060] For example, the heating fluid 310 may be heated to a temperature within the ranges provided above such that the input plastics are exposed to these temperatures through contact with the heating fluid 310. In some embodiments, the heating fluid 310 may reside within the reactor chamber 202 up to the midpoint 222 along the height of the reactor body 203. In some embodiments, the heating fluid 310 may extend above or below the midpoint 222. The input plastics being processed may generally float or rest at or near the surface of the heating fluid. However, materials that have been converted to vapors and gases may move away from the heating fluid 310 and may exit the reactor chamber 202 through the opening 300. Also, heavy contaminants may fall through the heating fluid 310 toward the sump 212. Thus, materials remaining at or near the surface of the heating fluid are plastics that have not yet undergone pyrolysis or that have melted but not yet been converted to vapors or gases.

[0061] In some embodiments, the reactor chamber 202 can contain chemical compounds with the heated fluid 310 for various purposes (e.g., to achieve a desired reaction, such as neutralizing acids in the reactor chamber 202, to catalyze a pyrolysis process, etc.). The system 200 can produce two types of acids: organic hydrocarbon acids (e.g., phthalic acid and benzoic acid) and inorganic acids (e.g., hydrochloric acid and bromic acid). In some embodiments, many refineries are designed to accept and abate organic acids, allowing the organic acids to remain with the condensed oil product. The system 200 can be designed to process the inorganic acids to produce inorganic salts. These inorganic salts can then be filtered from the heated fluid 310.

[0062] For example, a potentially problematic halogen that may be generated within the reactor chamber 202 is chlorine (which may come from polyvinyl chloride, PVC). PVC may have a two-step decomposition process, with a first step at about 410°F to 662°F (210°C to 350°C) and a second step at about 662°F (350°C). In the first step, the PVC melts and releases chlorine gas that, upon vaporization, may combine with available hydrogen ions to produce hydrochloric acid, which is corrosive and may degrade the quality of the resulting oil if allowed to condense with the oil. The system 200 may be designed to include calcium carbonate, which may have a greater density than the heating fluid 310. The reactor auger 208 blends calcium carbonate with the liquid and vaporized plastic for operation, which may cause a reaction between the calcium carbonate and chlorine gas. This reaction forms an inorganic salt (calcium chloride), which may have a density that allows it to be thoroughly mixed with the heating fluid 310 and therefore subsequently removed from the system 200. The system 200 may also be designed to include buckminsterfullerenes, commercially known as "buckyballs," which may be included in the reactor chamber 202, for example, in the first and second zones 224, 226. Buckminsterfullerenes contain a structure of 30 carbon-carbon double bonds and have the ability to trap 34 free radicals, allowing them to trap problem compounds and further mitigate the chlorine gas.

[0063] The system 200 may further include nanotubes (e.g., carbon nanotubes) added to the reactor chamber 202 in the first and second zones 224, 226 that may help catalyze the oxidation reaction of naphthenic hydrocarbons from the diesel fraction. These nanotubes may have open bonds at their ends that may cleave the relatively large hydrocarbons, thus reducing their size. This reduction in size may reduce the temperature at which the hydrocarbons undergo pyrolysis (e.g., the temperature at which the hydrocarbons undergo pyrolysis may decrease by approximately 180° F. (100° C.)), and thus the addition of the nanotubes may aid in the pyrolysis process.

[0064] Of note, the buckminsterfullerenes, nanotubes, and biochar formed by system 200 are all carbon-based materials and may be discharged from reactor chamber 202 together (e.g., with biochar, as discussed elsewhere). For example, buckminsterfullerenes, nanotubes, and biochar may all have similar densities (greater than heating fluid 310), and thus these products may all be discharged from reactor chamber 202 together. At a later point in time, this mixture may be processed in a cylindrical furnace (e.g., at about 2600° F. (1427° C.)) to refresh their properties. Once refreshed, the mixture may be added back to system 200 or sold as organic biochar or other biochar products.

[0065] The temperature of the heating fluid 310 in each zone may be selected based on the physical properties for each type of plastic that may be processed by the system 200. For example, for each type of plastic, temperatures may be selected based on melting and boiling points, thermal decomposition characteristics, heat transfer characteristics, etc. It may be desirable to change the input plastic from solid to liquid and then from liquid to vapor relatively slowly, since the resulting vapor may be reconstituted back into oil. On the other hand, if the plastic is heated too quickly, it may decompose and become a non-condensable gas that cannot be reconstituted back into oil. Thus, the gradual increase in temperature throughout the reactor chamber 202 may be designed to maximize the condensable vapors obtained from the system 200. For example, this may be achieved by allowing the condensable vapors to exit the reactor chamber 202 at a sufficiently low temperature to allow for the extraction of the maximum amount of oil.

[0066] The system 200 may include a reservoir 220 in which the heating fluid 310 may be stored. In some embodiments, the heating fluid 310 may flow freely between the reservoir 220 and the various zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232. In some embodiments, the heating fluid 310 may flow freely between adjacent zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232. In some embodiments, barriers may be provided between adjacent zones that restrict or otherwise prevent the heating fluid 310 from flowing therebetween. In some embodiments, the system 200 may include one or more design features that circulate the heating fluid 310 within the system 200. In some embodiments, the heating fluid 310 may flow from the reservoir 220 to a first zone 224, then through subsequent zones 226, 228, 230, 232, and finally back to the reservoir from the last zone 232. In some embodiments, the heating fluid 310 may flow from the reservoir 220 to the last zone 232, then in reverse order through the remaining zones 230, 228, 226, 224, and finally from the first zone 224 to the reservoir 220. For example, the system 200 may include a pump (e.g., a centrifugal pump, a jet pump, a piston pump, etc.) that causes the heating fluid 310 to flow through the system 200 in a designed pattern. In some embodiments, the heating fluid may not be forced to flow through the system 200, but may move through the system 200 either optionally or as a result of the various augers 204, 208.

[0067] The system 200 may include multiple heating elements 410 (e.g., burners designed to combustible materials to generate thermal energy, or electric heaters configured to convert electrical energy into thermal energy) designed to heat the heating fluid 310, and temperature sensors 412 designed to detect the temperature of the fluid in each zone 224, 226, 228, 230, 232 or the temperature of the surrounding environment. In some embodiments, the system 200 may include a single heating element 410 for each zone, multiple heating elements 410 for each zone, a single heating element 410 in one or more zones, multiple heating elements 410 in other zones, etc. In some embodiments, the one or more heaters may also be positioned to heat the fluid in the reservoir 220, for example, to ensure that the molten salt remains molten. In some embodiments, one or more heating elements 410 may be positioned to heat the heating fluid 310 in an intermediate section of the system 200 (e.g., in the piping between the reservoir 220 and the zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232), and such positioning of the heating elements 410 may reduce the likelihood of undesirable freezing or cooling of the heating fluid 310 sufficient to solidify the heating fluid 310.

[0068] Similarly, the system 200 may include a single temperature sensor 412 for each zone, multiple temperature sensors 412 for each zone, a single temperature sensor in one or more zones, multiple temperature sensors 412 in other zones, etc. The controller 128 may monitor the temperature of each of the zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232 based on the data detected by each of the temperature sensors 412. The controller 128 may also control the operation of each of the heating elements 410 based on the monitored temperatures in the zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232. In particular, the controller 128 may control the heating elements 410 to increase or decrease heat production to keep the temperature in each zone within a designed temperature range based on the detected temperatures in the zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232. In some embodiments, each zone may include its own heating element 410 to cause the heating fluid 310 in each zone to reach a desired temperature range. The heating fluid 310 may be heated externally to the reactor chamber 202, may be circulated to the zones as needed, or may be heated within the zones in the reactor chamber 202. In some embodiments, the heating fluid 310 may be designed to flow sequentially through subsequent zones (i.e., from the first zone 224 to the second zone 226, from the second zone 226 to the third zone 228, etc.), with the heating elements 410 designed to increase the temperature of the heating fluid 310 as it flows through the subsequent zones, and thus the temperature of the fluid increases as it flows downstream within the reactor chamber 202. In some embodiments, the heating fluid 310 may be designed to flow in reverse order through the zones (e.g., from the fifth zone 232 to the fourth zone 230, from the fourth zone 230 to the third zone 228, etc.) so that less heat is needed to achieve the desired temperature in each previous zone.

[0069] The pyrolysis process thermally decomposes the plastic to produce liquids, condensable vapors, and non-condensable gases composed of various oils and oil products. In some embodiments, the liquids may further decompose into at least one of condensable vapors or non-condensable gases in response to at least one of exposure to higher temperatures or longer exposure to the current elevated temperature. In some embodiments, the pyrolysis process may also produce off-gases (e.g., flue gases resulting from combustion of the off-gases). The off-gases may be transported to a location for use in system 100 or system 200 (e.g., used as hot air 108 in system 100 of FIG. 1 or fed to a turbine to drive a generator to generate electricity).

[0070] Condensable vapors produced by the pyrolysis process may be condensed (e.g., into oil or another petroleum product) and then available for reuse (e.g., burned as fuel, sold, or used as a feedstock to make new products). In that regard, openings 300 may be disposed along an upper surface of the reactor body 203. In some embodiments, the system 200 may include at least one opening 300 in each of the zones 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, and in some embodiments, may include multiple openings 300 in each zone. Condensable vapors (and non-condensable gases) may exit the reactor chamber 202 through the openings 300, as indicated by arrows 406.

[0071] In some embodiments, the pressure of the pyrolysis reaction in the reactor chamber 202 may be sufficient to push or vent the vapors and gases through the opening 300 without any additional elements to assist the flow of vapors and gases out of the reactor chamber 202 (e.g., without any additional pumps and without the flow of inert gas into the reactor chamber 202). In some embodiments, a one-way valve may be placed between the reactor chamber 202 and a location downstream from the reactor chamber 202 (e.g., between the reactor chamber 202 and the condenser 402) such that fluid can flow downstream from the reactor chamber 202 but cannot return to the reactor chamber 202. However, in some embodiments, the system 200 may include one or more pumps 400 (e.g., positive pressure pumps or vacuum pumps) that pump the vapors and gases from the reactor chamber 202 to the condenser 402. For example, the pump 400 can create pressure in the reactor chamber 202 to push the vapors and gases out through the openings 300, or can create a negative pressure in the condenser 402 to draw the vapors and gases in through the openings 300. In some embodiments, this flow can be the result of the vapors and gases having a lower density than the density of the materials in the reactor body 203, coupled with an increase in pressure in the reactor chamber 202 resulting from pyrolysis. In some embodiments, an inert gas having a relatively high density (e.g., greater than at least a portion of the petroleum-based vapors and gases) can be conveyed into the reactor body 202 to assist in the flow of the condensable vapors and non-condensable gases through the openings 300.

[0072] The condensable vapors and non-condensable gases may be routed from the openings 300 to the condenser 402. Each opening 300 may be in fluid communication with the reactor chamber 202 and the condenser 402 such that all of the condensable vapors and non-condensable gases exiting the reactor chamber 202 flow to the condenser 402.

[0073] The condenser 402 can condense the condensable vapors into a condensate 404 of petroleum and petroleum products (e.g., oil and other liquid petroleum and petroleum-based products). The condenser can reduce the temperature of the mixture of condensable vapor and non-condensable gas. For example, the condenser 402 can reduce the temperature of the vapor and gas to a temperature below the boiling point of water (212°F or 100°C). This temperature reduction allows hydrocarbons within a certain range to condense into a condensate (i.e., a liquid form of the product, e.g., oil). The temperature at which the non-condensable gas condenses is significantly lower than the temperature at which the condensable vapor condenses, and the temperature to which the condenser exposes the vapor and gas is between the temperature at which the vapor condenses and the temperature at which the gas condenses, thus the condensable vapor condenses and the non-condensable gas remains in gaseous form. Due to the different forms of the condensed vapor (liquid) and the non-condensed gas (still gaseous), the two products can be separated into a liquid form of the condensed vapor and a gaseous form of the gas.

[0074] The oil and oil product condensate 404 may be conveyed away from the condenser 402, as indicated by arrow 414. In some embodiments, the condenser 402 may be in fluid communication with a storage vessel 405 (e.g., a tank or other vessel) such that the condensed oil and oil-based products flow into the storage vessel 405. The condensed oil and oil-based products may be removed from the system 200 via the storage vessel 405, where they may be reused or sold as oil products. In some embodiments, the condensed oil and oil-based products may be continually flowed away from the condenser 402 or vessel 405 for use or storage.

[0075] In some embodiments, system 200 can include one or more valves that reduce the possibility of product backflow within system 200 (e.g., one-way valves that resist fluid flow from storage vessel 405 to condenser 402 and from condenser 402 to reactor chamber 202). In some embodiments, system 200 can include one or more valves that allow storage vessel 405 to be isolated from system 200 so that the petroleum product can be removed from storage vessel 405 for sale or reuse elsewhere.

[0076] Certain compounds processed by the system 200 (e.g., certain non-condensable gases) may become waxy during exposure to temperatures within the reactor chamber; it is desirable to reduce the likelihood that these waxes will collect on surfaces of the system 200, particularly on the piping where they may cause blockages or reduce the flow of fluids therethrough. In some embodiments, the non-condensable gases received by the condenser 402 may be conveyed back into the reactor chamber 202, as indicated by arrow 416. In some embodiments, a condenser trap (e.g., a petrochemical condenser trap) may be used to capture the waxy hydrocarbons and facilitate recycling the waxy hydrocarbons into the reactor chamber 202. For example, the non-condensable gases may be sent through a chamber where the wax can be condensed, and the condensed wax may then be reheated back to a gaseous state and then conveyed back into the reactor chamber 202. The non-condensable gases can include, for example, long chain waxy hydrocarbons, and by routing these long chain waxy hydrocarbons back into the reactor chamber 202, their residence time within the reactor chamber 202 can be increased to allow for their further depolymerization.

[0077] In some embodiments, at least a portion of these non-condensable gases may be sent to a reservoir 408 for storage, as discussed in more detail below, or may be reused elsewhere. In some embodiments, non-condensable gases that cannot flow through the opening 300 may flow from the reactor chamber 202 to the reservoir 408, as indicated by arrow 418. In some embodiments, non-condensable gases that cannot be condensed in the condenser 402 may be sent to the reservoir 408. In some embodiments, the system 200 may include one or more filters to process the non-condensable gases. For example, the filters may remove one or more components that are mixed with the gas. In some embodiments, the non-condensable gases may be bubbled through a calcium hydroxide solution to remove halogens. In some embodiments, the system 200 may include two filters, such that one filter processes the gas while the other filter is regenerated.

[0078] Some plastics have relatively high melting points and can vaporize, but contain or produce waxes that can recondense back into relatively heavy waxes. It is undesirable to allow this recondensation into heavy waxes in parts of the system 200 that can clog one or more channels of the system 200 (e.g., the opening 300, the channel between the condenser 402 and the vessel 404, etc.). In that regard, the relatively high temperature in the final zone 232 can depolymerize these long polymer chains and reduce the likelihood of these recondensing into waxes, thus reducing the likelihood of clogging caused by these waxes. Additionally, the passage of time at elevated temperatures can also aid in depolymerization. In that regard, in some embodiments, vapors and gases from the final zone 232 that do not flow out of the reactor chamber 202 or condense in the condenser 402 can be sent back to the first zone 224 (e.g., as indicated by arrow 416) to increase the time that these long polymer chains are exposed to high temperatures, further reducing the likelihood of the formation of waxes that clog the system 200. Additionally, the relatively high temperatures in the final zone 232 may also improve the properties of the biochar produced by the system 200.

[0079] The non-condensable gases may be separated from the condensed oil and oil products and may be burned as a fuel, for example, to heat the heating fluid 310. In some embodiments, the system 200 may include a reservoir 408 for storing the non-condensable gases. The non-condensable gases may be sent directly to the heating element 410 or to the reservoir 408 for later delivery to the heating element 410, or may be burned as a fuel by the heating element 410 (e.g., a burner) to heat the heating fluid 310.

[0080] In some embodiments, the non-condensable gases can be used in a generator to generate electricity. This electricity can be used to power at least a portion of the system 200 (or system 100 of FIG. 1 ) or can be used to power elsewhere. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the flue gas can be sent to a turbine that is used to drive a generator to generate additional electricity to power the system 200 (or system 100 of FIG. 1 ). In some embodiments, the heating element 410 can include an electric heating element rather than a fuel-powered heating element, and the non-condensable gases and electricity generated by the turbine can be used to power the electric heating element.

[0081] In some embodiments, the system 200 may include sensors designed to detect the amount of condensable vapors and non-condensable gases obtained from the system 200. The controller 128 may monitor the sensor data and adjust variable parameters of the system 200 if an undesirable amount of non-condensable gases is produced. Variable parameters that may be adjusted by the controller 128 may include, for example, the speed of the hopper or input auger 204, the speed of the reactor auger 208, the temperature of the heating fluid 310 in one or more zones, the volume of input plastic being fed into the hopper 132, the pressure in the reactor chamber 202, etc.

[0082] It may be desirable to separate contaminants from the condensable vapors and non-condensable gases. These contaminants may be removed from the system and at least one of disposed of, converted to biochar, and the like. The contaminants may include heavy contaminants (e.g., having a density greater than that of the heating fluid 310) and light contaminants (e.g., having a density less than that of the heating fluid 310). For example, heavy contaminants may include glass, certain metals, ceramics, and the like, and light contaminants may include aluminum foil, and these contaminants may be bonded or integrated with input plastics received by the system 200. Organic contaminants (e.g., food waste) may be converted to biochar in the reactor chamber 202.

[0083] As mentioned above, the heating fluid 310 may include a molten salt. For example, the heating fluid 310 may include sodium nitrate, lithium nitrate, etc. Molten sodium nitrate has a melting point of 141 pounds per cubic foot (141 lbs / ft 3 , 2.26 grams per cubic centimeter (2.26g / cm 3 )). Thus, when molten sodium nitrate is used as the heating fluid 310, heavy contaminants cannot exit the reactor chamber 202 through the opening 300 and can have a density of 141 lbs / ft 3 The light contaminants cannot exit the reactor chamber 202 through the opening 300 and can include materials having a higher density than the 141 lbs / ft 3The heating fluid 310 may include materials having a lower density than the molten salt. The use of molten salt as the heating fluid 310 allows the molten plastic to float on the surface of the heating fluid 310 before it is vaporized into condensable vapors and non-condensable gases. This allows the vapors and gases to flow out of the opening 300 toward the condenser 402. However, it may be desirable to avoid certain salts because they may produce certain chemicals that may damage components of the system 200. In other words, it may be desirable for the molten salt (or other heating fluid) to be inert and avoid conversion to reactive (e.g., non-inert) substances in the system 200. For example, it may be desirable to avoid the use of sodium chloride because sodium chloride may produce chlorides that may corrode components of the system 200.

[0084] The system 200 can include features for managing heavy and light contaminants by conveying the heavy contaminants out of the system 200 for use or sale, and by converting at least a portion of the light contaminants into biochar. In particular, the reactor chamber 202 can include a cage 306 that at least partially surrounds the reactor auger 208. As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the heating fluid 310 can fill the lower half of the reactor chamber 202 (i.e., can extend from the bottom of the reactor body 203 to the line 222 midway through the reactor body 203). In some embodiments, the cage 306 can include a half cylinder that extends from the heating fluid 310 on one side of the reactor auger 208 to the heating fluid 310 on the other side of the reactor auger 208.

[0085] The input plastic 304 may remain within the range of the reactor auger 208 (i.e., the distance from the centerline to the input plastic 304 may be less than or equal to a diameter) due to the cage 306 and the heating fluid 310. That is, the portion of the reactor auger 208 above the heating fluid 310 may be surrounded by the cage 306. The cage 306 may contain the input plastic and generated biochar that floats on the heating fluid 310 as the reactor auger 208 forces the plastic material into the progressively hotter zone of the reactor chamber 202. Thus, the cage 306 may resist upward separation of the solid plastic 304 from the reactor auger 208, and the greater density of the heating fluid 310 relative to the plastic 304 may resist downward separation of the plastic 304 from the reactor auger 208.

[0086] In some embodiments, the reactor auger 208 and cage 306 may be cylindrical (i.e., have a relatively constant diameter along their longitudinal axis). Because some amount of input plastic is converted to steam and gas as it is forced into the reactor chamber, the reactor auger 208 and cage 306 may instead have a shape resembling a partial cone with a larger diameter in an early zone and a smaller diameter in a later zone (i.e., the diameter of the reactor auger 208 and cage 306 may be larger in the first zone 224 than in the last zone 232). This conical shape allows the reactor auger 208 to push a greater amount of plastic through the earlier zones than the later zones. In some embodiments, the conical shape of the reactor auger 208 and cage 306 may taper gradually, and in some embodiments, the conical shape may have a step (e.g., the diameter may be constant in the first zone 224 and step down to a smaller diameter in each subsequent zone).

[0087] In some embodiments, the pitch of the reactor auger 208 (i.e., the distance between corresponding points on successive turns of the auger flighting, or the distance traveled by conveyed material per revolution of the auger) may remain constant along its length, and in some embodiments, the pitch of the reactor auger 208 may vary along its length. The pitch may be selected based on factors such as the expected volume of plastic to be extruded within each zone, the desired velocity of the plastic within each zone, etc.

[0088] The cage 306 may be formed to be permeable by vapors and gases, such that condensable vapors and non-condensable gases 302 may flow upwardly through the cage 306 and exit the reactor chamber 202 through the opening 300. In some embodiments, the cage 306 may allow liquids to flow therethrough and may resist the flow of liquids, or may allow some liquids to flow and resist some liquids to flow. The cage 306 may be formed from any material capable of withstanding the temperatures within the reactor chamber 202. That is, the material of the cage 306 may be exposed to the temperatures within the reactor chamber 202 for a significant period of time without significantly deforming, melting, or suffering other undesirable physical effects. For example, the cage 306 may be formed using any of a family of oxidation-resistant corrosion-resistant materials well suited for use in extreme environments subjected to pressure and heat, which may include an austenitic nickel-chromium-based superalloy available under the trade name Inconel® from Special Metals Corporation of New Hartford, New York. The cage 306 can include a mesh design that includes openings or apertures having a diameter small enough to resist the flow of solid plastic pieces and liquid plastic (as well as light contaminants and biochar) therethrough, such that the cage 306 resists separation of the solid and liquid plastic (as well as light contaminants and biochar) from the reactor auger 208. These design features allow the reactor auger 208 to push all of the solid and liquid plastic, as well as the light contaminants and biochar, out of each of the zones of the reactor chamber 202.

[0089] As discussed elsewhere, lighter contaminants resulting from pyrolysis may be converted to biochar as a result of exposure to relatively high temperatures in the reactor chamber 202. For example, these light contaminants may be converted to biochar as they are pushed through the reactor chamber 202 by the reactor auger 208. That is, because the light contaminants have a density less than that of the heating fluid 310, the light contaminants remain above the upper surface of the heating fluid 310 and are moved through the reactor chamber 202 by the reactor auger 208. In some embodiments, the relatively high temperature in the final zone 232 may cause the biochar to be relatively light and fluffy (e.g., may reduce the density of the biochar compared to biochar exposed to lower temperatures that may have a greater density). For example, exposing the input plastic and biochar to temperatures of about 850-1112°F (about 454-600°C) may cause the biochar to be less dense than the heating fluid 310. The reduced density of the biochar also makes it less dense than the heating fluid 310, causing the biochar to remain above the top surface of the heating fluid 310. The biochar remaining on or above the top surface of the heating fluid 310 makes it easier to collect and remove the biochar from the system 200.

[0090] The mesh design of the cage 306 may also be small enough to resist the flow of biochar (formed by light contaminants) through it. In that regard, the cage 306 and reactor auger 208 may be designed such that there may be a vertical space between the top of the biochar formed within the cage 306 and the top surface of the cage 306. The vertical space may allow the biochar to be pushed within the reactor chamber 202 by the reactor auger 208 without the biochar flowing out of the cage 306 into the surrounding zone. The vertical space may also allow steam and gas formed within the cage 306 to flow freely out of the cage 306 without being blocked by the biochar mass. That is, the space between the top of the biochar and the cage 306 reduces the possibility that the biochar mass will clog the cage 306 and resist the flow of steam and gas out of the cage 306.

[0091] The system 200 may include a mechanism 216 for removing biochar from the reactor chamber 202. In some embodiments, this mechanism 216 may be at or near a longitudinal end of the reactor chamber 202 (e.g., at the distal end of the last zone 232). In some embodiments, the mechanism 216 may include a blade or edge located at or near the end of the reactor chamber 202 designed to move along the upper surface of the heating fluid 310. This movement of the blade or edge along the upper surface of the heating fluid 310 may "scrape" or push the biochar out of the heating fluid 310. For example, the blade or edge may push the biochar out through a port 215 at the output end of the reactor chamber 202 (i.e., the end of the reactor chamber 202 opposite the input end, or the end that receives the input plastic). The blade or edge, or another feature, may also be designed to work the biochar into a container or other volume, where it may be removed from the system 200 and used or sold as desired. In some embodiments, the mechanism 216 can include at least one of a fan, a particulate collection cyclone, a dust bag removal system, etc. The at least one of the fan, particulate collection cyclone, dust bag removal system, etc. can act to move the biochar away from the heating fluid 310 (i.e., through the port 215 defined by the reactor chamber 202). The at least one of the fan, particulate collection cyclone, dust bag removal system, etc. can push the biochar towards a container where it can be separated from the system 200 for use or sale, as desired. In some embodiments, the reactor auger 208 can push the material remaining within the port 215 and the pipe-like housing to extract the char formed during processing into a char collection zone or container.

[0092] Because the cage 306 lacks a lower portion, the heavy contaminants 312 (which have a greater density than the heating fluid 310) can fall downward from the reactor auger 208. That is, gravity can push the heavy contaminants 312 toward the bottom of the reactor body 203. The sump 212 can be disposed along the bottom of the reactor body 203 and can extend along the length of the reactor body 203. In some embodiments, the sump 212 can extend only along a portion of the length of the reactor body 203 instead of the entire length of the reactor body 203. Thus, the heavy contaminants 312 can fall through the heating fluid 310 into the sump 212 and settle within the sump 212. In some embodiments, the sump 212 (or lower portion of the reactor chamber 202) may have a shape that causes the heavy contaminants to settle at a central location (e.g., equidistant from the circumferential ends of the sump 212 or reactor chamber 202) along the longitudinal axis of the sump 212 (or reactor chamber 202). The system 200 may include a contaminant auger 214 (e.g., disposed within the sump 212 or at the lower portion of the reactor chamber 202) to move the heavy contaminants within the sump 212 (or reactor chamber 202). In other words, the shape of the sump 212 (or reactor chamber 202) may be designed to cause the heavy contaminants to remain in the lower portion of the sump 212 (or reactor chamber 202) at a radial location aligned with the axis of the reactor chamber 202.

[0093] The contaminant auger 214 may be along the length of the sump 312 (and thus extend along the length of the reactor body 203) and may move the heavy contaminants 312 within the sump 212 to a location where the heavy contaminants 312 may be removed from the system 200. For example, a recess within the sump 212 at or near the output end of the reactor chamber 202 may be designed to collect the heavy contaminants so that they may be removed from the recess. As another example, the reactor chamber 202 or the sump 212 may define a contaminant port via the contaminant auger 214 through which the heavy contaminants may be moved. As yet another example, the heavy contaminants may settle to the bottom of the reservoir 220 and may be removed from the bottom of the reservoir. As another example, a vessel located at the end of the sump 212 may receive the heavy contaminants 312 from the sump 212. The vessel may be sealable from the sump 212 so that the vessel can be replaced, isolated from the sump 212, and heavy contaminants removed and disposed of before isolating the vessel from the sump 212.

[0094] Referring to FIG. 5, a method 500 for preconditioning plastic to be processed using a pyrolysis process as described herein is shown. For example, method 500 may be performed using a system similar to system 100 of FIG. 1. Method 500 may begin at block 502, where input plastic (i.e., plastic to be processed) may be provided to a vibrating hopper. The vibrating hopper may vibrate with the input plastic therein to remove excess contaminants (e.g., dirt, metal, water, other debris, etc.). At block 504, the plastic may be sanitized. For example, the plastic may be exposed to air or another gas that is heated to a relatively high temperature (e.g., about 150° F. to 250° F. (65.6° C. to 121° C.)).

[0095] At block 506, the sanitized plastic may be crushed or shredded (e.g., using a grinder) into pieces having a relatively small size (e.g., the input plastic may be shredded to have an average dimension, maximum dimension, diameter, etc., of about one-eighth of an inch to about one-quarter of an inch (about 3.2 millimeters (3.2 mm) to 6.4 mm)). At block 508, the shredded or crushed plastic pieces may be pelletized. The size of the pellets may be selected based on the parameters of the system in which the pellets will undergo pyrolysis. For example, the plastic may be pelletized into spheres or other shapes having a diameter of about three-eighths of an inch to five-eighths of an inch (9.5 mm to 16 mm).

[0096] In block 510, data corresponding to the pelletized plastic may be detected using one or more sensors. For example, a first sensor may detect the weight or mass of the plastic pellets, a second sensor may detect the size of the pellets, a third sensor may detect the flow rate of the pellets being pelletized, a fourth sensor may detect the composition of the plastic pellets, etc. This detected data may be transmitted to a controller. The controller may make decisions based on the detected data and may use the determined information to control various aspects of the preconditioning system (e.g., the rate at which plastic is input into the system, the size of the plastic shredded by the crusher, etc.). The controller may also store the detected data in a local or remote memory, may transmit the detected data to a remote device (e.g., a cloud server, a customer server, or a dedicated recording and monitoring system), etc.

[0097] After measurements are taken on the plastic pellets in block 512, the plastic pellets may be provided to a pyrolysis system. For example, the plastic pellets may be automatically transported to the pyrolysis system (e.g., using a conveyor or other mechanism), conveyed or otherwise transported to the pyrolysis system, placed in storage for later processing, etc.

[0098] With reference to FIGS. 6A-6C, a method 600 for processing plastic materials is shown. Method 600 may be performed by a system similar to system 200 of FIGS. 2-4. In some embodiments, the output material of method 500 of FIG. 5 may be used as the input material of method 600. At block 602, a fluid (e.g., molten salt) or a solid (e.g., solid salt) that can be converted to a fluid may be provided to the system. The fluid may be added to the system at a relatively low temperature (e.g., room temperature) and heated by the system, the fluid may be added to the system at an elevated temperature, etc. The heated fluid may be placed in contact with the input plastic such that thermal decomposition occurs in the input plastic exposed to the heated fluid. In some embodiments, the fluid may include additional additives that may act as catalysts for the thermal decomposition process, additives or additional additives may be added to neutralize problematic substances (e.g., acids), etc.

[0099] At block 603, oxygen may be purged from the reactor chamber designed to receive the plastic pellets and cause a pyrolysis reaction with the plastic pellets. The oxygen may be purged from the reactor chamber before any plastic is exposed to high temperatures. Purging may be performed, for example, by injecting nitrogen or another inert gas into the reactor chamber. A sufficient volume of nitrogen may be injected into the reactor chamber to ensure that all oxygen is purged from the reactor chamber. In some embodiments, the products of pyrolysis may be sufficient to displace oxygen from the reactor chamber (e.g., by maintaining a pressure in the reactor chamber higher than the ambient environment of the reactor chamber). In some embodiments, additional nitrogen or another inert gas may be injected into the reactor chamber continuously or periodically to reduce the possibility of oxygen ingress at any time during processing. In some embodiments, the controller may monitor the pressure in the reactor chamber (or may detect gas in the reactor chamber) and may inject additional nitrogen or other inert gas into the reactor chamber in response to a pressure drop below a predetermined threshold pressure (or in response to detection of oxygen or other undesirable gas in the reactor chamber).

[0100] At block 604, the plastic pellets may be driven into a reactor chamber of a plastic processing system (e.g., system 200 of FIGS. 2-4). For example, the pellets may be driven into the reactor chamber in or from an input hopper (that may receive the plastic pellets from a preconditioning system). In some embodiments, the pellets may be driven into or from any device that may receive or store preprocessed plastic pellets.

[0101] At block 606, the plastic pellets may be driven within a reactor chamber. The reactor chamber may include components that define a volume in which a fluid is heated to a relatively high temperature. The reactor chamber may include multiple zones of increasing temperature such that the plastic pellets may be exposed to a higher temperature heated fluid as they are driven further within the reactor chamber.

[0102] At block 608, one or more temperature sensors may detect data corresponding to a temperature of the heated fluid in each zone. A controller coupled to the temperature sensors may determine a temperature of the heated fluid in each zone based on the detected data. At block 610, the controller may control heating elements associated with the multiple zones to adjust the temperature of the heated fluid in each zone based on the determined temperatures. Each zone may be designed to hold the heated fluid within a predetermined temperature range, and the controller may increase or decrease the amount of heat generated by the heating elements such that the heated fluid has a temperature that falls within the predetermined range for each zone.

[0103] At block 612, the remaining plastic pellets and solid and liquid plastics may be exposed to increasingly higher temperature fluids as the plastics are driven through the reactor chamber. The plastic pellets may be exposed to a first temperature range in a first zone where certain plastics undergo thermal decomposition. The thermal decomposition in each zone causes melting of some types of plastics and vaporization or gasification of other types of plastics. In that regard, the temperature ranges of each zone may be selected to cause thermal decomposition of different types of plastics. For example, the temperature of the first zone may cause thermal decomposition of a first type of plastic, the temperature of the second zone may cause thermal decomposition of a second type of plastic, etc.

[0104] At block 614, the condensable vapors and non-condensable gases may be flowed out of the reactor chamber. For example, an opening may be present along an upper surface of the reactor chamber, and the vapors and gases may flow out of the reactor chamber through the opening. For example, a pressure difference between the reactor chamber and a downstream side of the opening may push the vapors and gases to flow through the opening. As another example, a pump or other device may facilitate the flow of the vapors and gases through the opening. After the vapors and gases flow out of the reactor chamber through the opening, they may be directed toward a condenser.

[0105] At block 616, the condensable vapors exiting the reactor chamber may be condensed to liquid form. For example, the temperature of the vapors and gases may be lowered (e.g., by a condenser), thus condensing the condensable vapors to liquid form. The liquid may be or may include one or more petroleum oils and one or more petroleum products (e.g., oil). These petroleum oils and petroleum products in liquid form may be stored in a reservoir or sent to another container or remote location. The liquid petroleum oils and petroleum products may have a relatively high resale value and thus may be sold for future processing (e.g., for conversion to gasoline or to produce new plastic products). The system may include a reactant to which the condensable vapors are exposed, in which problematic substances may be neutralized and the quality (and therefore resale value) of the liquid petroleum oils and petroleum products may be increased.

[0106] At least a portion of the non-condensable gas separated from the condensed vapor may be routed back to the first zone of the reactor chamber in block 618. Routing the non-condensable gas back to the first zone may at least partially re-expose the non-condensable gas to the elevated temperature for further processing.

[0107] At least a portion of the non-condensable gases separated from the condensed steam in block 620 may be sent to storage for later use. These gases may also include oil and oil products and therefore may be combustible. In some embodiments, at least a portion of these non-condensable gases may be sent directly to a component for use without reaching storage. For example, these non-condensable gases may be combusted in a generator to generate electricity to power at least a portion of the system 200, may be combusted in a heating element (e.g., a burner) to heat a heating fluid, etc. In some embodiments, the gas sent to storage or for current use may be treated with at least one or more filters or one or more materials to increase the combustion efficiency of the gas.

[0108] Pyrolysis may also produce flue gases that are devoid of combustible materials. In some embodiments, these flue gases may remain mixed with the non-condensable gases. In some embodiments, these flue gases may be separated from the non-condensable gases and used for alternative purposes. For example, the flue gases may be sent to a turbine that drives a generator to generate electricity to power components of the system. As another example, the flue gases may be used in the method 500 of FIG. 5 to disinfect input plastics.

[0109] The pyrolysis process can produce light contaminants (eg, contaminants having a density less than or equal to the density of the heating fluid) and heavy contaminants (eg, contaminants having a density greater than or equal to the density of the heating fluid). The light contaminants may be converted to biochar as they are driven through the reactor chamber steps. The last zone of the reactor chamber may also be designed to convert the remaining light contaminants to biochar (e.g., the heating fluid in this zone may be controlled to have a sufficiently high temperature). Additionally, the design of the last zone may further process the biochar to have desired physical properties (e.g., it may have a relatively light density and be considered light and fluffy). At block 622, this biochar present at the end of the last zone may be removed from the reactor chamber. For example, the biochar may be scraped off the surface of the heating fluid. As another example, a pump may create a gas flow that pushes the biochar away from the heating fluid. The biochar may be sent to a reservoir or other container for storage. This biochar may then be sold or otherwise disposed of.

[0110] Heavy contaminants resulting from pyrolysis may fall or sink through the heating fluid (as a result of their density being greater than that of the heating fluid). In block 624, these heavy contaminants may be driven along the bottom of the reactor chamber for removal from the system. For example, a sump may be designed along the bottom of the reactor chamber to collect the heavy contaminants as they sink along the bottom. A contaminant auger may be placed in the sump and drive the heavy contaminants along the sump (or along the bottom of the reactor chamber). These heavy contaminants may be removed from the sump / reactor chamber and system using any known means. In some embodiments, the sump may have an angled design toward the near or far end (proximal or distal) such that gravity drives the heavy contaminants toward the near or far end of the sump for removal at the respective end.

[0111] In block 626, data corresponding to the state of the system may be detected by one or more sensors. For example, the system may include one or more sensors that detect the composition of the vapors and gases exiting the reactor chamber, the ratio of condensable (or condensed) vapors to non-condensable gases, the amount of condensed liquid petroleum and petroleum products in the vessel, the amount of biochar in the vessel, or the amount of non-condensable gases in the reservoir. As additional examples, the one or more sensors may detect the speed of various augers used in the system, the feed rate of plastic pellets provided to the system, the composition of the plastic pellets provided to the system, the amount of heavy contaminants resulting from pyrolysis, the temperature of a heating fluid at one or more locations in the system, or the composition of liquid petroleum and petroleum products produced by the system. As additional examples, the one or more sensors may detect the quality or composition of the heating fluid, the level of the heating fluid in the reactor chamber, the amount of space between the top surface of the molten and solid plastics and the mesh cage, the speed of various pumps in the system, the flow rates of various materials in or through various parts of the system, etc.

[0112] In block 628, the controller can monitor the state of the system based on the detected data. For example, the controller can operate a model of the system and update the model based on the detected data. The controller can be designed to send an alarm signal or adjust control of various components of the system in response to a detected parameter reaching or exceeding a predetermined threshold, or in response to a model indicating certain information.

[0113] In block 630, the controller may adjust one or more adjustable parameters of the system based on the monitored conditions (or based directly on data detected from the sensors). The controller may be designed to adjust any one or more adjustable parameters of the system to optimize the operation of the system (e.g., to maximize the ratio of condensable vapors to non-condensable gases, to optimize the quality of the biochar produced, to minimize the amount of heavy pollutants obtained, etc.). For example, the controller may be able to adjust the feed rate of plastic pellets driven into the reactor chamber. The controller may be able to increase or decrease the flow of pellets into the reactor chamber (e.g., by increasing or decreasing the rotational speed of the hopper auger). As another example, the controller may be able to adjust the rate of plastic through various zones of the reactor chamber (e.g., by increasing or decreasing the rotational speed of the reactor auger). As yet another example, the controller may be able to increase or decrease the temperature of the heating fluid in each zone of the reactor chamber. The controller may be able to adjust any adjustable components of the system (e.g., the flow rate of the pump, the rotational speed of the auger, the heat generated by the heating elements, etc.). The controller may utilize the model to calculate ideal input parameters to achieve a desired outcome from the system.

[0114] After a period of time, the heating fluid may deteriorate or the quality of the heating fluid may otherwise decrease. For example, certain heavy contaminants or other materials may become mixed with the heating fluid. In that regard, at block 632, the fluid being heated may be cleaned or replaced. The fluid may be cleaned using any known means. Similarly, the fluid may be replaced using any known means. In some embodiments, new fluid (or new solids that are heated to fluid form) may be added to the system while old fluid is removed during operation of the system. This may allow the system to continue processing plastics while simultaneously replacing poor quality fluid, increasing the time to process plastics.

[0115] In block 634, at least one of the catalytic or neutralizing compounds added to the heated fluid (e.g., to catalyze pyrolysis or neutralize acids) may be refreshed. For example, these compounds (or the heated fluid containing these compounds) may be exposed to a temperature higher than the temperature of the zone of the reactor chamber. In some embodiments, these compounds may be refreshed using any additional or alternative known techniques. In some embodiments, these compounds may be replaced instead of or in addition to refreshing existing compounds.

[0116] Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems are described herein with respect to specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent example functional relationships and / or physical connections between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may exist in an actual system. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may give rise to or may be more prominent in any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur should not be construed as key, necessary, or essential features or elements of the disclosure. Thus, the scope of the disclosure is not limited by anything other than the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and references to elements in the singular are not intended to mean "one and only one" unless expressly so stated, but rather "one or more." Also, when phrases similar to "at least one of A, B, or C" are used in the claims, the phrase is intended to be interpreted to mean that only A may be present in an embodiment, that only B may be present in an embodiment, and that only C may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of A, B, and C may be present in a single embodiment, e.g., A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.

[0117] Systems, methods, and devices are provided herein. In the detailed description of the present specification, references to "several embodiments," "various embodiments," "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," and the like indicate that the described embodiments may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not all embodiments necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in relation to an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of a person skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in relation to other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be clear to a person skilled in the art how to implement the present disclosure in alternative embodiments.

[0118] Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in this disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public, regardless of whether that element, component, or method step is expressly recited in a claim. No claim element is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for." As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements does not include only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly recited or other elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

Claims

1. 1. A method for processing plastics comprising: receiving input plastics to be processed; moving the input plastics within a reactor chamber having at least two zones each containing a heating fluid that is heated to a higher temperature in a subsequent zone, such that remaining plastics of the input plastics are exposed to increasingly higher temperatures in each zone of the reactor chamber; collecting condensable vapors exiting the at least two zones of the reactor chamber; condensing said condensable vapor into a liquid condensate; removing the biochar product from the heating fluid; and removing contaminants from the reactor chamber; The method includes:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating fluid in the reactor chamber comprises a molten salt.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two zones include a first zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit (350°F, 177 degrees Celsius (177°C)) or less, a final zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of at least 800°F (427°C), and an intermediate zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of between 250°F and 900°F (121°C and 482°C).

4. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the intermediate zones include a second zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of 300°F to 450°F (149°C to 232°C), a third zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of 450°F to 650°F (232°C to 343°C), and a fourth zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of 650°F to 850°F (343°C to 454°C).

5. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting non-condensable gases and routing the non-condensable gases to at least one generator to generate electricity or to at least one burner to provide thermal energy for heating the heating fluid.

6. sensing the temperature of the heating fluid at a plurality of locations within the reactor chamber; and controlling a heating element to increase or decrease a temperature of the heating fluid based on the detected temperature of the heating fluid; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

7. Detecting data corresponding to a condition of the reactor chamber, a component within the reactor chamber, or a component coupled to the reactor chamber; monitoring a condition of the reactor chamber, components within the reactor chamber, or components coupled to the reactor chamber based on the detected data; and adjusting an adjustable parameter of the reactor chamber, a component within the reactor chamber, or a component coupled to the reactor chamber based on the monitored condition; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

8. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising pelletizing the input plastic into plastic pellets prior to moving the input plastic within the reactor chamber.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input plastic comprises a mixture of multiple plastics.

10. 1. A system for processing plastics, comprising: a reactor chamber configured to receive an input plastic, the reactor chamber having an input end designed to receive the input plastic and an output end opposite the input end, the reactor chamber being at least partially filled with a heating fluid having a higher temperature at the output end than at the input end, the heating fluid being heated to a sufficiently high temperature to cause thermal decomposition of the input plastic and at least partially convert the input plastic to a condensable vapor; and a condenser configured to receive the condensable vapor from the reactor chamber and condense the condensable vapor into a liquid condensate; Including, the system.

11. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the reactor chamber includes, defines, or both, a port configured to receive a biochar product and separate the biochar product from the reactor chamber.

12. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the reactor chamber includes at least three zones including a first zone that heats the fluid to a temperature below 350 degrees Fahrenheit (350°F, 177 degrees Celsius (177°C)), a final zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of at least 800°F (427°C), and an intermediate zone that heats the fluid to a temperature between 250°F and 900°F (121°C and 482°C).

13. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the intermediate zones include a second zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of 300°F to 450°F (149°C to 232°C), a third zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of 450°F to 650°F (232°C to 343°C), and a fourth zone that heats the fluid to a temperature of 650°F to 850°F (343°C to 454°C).

14. 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a reactor auger disposed within the reactor chamber and extending along a length of the reactor chamber, the reactor auger configured to move the input plastic within the reactor chamber.

15. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the reactor auger has an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein an upper surface of the heating fluid is configured to be disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion of the reactor auger.

16. 15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a mesh cage configured to at least partially surround the reactor auger at a location of the reactor auger disposed above the upper surface of the heating fluid such that the input plastic remains between the mesh cage and the upper surface of the heating fluid, and the reactor auger continues to move solid plastic within the reactor chamber.

17. 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a contaminant auger disposed toward a lower portion of the reactor chamber and configured to move contaminants within the reactor chamber to a position where they can be removed from the reactor chamber.

18. an electric generator configured to convert non-condensable gases produced by the pyrolysis into electricity, and an electric heating element configured to convert the electricity from the generator into thermal energy and heat the heating fluid; or a fuel-powered heating element configured to combust the non-condensable gas to generate thermal energy for heating the heating fluid; The system of claim 10 further comprising at least one of:

19. at least one sensor configured to detect data corresponding to the system; an input auger configured to move the input plastic into the reactor chamber, the input auger having an adjustable input auger speed for adjusting the feed rate of the input plastic into the reactor chamber; a reactor auger disposed within the reactor chamber and extending along a length of the reactor chamber, the reactor auger configured to move the input plastic within the reactor chamber, the reactor auger having an adjustable reactor auger speed for adjusting the speed at which the input plastic moves within the reactor chamber; and a controller coupled to the at least one sensor, the input auger, and the reactor auger and configured to adjust at least one of the adjustable input auger speed or the adjustable reactor auger speed based on the detected data; The system of claim 10 further comprising:

20. 1. A system for processing plastics, comprising: a reactor chamber configured to receive an input plastic, the reactor chamber having an input end designed to receive the input plastic and an output end opposite the input end, the reactor chamber being at least partially filled with a heating fluid, the heating fluid being heated to a temperature sufficiently high to cause thermal decomposition of the input plastic and at least partially convert the input plastic to a condensable vapor; a reactor auger disposed within the reactor chamber and extending along a length of the reactor chamber, the reactor auger configured to move the input plastic within the reactor chamber; and a condenser configured to receive the condensable vapor from the reactor chamber and condense the condensable vapor into a liquid condensate; Including, the system.

21. The heating fluid comprises a molten salt: a first contaminant having a first density greater than a salt density of the molten salt falls through the molten salt toward a lower portion of the reactor chamber; and a second contaminant having a second density less than the salt density floats on the molten salt and is moved within the reactor chamber by the reactor auger; 21. The system of claim 20.

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