Waste plastic oil production equipment

Abstract

A waste-plastic oil conversion device 1 comprises: a primary decomposition tank 10 that dissolves waste plastic P0 and produces decomposition gas G0; a secondary decomposition tank 11 that heats a liquid component Q0, produced by condensation of a high-boiling-point component of the decomposition gas G0 produced by the primary decomposition tank 10, at a lower temperature than the primary decomposition tank 10 and produces a low-boiling-point decomposition gas G1; a melting tank 12 that melts plastic material that forms a solar cell panel 40 and separates the plastic material and valuable material; and a first storage tank 14 that condenses and stores the decomposition gas G0 and the low-boiling-point decomposition gas G1. The melting tank 12 is connected to the primary decomposition tank 10 and is configured so as to be able to introduce the decomposition gas G0.　This waste-plastic oil conversion device 1 enables realization of a device that: can thermally decompose waste plastic to produce decomposition gas and recover the decomposition gas as a liquefied component; and that can recover valuable material from solar cell panels.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for converting waste plastic into oil. [Background technology]

[0002] The disposal of plastic waste, primarily consisting of plastic products discarded after use and plastic residues generated during the manufacturing process of plastic products, has become a global environmental issue. In addition, solar power generation systems have rapidly become popular in recent years as a power generation system that does not emit carbon dioxide. However, it is predicted that a large amount of solar cell panels will be generated in the future, such as those that have reached the end of their useful life or have been damaged by disasters, and there is an urgent need to establish a disposal method for solar cell panels that has a low environmental impact.

[0003] From the viewpoint of effective resource utilization, there is a waste plastic oil-recovery system that recovers and reuses the liquefied component, i.e., oil component, obtained by condensing the decomposition gas generated when waste plastic is heated and melted in a decomposition tank. Such a waste plastic oil-recovery system is composed of a decomposition tank that heats and decomposes waste plastic, a supply means that supplies waste plastic to the decomposition tank, and an oil-recovery treatment section (e.g., a condensation tank) that collects and condenses the decomposition gas generated in the decomposition tank (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] On the other hand, solar panels have generally been disposed of as waste after the outer frame and glass have been removed manually. Therefore, a method for disposing of solar panels has been proposed in which plastic materials used to hold the solar cells of the solar panel are chemically decomposed and removed, and valuable resources are recovered. This solar panel disposal method involves contacting an oxide semiconductor with the back sheet of the solar panel, and decomposing and removing plastic materials such as the back sheet, filler, and sealant in the presence of oxygen at a temperature at which the oxide semiconductor enters an intrinsic electrical conductor region. After the plastic materials are decomposed and removed, valuable resources such as the interconnector, solar cells, outer frame, and glass are recovered (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In the following description, plastic materials such as the back sheet, filler, and sealant are considered to be waste plastics. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-200538 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-190177 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The waste plastic oil-making device described in Patent Document 1 can condense the decomposition gas produced by heating and melting waste plastic in a decomposition tank, recovering and reusing the oil component (produced oil). However, in order to thermally decompose waste plastic in a decomposition tank, pre-processing such as crushing, cleaning, and drying the waste is required. Therefore, it is difficult to process large items that cannot be crushed, such as solar panel frames and glass.

[0007] On the other hand, the solar cell panel processing device in Patent Document 2 is capable of decomposing and removing plastics such as back sheets, fillers, and sealants that make up solar cell panels. However, the decomposition gases generated when the back sheets, fillers, sealants, etc. are decomposed react with oxygen to decompose into water and carbon dioxide, which are then discharged to the outside. In other words, while it is possible to recover valuable materials such as interconnectors, solar cell cells, outer frames, and glass, it is not possible to recover liquefied decomposition gases from plastic materials such as back sheets, fillers, and sealants.

[0008] In addition, the waste plastic oil production system and the solar panel treatment device differ in treatment method, temperature control, and device configuration, making it difficult to treat them as a single device. Furthermore, if they were simply combined into a single device, a heat source would be provided for each of the decomposition tank and electric furnace, resulting in a problem of increased energy consumption.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and aims to realize a waste plastic oil production system that can thermally decompose waste plastic with low energy consumption, generate decomposition gas, and recover it as a liquefied component, and can recover valuable materials from solar panels. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] [1] The waste plastic oil production system of the present invention comprises a primary decomposition tank that melts waste plastic to produce decomposition gas; a secondary decomposition tank that heats the liquefied component of the decomposition gas produced in the primary decomposition tank, which is a condensed high-boiling point component, at a temperature lower than that of the primary decomposition tank to produce a low-boiling point decomposition gas; a melting tank that melts the plastic material that constitutes the solar cell panel and separates the plastic material from valuable resources; and a first storage tank that condenses and stores the decomposition gas and the low-boiling point decomposition gas, wherein the melting tank is connected to at least one of the primary decomposition tank or the secondary decomposition tank and is configured to be able to introduce the decomposition gas or the low-boiling point decomposition gas.

[0011] [2] In the waste plastic oil production system of the present invention, it is preferable that a separation tower is further provided between the primary decomposition tank and the secondary decomposition tank, which is capable of separating the decomposition gas generated in the primary decomposition tank into the low-boiling point decomposition gas introduced into the second storage tank and the liquefied component introduced into the secondary decomposition tank.

[0012] [3] In the waste plastic oil production apparatus of the present invention, the secondary decomposition tank has a mesh-like partition wall separating an area connected to the separation tower and an area connected to at least one of the first storage tank and the melting tank, It is preferable that a catalyst be disposed on the bottom below the partition wall and on the upper surface of the partition wall.

[0013] [4] In the waste plastic oil production apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the melting tank has a support plate on which the solar cell panel can be placed, a door that can seal the melting tank and can be opened and closed to insert and remove the solar cell panel, and a heater for maintaining the melting tank at a predetermined temperature.

[0014] [5] In the waste plastic oil production apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the melting tank has an injection part that can spray the low-boiling point liquefied components stored in the second storage tank into the inside of the melting tank in a shower-like manner.

[0015] [6] In the waste plastic oil production apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the door has a double structure with a space inside, the melting tank has a nitrogen gas supply unit for supplying nitrogen gas to the space, and the space is maintained at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure while the melting tank is operating.

[0016] [7] In the waste plastic oil production apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the melting tank is configured so that cooled nitrogen gas can be injected into the melting tank from the nitrogen gas supply unit after the operation of the melting tank is stopped.

[0017] [8] In the waste plastic oil production apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the support plate has a mesh support plate for separating the valuable materials that make up the solar cell panel from the molten plastic material, and a lattice support plate with a plurality of through holes on which the mesh support plate and the solar cell panel can be placed.

[0018] [9] In the waste plastic oil production apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the support plate further has a rack that can be arranged inside the melting tank to form gaps between adjacent solar cell panels.

[0019]

[10] In the waste plastic oil production device of the present invention, it is preferable that the support plate is configured to be able to carry the solar cell panel, move into the melting tank, and, after the solar cell panel is thermally decomposed, move to a position where the residue of the solar cell panel can be collected.

[0020]

[11] In the waste plastic oil production system of the present invention, it is preferable that the melting tank can accept large-sized waste plastics that cannot be put into the primary decomposition tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] The waste plastic-to-oil system melts waste plastic in a primary cracking tank to generate high-boiling cracked gas, and melts the plastic material that makes up solar panels in a melting tank to generate cracked gas and separate valuable resources. The melting tank receives cracked gas or low-boiling cracked gas at a temperature sufficient to melt the plastic material from the primary or secondary cracking tank. Molten plastic material is introduced from the melting tank into the primary cracking tank, where it is reheated together with the waste plastic melted in the primary cracking tank to generate high-boiling cracked gas. The waste plastic-to-oil system is configured to enable heat exchange between the primary or secondary cracking tank and the melting tank. This waste plastic-to-oil system consumes little energy and can generate cracked gas and recover the liquefied components, enabling valuable resources to be recovered from the solar panels. The liquefied components become a usable product oil. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of an oil-producing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the melting tank 12 and the solar cell panel 40 being taken in and out of the melting tank 12. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a separation tower 15. [Figure 4] 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a solar cell panel 40. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a structural explanatory diagram showing a part of the structure of the oil-producing apparatus 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a structural explanatory diagram showing a part of the structure of the oil-producing apparatus 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, waste plastic to oil production apparatus 1, waste plastic to oil production apparatus 2, and waste plastic to oil production apparatus 3 according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. In the following description, waste plastic to oil production apparatus 1, waste plastic to oil production apparatus 2, and waste plastic to oil production apparatus 3 may be simply referred to as oil production apparatus 1, oil production apparatus 2, and oil production apparatus 3. Waste plastic P0 to be oiled in oil production apparatuses 1, 2, and 3 includes plastic products discarded after use and plastic residues generated in the manufacturing process of plastic products. Examples of materials for waste plastic P0 include thermoplastic plastics such as polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, expanded polystyrene (styrene foam), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and polyvinyl chloride.

[0024] The configuration of the solar cell panel 40 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. Plastic materials used in the solar cell panel 40 include a filler 81, a back sheet 84, and a sealing material 88. The filler 81 is made of EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer), PVB (polyvinyl butyral), silicone resin, or the like. The back sheet 84 is made of plastic materials such as PVF (polyvinyl fluoride), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and PE (polyethylene). The sealing material 88 is made of IIR (butyl rubber), silicone rubber, or the like. In the following description, the filler 81, the back sheet 84, and the sealing material 88 will be collectively referred to as plastic materials.

[0025] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of an oil-producing apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. The oil-producing apparatus 1 includes a primary decomposition tank 10 that heats and melts raw material waste plastic P0 to produce a decomposition gas G0 (also referred to as off-gas), and a secondary decomposition tank 11 that heats a liquefied component Q0 condensed from the decomposition gas G0 at a predetermined temperature to produce a low-boiling-point decomposition gas G1. The oil-producing apparatus 1 also includes a melting tank 12 that melts the plastic material of a solar cell panel 40 to produce a decomposition gas G3. The melting tank 12 is connected to the primary decomposition tank 10 by a connecting pipe 13, allowing the introduction of the high-temperature decomposition gas G0 produced in the primary decomposition tank 10.

[0026] The oil-producing apparatus 1 has a first storage tank 14 that stores a liquefied component Q1 obtained by condensing a cracked gas G4 obtained after the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 generated in the secondary cracking tank 11 has passed through a temperature regulator 29, and a liquefied component Q2 obtained by condensing a cracked gas G4 obtained after the cracked gas G3 generated in the melting tank 12 has passed through the temperature regulator 29. The first storage tank 14 stores a liquefied component Q3 which is a mixture of the liquefied component Q1 and the liquefied component Q2.

[0027] Between the primary decomposition tank 10 and the secondary decomposition tank 11, there is provided a separation tower 15 for separating a low-boiling point cracked gas G2 from the cracked gas G0 produced in the primary decomposition tank 10, and a second storage tank 16 for condensing and storing the cracked gas G2 separated in the separation tower 15. A liquefied component Q0 formed by condensing the cracked gas G0 during separation of the cracked gas G2 in the separation tower 15 is introduced into the secondary decomposition tank 11.

[0028] The oil-making apparatus 1 has an extruder 17 that heats and melts the raw material waste plastic P0 fed from a hopper 18 and sends it into the primary decomposition tank 10. The extruder 17 is a so-called screw-type extruder (not shown) that is composed of a heating cylinder with a heater (such as a band heater) attached to the outer periphery and a screw that rotates inside the heating cylinder.

[0029] The primary decomposition tank 10 has a main body 20 with a conical bottom, a heater 21 disposed around the outer periphery of the main body 20, and an agitator 22 for agitating the molten plastic P1 that has been heated and melted inside the main body 20. The main body 20 is disposed on top of a base 25. The heater 21 is, for example, an infrared heater, a high-frequency coil, or an electric heating wire. The agitator 22 has the function of agitating the molten plastic P1 to make the temperature of the molten plastic P1 uniform, and the function of scraping off any residue of the molten plastic P1 that adheres to the bottom of the main body 20. A temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature is disposed inside the main body 20, and the internal temperature is appropriately managed by controlling the power supplied to the heater 21. The temperature of the primary decomposition tank 10 is 400°C to 500°C.

[0030] A mesh partition plate 24 carrying a catalyst is disposed above the agitator 22. The catalyst is, for example, high-silica zeolite, and promotes further decomposition of the cracked gas G0. An inlet section 26 for injecting a catalyst such as zeolite into the main body 20 is provided at the top of the main body 20. Within the main body 20, the zeolite promotes the thermal decomposition of the molten plastic P1 by fluidized catalytic cracking.

[0031] A residue discharge port 27 is provided at the bottom of the main body 20 for discharging the residue of the molten plastic P1 and zeolite. Although not shown, a vent may be provided to release the decomposition gas G0 to the outside when the pressure inside the main body 20 reaches a predetermined level or higher. This vent is preferably provided with a filter to remove harmful substances, particles, etc.

[0032] The secondary decomposition tank 11 has a cylindrical body 30 disposed horizontally (not necessarily exactly horizontally), one end of which is connected to the separation tower 15 by a connecting pipe 31, and the other end of which is connected to the first storage tank 14 by a connecting pipe 32. A temperature regulator 29 is disposed on the secondary decomposition tank 11 side of the connecting pipe 32. A cooler 38 is also disposed on the connecting pipe 32 on the first storage tank 14 side, and the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 is cooled by the temperature regulator 29 and condensed in the first storage tank 14 as cracked gas G4, and a liquefied component Q1 is stored. The secondary decomposition tank 11 has a mesh-like first partition wall 33 separating an area connected to the separation tower 15 (connecting pipe 31) from an area connected to the first storage tank 14 (connecting pipe 32). A catalyst 34 is disposed on the upper surface of the first partition wall 33 in a state that allows gas to pass through.

[0033] The catalyst 34 promotes the production of low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 from the cracked gas G0 mixed with the liquefied component Q0 introduced from the separation column 15. The cylindrical body 30 has a mesh-like second partition wall 35 that divides the cylindrical body 30 into two, upper and lower, and the second partition wall 35 has an overflow weir 36 that reaches the bottom near the connection between the connecting pipe 32 and the cylindrical body 30. The second partition wall 35 has the function of preventing bumping of the liquefied component Q0. A heater 67 is provided in the area connected to the separation column 15 to prevent the liquefied component Q0 from solidifying.

[0034] In the secondary decomposition tank 11, when the amount of the liquefied component Q0 exceeds the amount of the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 produced, the liquefied component Q0 overflows the overflow weir 36 and is discharged through the discharge pipe 37. In other words, the overflow weir 36 serves as a safety valve that prevents the cylindrical body 30 from being filled with the liquefied component Q0. A catalyst 39 is disposed at the bottom of the cylindrical body 30. The catalyst 39 uses high-silica zeolite or the like to promote the production of the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 from the liquefied component Q0. Although not shown, a temperature sensor is disposed inside the cylindrical body 30 and controls the power supplied to the heater 21 to appropriately manage the internal temperature. The internal temperature of the secondary decomposition tank 11 is managed at 300°C to 400°C.

[0035] Melting tank 12 melts plastic materials (see FIG. 4) such as filler 81, back sheet 84, and sealing material 88 of solar cell panel 40. Melting tank 12 has support plate 41 on which solar cell panel 40 can be placed, door 42 that can seal the interior of melting tank 12 and is opened when solar cell panel 40 is taken in or out, and heater 68 for heating melting tank 12 to a predetermined temperature. Heater 68 is arranged on the outer periphery of melting tank 12 excluding door 42.

[0036] Door 42 has a double structure with space 43, to which a nitrogen gas supply unit 44 is connected for supplying nitrogen gas. When melting tank 12 is operating, space 43 is filled with nitrogen gas and controlled to be at a higher pressure than atmospheric pressure. The purpose of filling space 43 with nitrogen gas is to prevent air from entering the interior of melting tank 12 and to enhance the insulating effect by not placing heater 68 on door 42.

[0037] Melting tank 12 is connected to primary decomposition tank 10 by connecting pipe 13. Connecting pipe 13 is provided with valve V1, and when melting tank 12 is operated, valve V1 is opened to introduce high-temperature decomposition gas G0 from primary decomposition tank 10 into melting tank 12. In melting tank 12, the temperature of decomposition gas G0 is controlled at 320°C to 350°C, and the plastic material of solar cell panel 40 is melted.

[0038] The plastic material that constitutes solar cell panel 40 can be sufficiently melted at approximately 300°C, but by setting the temperature inside melting tank 12 to 320°C to 350°C, it is possible to shorten the melting time of the plastic material. Under these temperature conditions, low-boiling point decomposition gas G1 is generated in melting tank 12. However, if the temperature is set to 400°C to 500°C, as in primary decomposition tank 10, it is possible to further increase the melting rate of the plastic material. However, under these temperature conditions, decomposition gas G0 is generated.

[0039] The bottom of the melting tank 12 has a quadrangular pyramid-shaped funnel shape, and a hole 45 at the top of the funnel is connected to the primary decomposition tank 10 by a connecting pipe 46. A valve V2 is provided on the connecting pipe 46 at a position midway between the melting tank 12 and the primary decomposition tank 10, and the valve V2 is closed when the operation of the melting tank 12 is stopped. The plastic material (referred to as molten plastic P2) heated and melted in the melting tank 12 drops when it becomes fluid, passes through the connecting pipe 46, and is sent to the primary decomposition tank 10, where it is reheated. In the melting tank 12, the high-boiling-point components of the decomposition gas G0 are liquefied and sent to the primary decomposition tank 10 together with the molten plastic P2. The molten plastic P2 is reheated to 400°C to 500°C in the primary decomposition tank 10 together with the molten plastic P1, and the generated decomposition gas G0 is introduced into the melting tank 12.

[0040] In the melting tank 12, a decomposition gas G3 is produced, which is a mixed gas of the low-boiling-point decomposition gas G1 produced when the plastic material of the solar cell panel 40 is melted and the decomposition gas G0 produced in the primary decomposition tank 10. The decomposition gas G3 may be the low-boiling-point decomposition gas G1, a low-boiling-point mixed gas, the decomposition gas G0, or the low-boiling-point decomposition gas G1. The melting tank 12 and the first storage tank 14 are connected by a connecting pipe 47. A temperature regulator 29 is arranged on the melting tank 12 side of the connecting pipe 47, and cools the decomposition gas G3 to 300°C. The decomposition gas G4, which has a boiling point of 300°C or less, is further cooled by a cooler 38 arranged on the first storage tank 14 side, condensed in the first storage tank 14, and stored as a liquefied component Q2. Therefore, the first storage tank 14 stores a liquefied component Q3, which is a mixture of a liquefied component Q1 obtained by condensing the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 produced in the secondary cracking tank 11 and a liquefied component Q2 obtained by condensing the cracked gas G3 produced in the melting tank 12. The first storage tank 14 is cooled to room temperature with cooling water W. When the melting tank 12 is not in operation, the valves V1, V2, and V4 are closed, and the valve V3 is opened. At this time, the first storage tank 14 stores the liquefied component Q1, which is made up of a light oil component obtained by condensing the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 produced in the secondary cracking tank 11 (cracked gas G4 cooled by the temperature regulator 29).

[0041] The low-boiling cracked gas G5 that was not liquefied in the first storage tank 14 is sent to the water seal 64 through the connecting pipe 48. The cracked gas G5 is a volatile combustible gas containing ethane and methane, whose molecular formula n is 5 or less. Cooling water W is stored in the water seal 64. The tip of the connecting pipe 48 is submerged in the cooling water W, and the cracked gas G5 does not dissolve in the cooling water W. It rises to the space above the liquid surface and is discharged through the discharge pipe 65. The water surface is maintained at a constant height. The main role of the water seal 64 is to maintain a positive pressure in the system extending from the primary decomposition tank 10 to the melting tank 12, the secondary decomposition tank 11, and the first storage tank 14. This prevents oxygen from entering the system extending from the primary decomposition tank 10 to the melting tank 12, the secondary decomposition tank 11, and the first storage tank 14.

[0042] Because the tip of the connecting pipe 48 is always below the water surface, the pressure at the tip of the connecting pipe 48 is equal to the water pressure below the water surface of the connecting pipe 48. If the tip of the connecting pipe 48 is too deep below the water surface, the pressure in the primary decomposition tank 10 and the secondary decomposition tank 11 will increase, reducing the decomposition efficiency of the cracked gas G0 and the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1. For this reason, the water seal 64 keeps the water surface constant, and the connecting pipe 48 is buried to a depth of approximately 10 mm. Furthermore, having the tip of the connecting pipe 48 below the liquid surface also prevents air from entering the system from the primary decomposition tank 10 to the first storage tank 14 if the temperature drops due to some kind of malfunction.

[0043] Furthermore, by providing the water seal device 64, it is possible to prevent the decomposition gas G4 from flowing back into the secondary decomposition tank 11, the melting tank 12, and the primary decomposition tank 10. A trap tank (not shown) may be provided between the first storage tank 14 and the water seal device 64, and providing the trap tank can enhance the effect of preventing the decomposition gas G2 from flowing back.

[0044] The decomposition gas G5 is introduced into the exhaust gas decomposition treatment device 49 through the discharge pipe 65. The exhaust gas decomposition treatment device 49 is a device that decomposes the decomposition gas G5 into carbon dioxide gas and water (water vapor) using a catalyst and discharges the decomposition gas G5 to the outside as exhaust gas Gh. Note that the decomposition gas G5 can also be incinerated in an incineration device or the like before being discharged. Next, the configuration of the melting tank 12 will be further described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0045] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the melting tank 12 and the solar cell panels 40 being inserted into and removed from the melting tank 12. FIG. 2(a) is an explanatory diagram showing the interior of the melting tank 12, and FIG. 2(b) is an explanatory diagram showing the state before the solar cell panels 40 are placed in the melting tank 12. Note that FIG. 2 omits the number of solar cell panels 40 inside and outside the melting tank 12 and the shape of the racks 62. The door 42 of the melting tank 12 has a hole 54 that can inject cooled nitrogen gas into the melting tank 12. Just before stopping the operation of the melting tank 12 and removing the solar cell panel 40 residue, cooled nitrogen gas is injected into the melting tank 12 through the hole 54 to quickly cool the melting tank 12, the support plate 41, and the solar cell panel 40 residue. The door 42 is provided with a shutter 55 that opens and closes the hole 54. Shutter 55 is closed when melting tank 12 is in operation, and is opened after the operation of melting tank 12 is stopped and it is confirmed that the temperature inside melting tank 12 has dropped below a predetermined temperature. Alternatively, cooled nitrogen gas may be sprayed directly into melting tank 12 without going through door 42.

[0046] The support plate 41 has a mesh support plate 60 with a mesh for separating valuables, which are residues when the plastic material of the solar cell panel 40 is melted, from the molten plastic P2, and is composed of the mesh support plate 60 and a lattice support plate 61 with multiple through holes (not shown) that can hold multiple solar cell panels 40. The mesh support plate 60 leaves the valuables behind and allows the molten plastic P2 to fall. The lattice support plate 61 has enough rigidity to support the solar cell panels 40.

[0047] The melting tank 12 also has a rack 62 for maintaining the orientation of the solar cell panels 40 on the support plate 41. The rack 62 arranges the solar cell panels 40 one by one in a vertical orientation (referred to as a vertical arrangement) and holds the solar cell panels 40 with gaps 63 formed between adjacent solar cell panels 40. The solar cell panels 40 may be partially in contact with each other within the rack 62, but not so closely together. Providing gaps 63 between adjacent solar cell panels 40 allows the decomposition gas G0 to come into contact with the periphery of the solar cell panels 40, thereby enabling the melting of the plastic material that constitutes the solar cell panels 40 to be accelerated.

[0048] Although not shown, rails are provided inside melting tank 12 on both sides of support plate 41 in the forward and backward direction, allowing support plate 41 to slide along these rails. It is also possible to attach rollers to support plate 41 so that it can move along the rails. Outside melting tank 12, support plate 41 is preferably kept waiting at the same height as the rails.

[0049] The melting tank 12 has an injection unit 51 at its upper portion, which injects the low-boiling liquefied component Q4 stored in the second storage tank 16 in a shower-like manner. This will be described with reference to FIG. 1 . The injection unit 51 is connected to the second storage tank 16 via a connecting pipe 52 and a pump 56. The pump 56 draws the liquefied component Q4 from the second storage tank 16, increases the pressure, and injects the liquefied component Q4 in a shower-like manner from the injection unit 51, cooling the interior of the melting tank 12 and cleaning residues from the solar cell panels 40. The second storage tank 16 is connected to the separation tower 15 via a connecting pipe 53. The liquefied component Q4 stored in the second storage tank 16 is primarily gasoline. A mesh plate 79 is provided at the top of the second storage tank 16. The mesh plate 79 serves as a filter for fine particles contained in the cracked gas G2. The configuration of the separation tower 15 will now be described with reference to FIG. 3 .

[0050] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the separation tower 15. The description will also refer to FIG. 1. The separation tower 15 is composed of an outer cylindrical portion 70 and an inner cylindrical portion 71 inserted into the outer cylindrical portion 70. A cylindrical space 72 is formed between the outer cylindrical portion 70 and the inner cylindrical portion 71. The inner cylindrical portion 71 is connected to the primary decomposition tank 10 by a connecting pipe 73. The outer cylindrical portion 70 has a double-pipe structure, and cooling water W flows inside it to cool the decomposition gas G0 sent from the primary decomposition tank 10 to 250°C. A valve V3 is provided on the connecting pipe 73.

[0051] Cracked gas G0 generated in primary decomposition tank 10 is branched into connecting pipe 13 and connecting pipe 73. Cracked gas G0 is sent to melting tank 12 through connecting pipe 13 and to separation tower 15 through connecting pipe 73. When melting tank 12 is operated, valve V3 is closed and valves V1, V2, and V4 are opened. When liquefied component Q0 remains in secondary decomposition tank 11, secondary decomposition tank 11 is also operated. When melting tank 12 is not operated, valves V1, V2, and V4 are closed and valve V3 is opened. When both secondary decomposition tank 11 and melting tank 12 are operated, valves V1, V2, V3, and V4 are opened. However, when melting tank 12 is operated, it is desirable to close valve V3 to increase the thermal efficiency of melting tank 12.

[0052] In the separation tower 15, the cracked gas G0 is cooled to 250°C. The cracked gas G2, which has a boiling point lower than 250°C, rises through the connecting pipe 53 and is sent toward the second storage tank 16. The cracked gas G0, which has a boiling point higher than 250°C (cracked gas G0 with reduced cracked gas G2 components), flows downward through the space 72 as the liquefied component Q0 and is sent to the secondary cracking tank 11. The cracked gas G0 sent from the connecting pipe 73 to the separation tower 15 collides with the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 70 in an oblique direction (approximately tangential to the circumferential surface) and then descends through the space 72 while swirling along the inner circumferential surface (shown by the dotted line in FIG. 3). This enhances the cooling effect of the cracked gas G0, promoting liquefaction, and the liquefied component Q0 falls into the secondary cracking tank 11.

[0053] A cooler 75 is provided on the separation tower 15 side of the connecting pipe 53, and a temperature regulator 76 is provided on the second storage tank 16 side. The cracked gas G2 is cooled to 190°C in the cooler 75 and sent to the second storage tank 16 while being maintained at 190°C by the temperature regulator 76. The liquefied component Q0 liquefied in the cooler 75 falls through the separation tower 15 and is sent to the secondary decomposition tank 11, where it is reheated.

[0054] Returning to FIG. 1, the configuration from the separation tower 15 to the second storage tank 16 will be described. The cracked gas G2 is cooled to room temperature by cooling water W in the second storage tank 16. The cracked gas G5 that is not liquefied in the second storage tank 16 is introduced into the water seal device 64 through a connecting pipe 77. A cooler 50 is provided in the connecting pipe 77, and the cracked gas G5 is maintained at room temperature (20°C) and introduced into the water seal device 64. Cooling the cracked gas G5 to room temperature using the cooler 50 makes it possible to reduce the amount of cracked gas G5 emitted to be sent to the water seal device 64. Next, the configuration of the solar cell panel 40 to be treated will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0055] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a solar cell panel 40. The solar cell panel 40 is composed of a glass plate 80, solar cells 82 fixed to one surface of the glass plate 80 with a filler 81, an interconnector 83 electrically connecting the solar cells 82, and a backsheet 84 protecting the back surface of the solar cell panel 40. Electrodes 85 and 86 are formed on the front and back surfaces of the solar cells 82. The interconnector 83 is wiring that connects the solar cells 82 to each other and to an external interface (not shown) via the electrodes 85 and 86. The glass plate 80 is made of white heat-treated glass (commonly known as tempered glass). Typical materials used for the filler 81 include EVA resin (ethylene vinyl acetate), PVB resin (polyvinyl butyral), and silicone resin. The filler 81 seals the periphery of the solar cells 82 and the inner surface of the glass plate 80 and backsheet 84 without gaps by applying heat and pressure.

[0056] The solar cell 82 may be made of single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, thin film silicon, heterojunction or multi-element compound semiconductor, etc. The back sheet 84 may be made of a sheet such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PE (polyethylene), or PVF (polyvinyl fluoride). An aluminum outer frame 87 is fitted around the periphery of the large solar cell panel 40. The solar cell panel 40 and the outer frame 87 are fixed together with a sealant 88, which keeps the connection between the solar cell panel 40 and the outer frame 87 airtight. The sealant 88 may be made of butyl rubber, silicone rubber, or the like. The filler 81, the back sheet 84, and the sealant 88 are made of thermoplastic resin.

[0057] When the solar cell panel 40 is heated in the melting tank 12, plastic materials such as the filler 81, back sheet 84, and sealing material 88 melt (collectively referred to as molten plastic P2). The molten plastic P2 drops from the support plate 41 and is sent to the primary decomposition tank 10. After all of the plastic materials have been melted, residues such as the outer frame 87, glass plate 80, solar cell 82, and interconnector 83 remain on top of the mesh support plate 60. These residues are valuable resources that can be recycled. The solar cell panel 40 may be placed in the melting tank 12 with the outer frame 87 removed.

[0058] Next, a method for recovering liquefied components Q1, Q2, and Q3 from waste plastic P0 and plastic materials used in solar cell panels 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The cracked gas G0 produced in the primary cracking tank 10 is cooled to 250°C in a separation tower 15 as a first path, and then condensed in a cooler 75 and introduced as the liquefied component Q0 into the secondary cracking tank 11. In the secondary cracking tank 11, the liquefied component Q0 is heated to a temperature of 300°C to 400°C. When the temperature of the secondary cracking tank 11 is set to 300°C, a low-boiling cracked gas G1, where n is 16 or less, is produced from the high-boiling liquefied component Q0, which has a hydrocarbon molecular formula (CnH2n+2) where n is 17, 18, or 19. The liquefied component Q0 is primarily a heavy oil component and remains in a liquid state in the lower part of the secondary cracking tank 11.

[0059] In the secondary decomposition tank 11, the accumulated liquefied component Q0 is heated to 300°C to 400°C, whereby the liquefied component Q0 is thermally decomposed to produce a low-boiling-point cracked gas G1. The residue of the liquefied component Q0 is much smaller than the residue in the primary decomposition tank 10 and is periodically discharged from the discharge pipe 37 of the secondary decomposition tank 11. Note that the liquefied component Q0 is mixed with fine particles generated in the primary decomposition tank 10. The fine particles settle by gravity in the secondary decomposition tank 11 and are discharged from the discharge pipe 37 together with the liquefied component Q0 that has accumulated in excess in the secondary decomposition tank 11. The discharge pipe 37 can serve as a safety device to prevent excessive accumulation of the liquefied component Q0 in the secondary decomposition tank 11.

[0060] The low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 produced in the secondary cracking tank 11 is sent toward the first storage tank 14 while the temperature is maintained at 300°C by the temperature regulator 29. The temperature is then lowered in the cooler 38, and the liquefied component Q1 is condensed in the first storage tank 14 and stored. The liquefied component Q1, which is mainly composed of the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1, is primarily a light oil component.

[0061] When the secondary decomposition tank 11 is stopped and the melting tank 12 is operated, the cracked gas G0 generated in the primary decomposition tank 10 at 400°C to 500°C is sent to the melting tank 12. However, the temperature in the melting tank 12 is controlled to 320°C to 350°C. Plastic materials such as the filler 81, backsheet 84, and sealing material 88 of the solar cell panel 40 are melted to generate cracked gas G3, which is a mixture of high-boiling-point cracked gas G0 and low-boiling-point cracked gas G1. The cracked gas G3 is cooled to 300°C by the temperature controller 29, further cooled by the cooler 38, and condensed at room temperature (20°C) using cooling water W in the first storage tank 14, where it is stored as liquefied component Q2. The liquefied component Q2 is primarily a diesel fuel component. The above is the case when the melting tank 12 is operated without the secondary decomposition tank 11 being operated.

[0062] When the secondary cracking tank 11 and the melting tank 12 are operated simultaneously, a liquefied component Q3, which is a mixture of liquefied components Q1 and Q2, is stored in the first storage tank 14. When the liquefied component Q3 stored in the first storage tank 14 is to be appropriately recovered as a useful product oil, the liquefied component Q3 can be heated to the boiling point temperature of the desired liquefied component (oil component) and condensed, thereby making it possible to recover a product oil of the desired component.

[0063] The oil-producing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment described above includes a primary decomposition tank 10 that melts waste plastic P0 to produce a cracked gas G0, a secondary decomposition tank 11 that heats a liquefied component Q0, which is a condensed high-boiling-point component of the cracked gas G0 produced in the primary decomposition tank 10, at a temperature lower than that of the primary decomposition tank 10 to produce a low-boiling-point cracked gas G1, and a melting tank 12 that melts plastic materials, such as the filler 81, back sheet 84, and sealing material 88 that make up the solar cell panel 40, and separates the plastic materials from valuable resources. The oil-producing apparatus 1 also includes a first storage tank 14 that condenses and stores the cracked gas G0 and the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1. The melting tank 12 is connected to the primary decomposition tank 10 or the secondary decomposition tank 11 and is configured to allow the introduction of the cracked gas G0.

[0064] The oil-producing apparatus 1 configured in this manner can melt waste plastic P0 to generate decomposition gas G0 and recover liquefied components Q2. Furthermore, it can melt the filler 81, back sheet 84, sealant 88, etc. of the solar cell panel 40, and separate and recover recyclable valuables such as the glass plate 80, solar cell 82, interconnector 83, and outer frame 87. The oil-producing apparatus 1 can also use the high-temperature decomposition gas G0 generated in the primary decomposition tank 10 as thermal energy to melt the solar cell panel 40 by introducing it into the melting tank 12. Furthermore, the plastic material (molten plastic P2) melted in the melting tank 12 can be reheated in the primary decomposition tank 10 to generate decomposition gas G0. Therefore, the waste plastic-to-oil producing apparatus 1 can thermally decompose waste plastic P0 to generate decomposition gas G3, which can be recovered as liquefied components Q2, with low energy consumption, thereby recovering valuables from the solar cell panel 40.

[0065] The oil production apparatus 1 also has a separation tower 15 that is arranged between the primary decomposition tank 10 and the secondary decomposition tank 11 and is capable of separating the decomposition gas G0 into a low-boiling point decomposition gas G2 that is introduced into the second storage tank 16 and a liquefied component Q0 that is introduced into the secondary decomposition tank 11.

[0066] Cracked gas G2 is condensed and stored in second storage tank 16 as liquefied component Q4. Liquefied component Q4 is gasoline and can be used to cool and clean melting tank 12. It can also be recovered as gasoline. After cleaning valuable materials separated from the interior of melting tank 12 and from solar cell panels 40, liquefied component Q4 is sent to primary decomposition tank 10 via connecting pipe 46 together with the cleaning residue, where it is reheated to generate cracked gas G0, which is introduced into at least one of secondary decomposition tank 11 or melting tank 12.

[0067] The secondary decomposition tank 11 has a mesh-like first partition wall 33 that separates it into an area connected to the separation tower 15 and an area connected to the first storage tank 14. A catalyst 39 is disposed on the bottom below the first partition wall 33, and a catalyst 34 is disposed on the upper surface of the first partition wall 33.

[0068] Use of the catalyst 34 makes it possible to promote the production of a low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 from the cracked gas G0 that is mixed with the liquefied component Q0 and introduced from the separation column 15. In addition, the catalyst 39 promotes the production of a low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 from the liquefied component Q0.

[0069] The melting tank 12 also has a support plate 41 on which the solar cell panel 40 can be placed, a door 42 that can seal the melting tank 12 and can be opened and closed to put the solar cell panel 40 in and out, and a heater 68 that maintains the melting tank 12 at a predetermined temperature of 320°C to 350°C.

[0070] Melting tank 12 has door 42, which allows the interior of melting tank 12 to be sealed. Melting tank 12 also has heater 68, which seals the interior of melting tank 12 and further heats it with heater 68 to control the temperature inside melting tank 12. By configuring melting tank 12 in this way, it is possible to increase the melting efficiency of the plastic material that makes up solar cell panel 40, even if the tank has a volume large enough to accommodate solar cell panel 40. Furthermore, because melting tank 12 is sealed, it is possible to prevent decomposition gas G3 from leaking to the outside.

[0071] The melting tank 12 also has an ejection unit 51 that can eject the low-boiling point liquefied component Q4 stored in the second storage tank 16 into the melting tank 12 in a shower-like manner.

[0072] By injecting the liquefied component Q4, in this example gasoline, into the melting tank 12 in a shower-like manner from the injection unit 51, the interior of the melting tank 12 can be cooled and the melted residue adhering to the melting tank 12 and the residue (valuable material) separated by melting the solar cell panels 40 can be washed away. The liquefied component Q4 is a part of the decomposition gas G0, and there is no need to introduce a cleaning liquid from the outside, allowing the product to be used effectively. The liquefied component Q4 injected into the melting tank 12 is returned to the primary decomposition tank 10 via the connecting pipe 46 after being washed. A recovery port 78 for recovering the liquefied component Q4 is provided at the bottom of the melting tank 12.

[0073] Door 42 has a double structure with space 43 inside, and melting tank 12 has a nitrogen gas supply unit 44 for supplying nitrogen gas to space 43, so that while melting tank 12 is operating, space 43 is maintained at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure with nitrogen gas.

[0074] Because door 42 opens and closes, it is difficult to install heater 68. Therefore, by sealing nitrogen gas in space 43 of door 42, it is possible to improve the thermal insulation. Furthermore, because space 43 is controlled to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, it is possible to prevent air from entering the melting tank 12 through space 43.

[0075] Furthermore, melting tank 12 is configured so that cooled nitrogen gas can be injected into the melting tank from nitrogen gas supply unit 44 after the operation of melting tank 12 has been stopped.

[0076] The cooled nitrogen gas is sprayed into the melting tank 12 through the hole 54 in the door 42. Alternatively, nitrogen gas is sprayed directly into the melting tank 12. The melting tank 12 is in a high temperature state immediately after operation is stopped. Therefore, by spraying cooled nitrogen gas from the nitrogen gas supply unit 44 into the melting tank 12 through the hole 54 in the door 42 or directly, it is possible to quickly cool the melting tank 12, the support plate 41, and the residue of the solar cell panel 40. This makes it possible to recover valuable resources and shorten the waiting time for the next solar cell panel 40 to be processed to be introduced.

[0077] The support plate 41 also has a mesh-like support plate 60 for separating the valuable materials that make up the solar cell panel 40 from the molten plastic P2, and a lattice-like support plate 61 with multiple through holes on which the mesh-like support plate 60 and the solar cell panel 40 can be placed.

[0078] The mesh-like support plate 60 allows the valuables to be separated from the molten plastics P2, and the lattice-like support plate 61 allows the molten plastics P2 to easily drop. With this configuration, valuables can be easily recovered.

[0079] The support plate 41 also has racks 62 that allow adjacent solar cell panels 40 to be arranged inside the melting tank 12 with gaps 63 formed between them.

[0080] When adjacent solar cell panels 40 are closely spaced, the heat transfer efficiency between each solar cell panel 40 is poor, slowing the melting rate of the plastic material. Therefore, by providing a gap 63 between adjacent solar cell panels 40, the decomposition gas G0 can come into contact with the periphery of each solar cell panel 40, thereby accelerating the melting of the plastic material constituting the solar cell panels 40. Note that by configuring the rack 62 so that the solar cell panels 40 are arranged horizontally, the solar cell panels 40 can also be stacked and arranged horizontally. When arranging the solar cell panels 40 horizontally, it is preferable to provide a larger gap 63 than in a vertical arrangement because the molten plastic P2 will flow down from the solar cell panels 40 arranged above.

[0081] In addition, the support plate 41 is configured so that it can be mounted with the solar cell panel 40 and moved into the melting tank 12, and after the solar cell panel 40 is thermally decomposed, it can be moved to a position where the residue (valuable material) of the solar cell panel 40 can be recovered.

[0082] The support plate 41 is configured so that the solar cell panels 40 can be transported into the melting tank 12 with the solar cell panels 40 arranged on it, and the residue of the solar cell panels 40 after thermal decomposition can be removed from the melting tank 12 together with the support plate 41. This configuration makes it possible to easily and quickly transport the solar cell panels 40 into the melting tank 12. Meanwhile, valuable resources can be recovered outside the melting tank 12, making the recovery work easy. Furthermore, the support plate 41 can be easily cleaned after the recovery work.

[0083] (Second embodiment) While the previously described oil-producing apparatus 1 introduces the cracked gas G0 produced in the primary cracking tank 10 into the melting tank 12, the oil-producing apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment introduces the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 produced in the secondary cracking tank 11 into the melting tank 12. The differences from the oil-producing apparatus 1 will be described below. Note that in Fig. 5, the same components as those in Figs. 1 to 4 are assigned the same reference numerals. Fig. 1 will also be referenced for the description.

[0084] 5 is a diagram illustrating a portion of the configuration of the oil-producing apparatus 2. As in the oil-producing apparatus 1, the secondary decomposition tank 11 is connected to the separation tower 15 by a connecting pipe 31 and to the first storage tank 14 by a connecting pipe 32. In the oil-producing apparatus 2, the secondary decomposition tank 11 is further connected to the melting tank 12 by a connecting pipe 90. The configurations of the separation tower 15 and the first storage tank 14, the route for the cracked gas G0 between the secondary decomposition tank 11 and the separation tower 15, and the routes for the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 and cracked gas G4 between the secondary decomposition tank 11 and the first storage tank 14 are the same as those in the oil-producing apparatus 1, and therefore will not be described here. A valve V5 is provided on the connecting pipe 32.

[0085] An opening 91 is provided at the bottom of the melting tank 12, and a connecting pipe 90 passes through the opening 91, with its upper end extending to just below the support plate 41. The low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 produced in the secondary decomposition tank 11 is sent to the periphery of the solar cell panel 40 through the mesh of the lattice-like support plate 61 and the mesh-like support plate 60, heating the solar cell panel 40. The cross-sectional area of ​​the opening 91 is set to be at least twice as large as the cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting pipe 90 so as not to impede the flow of the molten plastic P2. A valve V6 is provided on the connecting pipe 90. The opening 91 communicates with a connecting pipe 46, which is connected to the primary decomposition tank 10. The molten plastic P2 melted in the melting tank 12 is introduced into the primary decomposition tank 10 through the connecting pipe 46.

[0086] Low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 at 300°C to 400°C is introduced into the melting tank 12 from the secondary decomposition tank 11. The low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 melts plastic materials, such as the filler 81, back sheet 84, and sealing material 88, that make up the solar cell panel 40. The melting tank 12 contains a mixture of low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 generated when the plastic materials are melted and low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 introduced from the secondary decomposition tank 11. The low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 generated in the melting tank 12 passes through a connecting pipe 47, is cooled by a temperature controller 29 and a cooler 38, and is condensed in a first storage tank 14 and stored as a liquefied component Q1. The liquefied component Q1 is primarily a diesel component. If the amount of low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 sent to the melting tank 12 is insufficient, valve V5 is closed, and all of the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 generated in the secondary decomposition tank 11 is sent to the melting tank 12. Valve V5 can be opened when there is a surplus in the amount of low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 sent to melting tank 12. The temperature of low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 is 300°C to 400°C, which is sufficient to melt plastic material, but the melting rate can be increased by further heating melting tank 12 to 400°C to 500°C with heater 68, at which time cracked gas G3 is produced in melting tank 12.

[0087] In the oil-producing apparatus 2 described above, the secondary decomposition tank 11 is connected to the melting tank 12, and the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 produced in the secondary decomposition tank 11 is introduced into the melting tank 12. The oil-producing apparatus 2 configured in this manner introduces the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 at 300°C to 400°C produced in the secondary decomposition tank 11 into the melting tank 12, thereby enabling the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 to be used as thermal energy for melting the solar cell panels 40. Therefore, the oil-producing apparatus 2 can melt the plastic material that makes up the solar cell panels 40 while reducing energy consumption, separate the molten plastic P2 from the valuable materials, and recover the valuable materials and the liquefied component Q1, which is a useful produced oil.

[0088] (Third embodiment) The oil-producing apparatus 1 described above introduces the cracked gas G0 produced in the primary decomposition tank 10 into the melting tank 12. The oil-producing apparatus 2 introduces the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 produced in the secondary decomposition tank 11 into the melting tank 12. The oil-producing apparatus 3 according to the third embodiment differs in that the cracked gas G0 produced in the primary decomposition tank 10 and the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 produced in the secondary decomposition tank 11 are introduced into the melting tank 12. Differences from the oil-producing apparatuses 1 and 2 will now be described. Note that in FIG. 6, the same components as those in the oil-producing apparatuses 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 to 5. The description will be made with reference to FIGS. 1 and 5.

[0089] 6 is a diagram illustrating a portion of the configuration of the oil-producing apparatus 3. Like the oil-producing apparatus 1, the oil-producing apparatus 3 is capable of introducing the cracked gas G0 produced in the primary cracking tank 10 into the melting tank 12, and like the oil-producing apparatus 2, is capable of introducing the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 produced in the secondary cracking tank 11 into the melting tank 12. In other words, the oil-producing apparatus 3 is configured to be able to introduce the cracked gas G0 and the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 into the melting tank 12. In this case, like the oil-producing apparatus 1, the cracked gas G3 is produced in the melting tank 12, and the liquefied component Q2 is stored in the first storage tank 14.

[0090] The oil-producing apparatus 3 can switch between introducing the cracked gas G0 from the primary cracking tank 10 and introducing the low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 from the secondary cracking tank 11 into the melting tank 12.

[0091] When only cracked gas G0 is introduced into melting tank 12, valves V1, V2, and V4 are opened, and valve V3 is closed. In this case, the cracked gas generation action by oil-producing apparatus 3 is the same as that of oil-producing apparatus 1, with cracked gas G3 being generated in melting tank 12 and liquefied component Q2 being stored in first storage tank 14. When only low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 is introduced into melting tank 12, valves V1 and V5 are closed, and valves V3, V4, and V6 are opened. In this case, the cracked gas generation action by oil-producing apparatus 3 is the same as that of oil-producing apparatus 2, with low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 being generated in melting tank 12 and liquefied component Q1 being stored in first storage tank 14.

[0092] In the oil-producing apparatus 3, for example, if the solar cell panels 40 are large and numerous, high-temperature cracked gas G0 is introduced into the melting tank 12. If the solar cell panels 40 are oval or few in number, low-boiling-point cracked gas G1 is introduced. In this way, the oil-producing apparatus 3 can be switched depending on the operating conditions.

[0093] According to the oil-producing apparatus 3 configured as described above, it is possible to switch between introducing the decomposition gas G0 generated in the primary decomposition tank 10 into the melting tank 12 to melt the plastic material of the solar cell panels 40, as in the oil-producing apparatus 1, and introducing the low-boiling-point decomposition gas G1 generated in the secondary decomposition tank 11 into the melting tank 12 to melt the plastic material of the solar cell panels 40, as in the oil-producing apparatus 2, depending on the quantity, size, and other conditions of the solar cell panels 40.

[0094] In the first, second, and third embodiments described above, an example is described in which a solar cell panel 40 is introduced into the melting tank 12 and thermally decomposed. However, in addition to the solar cell panel 40, large-sized waste plastic P0 that cannot be introduced into the primary decomposition tank 10 (e.g., pallets and containers for transporting materials that can only be crushed by a large crusher, hereinafter referred to as waste plastic P3) can also be introduced into the melting tank 12. Of course, it is also possible to introduce waste plastic P0 that can be introduced into the primary decomposition tank 10. The melting tank 12 is connected to at least one of the primary decomposition tank 10 and the secondary decomposition tank 11, and can introduce cracked gas G0 or low-boiling-point cracked gas G1. In other words, it is possible to select any of the configurations of the oil-producing apparatus 1 (see FIG. 1), the oil-producing apparatus 2 (see FIG. 5), and the oil-producing apparatus 3 (see FIG. 6).

[0095] The melting of waste plastic P3, the generation of cracked gas G0, and the recovery of liquefied component Q2 can be explained in the same way as in oil-making devices 1, 2, and 3. If the waste plastic P3 contains foreign matter such as metal pieces, the foreign matter can be separated from the molten plastic P2 using a mesh support plate 60 (see Figure 2). Therefore, it is possible to melt small pieces of waste plastic P0 and large-sized waste plastic P3 in the primary cracking tank 10 and melting tank 12, generate cracked gases G0 and G2, and low-boiling-point cracked gas G1, recover liquefied components Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 as oil components, and separate and recover valuable resources and foreign matter. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1, 2, 3... Waste plastic oil production equipment (oil production equipment), 10... Primary decomposition tank, 11... Secondary decomposition tank, 12... Melting tank, 13, 31, 32, 46, 47, 48, 52, 53, 73, 77, 90... Connecting pipe, 14... First storage tank, 15... Separation tower, 16... Second storage, 17... Extruder, 20... Main body, 21, 67, 68... Heater, 22... Mixer , 24... Partition plate, 27... Residue discharge port, 29, 76... Temperature controller, 30... Cylinder, 33... First partition wall, 34, 39... Catalyst, 35... Second partition wall, 36... Overflow weir, 37, 65... Discharge pipe, 38, 50, 75... Cooler, 40... Solar panel, 41... Support plate, 42... Door, 43... Space, 44... Nitrogen gas supply unit, 45, 54... Hole portion, 49...exhaust gas decomposition treatment device, 51...injection portion, 55...shutter, 56...pump, 60...mesh support plate, 61...lattice support plate, 62...rack, 63...gap, 64...water seal, 67...70...outer cylinder portion, 71...inner cylinder portion, 72...space, 80...glass plate, 81...filler, 82...solar cell, 83...interconnector, 84...back sheet, 85, 86...electrode, 87...outer frame, 88...sealing material, 91...opening, G0, G2, G3, G4, G5...cracked gas, G1...low-boiling-point cracked gas, P0...waste plastic, P1, P2...molten plastic, Q0, Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4...liquefied component, V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V6...valve, W...cooling water.

Claims

1. a primary decomposition tank that melts waste plastic and generates decomposition gas; a secondary cracking tank for heating a liquefied component of the cracked gas produced in the primary cracking tank, which is a condensed high-boiling component, at a temperature lower than that of the primary cracking tank to produce a low-boiling cracked gas; and a melting tank for melting plastic materials constituting the solar cell panel and separating the plastic materials from valuable resources; a first storage tank that condenses and stores the cracked gas and the low-boiling-point cracked gas, the melting tank is connected to at least one of the primary decomposition tank and the secondary decomposition tank, and is configured to allow the decomposition gas or the low-boiling-point decomposition gas to be introduced thereinto; A waste plastic oil production device characterized by:

2. The waste plastic oil production apparatus according to claim 1, the system further comprises a separation tower disposed between the primary decomposition tank and the secondary decomposition tank, capable of separating the decomposition gas produced in the primary decomposition tank into the low-boiling point decomposition gas to be introduced into the second storage tank and the liquefied component to be introduced into the secondary decomposition tank. A waste plastic oil production device characterized by:

3. The waste plastic oil production apparatus according to claim 2, the secondary cracking tank has a mesh-like partition wall separating an area connected to the separation tower from an area connected to at least one of the first storage tank and the melting tank, a catalyst is disposed on a bottom below the partition wall and on an upper surface of the partition wall; A waste plastic oil production device characterized by:

4. The waste plastic oil production apparatus according to claim 1, The melting tank includes a support plate on which the solar cell panel can be placed; a door capable of sealing the melting tank and capable of opening and closing to insert and remove the solar cell panel; a heater for maintaining the melting tank at a predetermined temperature; It has A waste plastic oil production device characterized by:

5. The waste plastic oil production apparatus according to claim 2, the melting tank has an ejection part capable of ejecting the liquefied component having a low boiling point stored in the second storage tank into the melting tank in a shower-like manner. A waste plastic oil production device characterized by:

6. The waste plastic oil production apparatus according to claim 4, The door has a double structure with an internal space, the melting tank has a nitrogen gas supply unit for supplying nitrogen gas to the space, While the melting tank is in operation, the space is maintained at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure with the nitrogen gas. A waste plastic oil production device characterized by:

7. The waste plastic oil production apparatus according to claim 6, the melting tank is configured so that the cooled nitrogen gas can be injected into the melting tank from the nitrogen gas supply unit after the operation of the melting tank is stopped. A waste plastic oil production device characterized by:

8. The waste plastic oil production apparatus according to claim 4, the support plate includes a mesh support plate for separating the valuables constituting the solar cell panel from the melted plastic material, and a lattice support plate having a plurality of through holes on which the mesh support plate and the solar cell panel can be placed; A waste plastic oil production device characterized by:

9. The waste plastic oil production apparatus according to claim 4, the support plate further includes a rack that can be arranged inside the melting tank to form gaps between adjacent solar cell panels. A waste plastic oil production device characterized by:

10. The waste plastic oil production apparatus according to claim 4, the support plate is configured to be able to carry the solar cell panel and move into the melting tank, and to be able to move to a position where residue of the solar cell panel is collected after the solar cell panel is thermally decomposed. A waste plastic oil production device characterized by:

11. The waste plastic oil production apparatus according to claim 1, The melting tank can be used to feed the waste plastics of a large size that cannot be fed into the primary decomposition tank. A waste plastic oil production device characterized by:

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