Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity

By Melissa Mahony | May 18, 2010, 4:00 AM PDT 16Comments more +

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You dont have to swim through the Pacific Oceans infamous garbage patch to know that human civilization has a plastic problem. A dip in the Gulf of Mexico right now also isnt necessary to realize our energy troubles. If only we could solve both issues at once, kill two birds with one stone (only in this case the birds wouldnt die, choking on plastic or floundering in oil). Instead a ubiquitous throwaway material would supply some of our energy needs. Students at Northeastern University hope to achieve just that. Theyve developed a device that converts plastic to electricity. The waste combustor processes non-recyclable plastic within two tanks. The top tank converts the plastic to gas through pyrolysis. The gas then travels to a lower tank, where it is burned to generate heat and steam. The steam powers a turbine to produce electricity.

Leading the research project is Yiannis Levendis, a professor of mechanical engineering. Levendis is examining ways to tweak the vaporization of plastic in order to reduce any harmful emissions that are released when burning the resulting gas. Levendis says in a statement: The inspiration behind my research is the quest to develop clean, cost-efficient power sources in the face of dwindling fossil fuel reserves. It will also help get rid of unsightly, non-biodegradable plastic waste that cannot be recycled. The MIT Energy Conference in March featured a prototype of the device. According to the researchers, the combustor could be scaled up for use in a power plant. Ideally, with a recycling plant just next door. This would obviously take a lot of infrastructure adjustment. But with the speed at which plastic biodegrades, we have a lot of time. Im not sure how much electricity a single plastic bottle or say, all the plastic floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch might generate. But for the plastic power idea to ever reach its full potential, wed still need to get folks to stop throwing trash overboard, on the beach, in the gutters, and out the car window. This might also take a lot of time.
Possibility for a different kind of offshore platform? Not sure if this is viable at the locations of the gyres in our oceans, but maybe placing floating energygenerating platforms at these locations, and use the electricity for local uses (I don't know if it's viable to send power to land from that distance, perhaps a recharging station for ships? Desalination for drinking water? Communications relay? Oceanic casino? Hydrogen facility?)

Posted by HvyMtl 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity Even just getting rid of some of the plastic is a step in the right direction. If it can be used for energy, even better!

Posted by stonecoldfox 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity nonrenewable plastic???Maybe we must seek a solution to recover all kinds of plastics , because when the oilsources getting dry plastic wil be very rare, and expensive . Instead of burning plastics (and what is not renewable plastic, it isquestionable) let us search to upgrade used plastic to make somthing better of it like composites. Jan Anton gilles

Posted by jan anton gilles 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity I'm not all that concerned with plastic as a pollutant. Plastic is fairly benign; other than being unsightly I don't see it as being much different than natural benign materials (rocks). However, being able to recoup some of the energy expended in their manufacture would be a huge benefit. As long as its economically feasible.

Posted by shadfurman 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes

+RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity Good idea to use for Pacific Gyre. It would not be self-sustaining commercially, at least not initally, but in the very least it would be inexpensive to skim all the plastic crap off the surface and burn it (cleanly of course). It's one of those things like global warming and asteroid impacts... it might not be free to avoid a global catastrophe, but if we could convince Fox news watchers that the "free market" doesn't account for these sort of things perhaps we could prevent disasters. Anyway, the actual technology for this is not new, and in the early 2000's the US army was looking into using this to avoid burning waste in uncontrolled incinerators (which they currently do, or should i say KBR does?). They had a working prototype that would not only combust all camp waste but also provide up to 40 KW of electricity (based on an average camp size). That said, this is probably an incremental improvement on gasification technology, and all improvements are welcome! Currently the US is the only well-developed country in the world which does NOT utilize waste as a source of energy, but continues to bury it in landfills!

Posted by j_batech@... 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity its unfortunate that some people think USofA as a well developed country! I am sure its kinda over developed and now un-developing itself... The problems is not plastics or any other material. its actually oversue, abuse and senseless waste of material. Overconsumption in USofA is the only cause of all the world problems! no-offense

Posted by completelyhuman 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity I don't doubt that this technology can work, the physics are fairly basic. The question is at what price. What is the cost per KWh of electricity generated? If it is competitive, then they REALLY have something. Otherwise it is useless. Photovoltaics at 25 cents a KWh won't cut it either but at 8 cents a KWh they can replace almost all the electricity we currently get from nuclear & fossil fuels. We need to remove the subsidies that "conventional" sources receive so alternatives can compete on a level playing field. This would be truly a free market.

Posted by jalbertini 19th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity Ok. As a start I reply to jalbertini. When I worked at Solarex in Frederick, Md.(1997-2000) they were the only solar cell manufacturer in the world that made solar cells at a proffit without gov. assistance. They are (were BP Solarex till this year). BP just closed the Frederick plant. At the time I worked there we where battling hard to get the cost down and the output of the cells up. The initail energy costs were high to manufacture the cells, but the cells could produce energy from a free source forever (or nearly) once in place. Thin film couldn't at that time. Okay next, If we can use the wasted resources of the plastic 'trash' and clean-up the ocean at the same time it might be worth it. The clean-up could be paid in part by the profit from the energy produced. It would not have to be totally in the black as to profit if it reduced the cost of cleaning up a mess. Less drain on us would enable more money to be spent for other problems. It could mean less drain on the public coffers and less drain on our resources. This is a maybe, has anyone else got something to add that would make this work. I've only got some experince to work with, add yours. Don't say no, say what you can add to make it work!

Posted by garyfizer@...

19th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity It has been proven that it is economical to buy a commercial gasifying unit for say $225,000 by office complexes, etc. It works out cheaper than to pay for garbage removal. You have the gas, fewer trucks on the road, smaller garbage dumps, etc.

Posted by israelgreen 20th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity This is a great idea that should be explored. I'm curious to learn how much water it needs, however, since recycling in general takes a tremendous amount. If it could use ocean water, HvyMtl's comment about the floating platforms might help that. In the meanwhile, everybody STOP USING PLASTIC! MOST OF IT DOESN"T GET RECYCLED (obviously) and it's kind of poisonous in its very nature. Reuse, reuse, reuse, reuse.

Posted by xrae00@... 20th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity Great!!! thanks for sharing this information to us!

Posted by birumut 10th Feb 2011

Reply Flag

0Votes +What to do with the remaining plastic after pyrolysis After burning the plastic above 450 degree celsius in the first tank what about the remaining plastic substances in the tank ?

Posted by Joseph Podimattathil 16th Jul 2011

Reply Flag

0Votes +what to do with the remaining plastic in the tank After pyrolysis of waste plastic a small amount of melted plastic remain in the tank , what should we do with it? or the entire plastic evapurates ?

Posted by Joseph Podimattathil 16th Jul 2011

Reply Flag

0Votes +Working Model Is it possible to make a scaled down working model of this system????

Posted by Johnson Zachariah 16th Jul 2011

Reply Flag

0Votes +create car running on plastic i want to create car which run on plastic by converting plastic into electricity and use that electricity to run car .............i need too much guidence for that........please help

Posted by nayan59 1st Apr 2012

Reply Flag

0Votes +pyrolysis query what type of plastics are to be used in pyrolysis Possibility for a different kind of offshore platform? Not sure if this is viable at the locations of the gyres in our oceans, but maybe placing floating energygenerating platforms at these locations, and use the electricity for local uses (I don't know if it's viable to send power to land from that distance, perhaps a recharging station for ships? Desalination for drinking water? Communications relay? Oceanic casino? Hydrogen facility?)

Posted by HvyMtl 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes

+RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity Even just getting rid of some of the plastic is a step in the right direction. If it can be used for energy, even better!

Posted by stonecoldfox 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity nonrenewable plastic???Maybe we must seek a solution to recover all kinds of plastics , because when the oilsources getting dry plastic wil be very rare, and expensive . Instead of burning plastics (and what is not renewable plastic, it isquestionable) let us search to upgrade used plastic to make somthing better of it like composites. Jan Anton gilles

Posted by jan anton gilles 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity I'm not all that concerned with plastic as a pollutant. Plastic is fairly benign; other than being unsightly I don't see it as being much different than natural benign materials (rocks). However, being able to recoup some of the energy expended in their manufacture would be a huge benefit. As long as its economically feasible.

Posted by shadfurman 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity Good idea to use for Pacific Gyre. It would not be self-sustaining commercially, at least not initally, but in the very least it would be inexpensive to skim all the plastic crap off the surface and burn it (cleanly of course). It's one of those things like global warming and asteroid impacts... it might not be free to avoid a global catastrophe, but if we could convince Fox news watchers that the "free market" doesn't account for these sort of things perhaps we could prevent disasters. Anyway, the actual technology for this is not new, and in the early 2000's the US army was looking into using this to avoid burning waste in uncontrolled incinerators (which they currently do, or should i say KBR does?). They had a working prototype that would not only combust all camp waste but also provide up to 40 KW of electricity (based on an average camp size). That said, this is probably an incremental improvement on gasification technology, and all improvements are welcome! Currently the US is the only well-developed country in the world which does NOT utilize waste as a source of energy, but continues to bury it in landfills!

Posted by j_batech@... 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity its unfortunate that some people think USofA as a well developed country! I am sure its kinda over developed and now un-developing itself... The problems is not plastics or any other material. its actually oversue, abuse and senseless waste of material. Overconsumption in USofA is the only cause of all the

world problems! no-offense

Posted by completelyhuman 18th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity I don't doubt that this technology can work, the physics are fairly basic. The question is at what price. What is the cost per KWh of electricity generated? If it is competitive, then they REALLY have something. Otherwise it is useless. Photovoltaics at 25 cents a KWh won't cut it either but at 8 cents a KWh they can replace almost all the electricity we currently get from nuclear & fossil fuels. We need to remove the subsidies that "conventional" sources receive so alternatives can compete on a level playing field. This would be truly a free market.

Posted by jalbertini 19th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity Ok. As a start I reply to jalbertini. When I worked at Solarex in Frederick, Md.(1997-2000) they were the only solar cell manufacturer in the world that made solar cells at a proffit without gov. assistance. They are (were BP Solarex till this year). BP just closed the Frederick plant. At the time I worked there we where battling hard to get the cost down and the output of the cells up. The initail energy costs were high to manufacture the cells, but the cells could produce energy from a free source forever (or nearly) once in place. Thin film couldn't at that time. Okay next, If we can use the wasted resources of the plastic 'trash' and clean-up the ocean at the same time it might be worth it. The clean-up could be paid in part by the profit from the energy produced. It would not have to be totally in the black as to profit if

it reduced the cost of cleaning up a mess. Less drain on us would enable more money to be spent for other problems. It could mean less drain on the public coffers and less drain on our resources. This is a maybe, has anyone else got something to add that would make this work. I've only got some experince to work with, add yours. Don't say no, say what you can add to make it work!

Posted by garyfizer@... 19th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity It has been proven that it is economical to buy a commercial gasifying unit for say $225,000 by office complexes, etc. It works out cheaper than to pay for garbage removal. You have the gas, fewer trucks on the road, smaller garbage dumps, etc.

Posted by israelgreen 20th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity This is a great idea that should be explored. I'm curious to learn how much water it needs, however, since recycling in general takes a tremendous amount. If it could use ocean water, HvyMtl's comment about the floating platforms might help that. In the meanwhile, everybody STOP USING PLASTIC! MOST OF IT DOESN"T GET RECYCLED (obviously) and it's kind of poisonous in its very nature. Reuse, reuse, reuse, reuse.

Posted by xrae00@... 20th May 2010

Reply Flag

0Votes +RE: Researchers discover how to turn plastic trash into electricity Great!!! thanks for sharing this information to us!

Posted by birumut 10th Feb 2011

Reply Flag

0Votes +What to do with the remaining plastic after pyrolysis After burning the plastic above 450 degree celsius in the first tank what about the remaining plastic substances in the tank ?

Posted by Joseph Podimattathil 16th Jul 2011

Reply Flag

0Votes +what to do with the remaining plastic in the tank After pyrolysis of waste plastic a small amount of melted plastic remain in the tank , what should we do with it? or the entire plastic evapurates ?

Posted by Joseph Podimattathil 16th Jul 2011

Reply

Flag

0Votes +Working Model Is it possible to make a scaled down working model of this system????

Posted by Johnson Zachariah 16th Jul 2011

Reply Flag

0Votes +create car running on plastic i want to create car which run on plastic by converting plastic into electricity and use that electricity to run car .............i need too much guidence for that........please help

Posted by nayan59 1st Apr 2012

Reply Flag

0Votes +pyrolysis query what type of plastics are to be used in pyrolysis

Under the leadership of Yiannis Levendis from Northeastern University, distinguished professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, a team of undergraduate and graduate engineering students developed a waste combustor, which breaks down non-

biodegradable plastics to create an alternative source of fuel.

Self-sustainability is the key to the double-tank combustor design. Plastic waste is first processed in an upper tank through pyrolysis, which converts solid plastic into gas. Next, the gas flows to a lower tank, where it is burned with oxidants to generate heat and steam. The heat sustains the combustor while the steam can be used to generate electric energy.

According to David Laskowski, an undergraduate student working on the team, calculations show that the new technology has the potential of replacing up to 462 million gallons of petroleum in the United States alone, if all recycled plastics were to be processed. We are currently consuming highly-priced conventional premium fuels (to produce electricity). The fuel developed using this system will lower the cost of electricity for future generations, Levendis said.