TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES

938 Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City

College of Engineering and Architecture

Mechanical Engineering Department

ME 411 – METHODS OF RESEARCH

CONVERSION OF BIODEGRADABLE WASTE FROM FAST FOOD FRANCHISES
TO AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF FUEL FOR TOYOTA VIOS

A Research Study Presented to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in
ME 411 – Methods of Research for the
Degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Submitted by:
BERNARDO, JERAMY R.
GORILLO, GABRIEL G.
MANGA. MARIO A.
REFUERZO, JOSEPH
ME42FB1
2nd Semester

Approved by:
ENGR. ROLLYMAR A. NICOLAS
Faculty

S.Y. 2017 – 2018

MARCH 2018
 Chapter 3:

GOVERNING EQUATIONS

Chapter 4:

METHODOLOGY

4.1 PROJECT DESIGN (3D)

4.2 PARTS AND FUNCTIONS

1. Grinder – to grind the waste before entering the melting tank

2. Melting Tank – to melt the waste platic at about 400 ˚F.

3. Reactor – to heat waste to approximately 800-950 ˚F at 50-250 psi.

4. Flash Disillation – gases and more volatile liquids are separated from less volatile ones.

5. Cooler – to cool the bottom product before entering the storage tank

6. Storage Tank – to be able to store the by-product and the product.

7. Condenser – to be able to separate the gaseous component from the liquid.

8. Container – holds about 4.5kg of residue.

4.3 OPERATIONS

A primary focus of this study is to identify technologies that use pyrolysis to convert
biodegradable waste or into fuel sources. Pyrolysis is a process of thermal degradation of a material
in the absence of oxygen. There are different types of pyrolysis process. Conventional pyrolysis (slow
pyrolysis) proceeds under a low heating rate with solid, liquid, and gaseous products in significant
portions. It is an ancient process used mainly for charcoal production. The fast pyrolysis is
associated with tar, at low temperature (850–1250 K) and/or gas at high temperature (1050–1300 K).
At present, the preferred technology is fast or flash pyrolysis at high temperatures with very short
residence time. Fast pyrolysis (more accurately defined as thermolysis) is a process in which a
material, such as biomass, is rapidly heated to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen.

To operate, by putting waste in a large container, augers will push the waste through two
chambers, removing oxygen via pressurization then screw on a lid. The temperature inside rises,
slowly melting, which becomes a liquid and then a gas. The primary heating chamber vaporizes the
waste at 400 degrees Celsius yielding a residue made up almost entirely of non-activated carbon
charcoal. After, the gas passes through a tube into a container filled with water, where the gas is
cooled in a condenser and liquefies into oil, which is collected in another tank. The remaining gas is
filtered and released as carbon dioxide and steam. That oil produce in a tank can then be burnt as-
is or further separated into gasoline, diesel and kerosene. A kilogram or a tons of biodegradable
waste or plastic waste can turns into about a liter/liters of oil.

4.4 MATERIAL SELECTION

Materials Description Quantity Price, ₱

operate at very high
Plasma torches temperatures (between 1 2,076.84/ton
5,000ºC and 100,000ºC)

ASME S-2 Grade A No. of roller mills - 3

Grinder Size of each mill - 13 and 1 54,600.00
(Farrell-Birmingham rolls) 17 x 20

Metal Agitated tanks
Metal Fluidized Bed
Reactor
Metal Flash Disillation
Metal Storage Tank
Capacity – 2,354.2 lb
Volume – 162.36 cubic ft.
1 288,080.00
Diameter – 4.1 ft.
Height – 12.3 ft
Capacity – 2345.91 lb
Volume – 194.14 cubic ft.
1 350,000.00
Diameter - 4.35 ft.
Height – 13.05 ft
Capacity – 2345.91 lb
Volume – 161.79 cubic ft.
1 203,000.00
Diameter – 4.09 ft.
Height – 12.27 ft
Capacity – 10,689.58 lb
Volume – 80.98 cubic ft.
2 147,689.00
Diameter – 3.25 ft.
Height – 9.75 ft

4.5 TRADE-OFFS

Granulating

Granulators are the most commonly confused machines with grinders, as they essentially
do the same thing; they take larger components and make them smaller. Granulators have the ability
to reduce certain materials to a much smaller particle size than a grinder. The reason for this is that
a granulator differs in design significantly from a grinder in the following ways:

 Most all granulators have an “open rotor” design. This means that there is a great deal of
air space around the rotor for product agitation and cooling. The open rotor allows for better
processing of lighter materials that would not be well suited for a closed rotor design.
 Many Grinders on the other hand, especially the type of grinders offered by Jordan
Reduction Solutions, have closed rotor designs. Meaning the rotor is closed, high speed
 and very tight tolerances. These type rotors leave little room for the product being process
to go anywhere other than across the cutting edges.

There are advantages to both designs mentioned above, but simply put; each design is more
applicable to specific products.

A granulator, with an open rotor type design, is normally more applicable in taking small components
in the ½” to 6” or 8” sizes and reducing them to much smaller chips than a grinder would be used to
do. Often in the range of producing 5/16” flake to even powders. Granulators are often used as an
after process for materials that have been size reduced previously. Granulators are well suited for
lighter materials such as plastic bottles which do not grind well in a closed rotor design unit.

Poly Storage Tanks

Plastic mixing vessels offer advantages over steel mixing tanks including cost, weight, rapid
fabrication time compared to stainless steel and the ability to see liquid level. Metal tanks are more
resistant to cracking and temperature effects but they require polishing of the base metal and welds
and so the cost to manufacture is typically much higher than plastic tanks. Each poly storage tank is
supplied with built in lifting lugs to make them easy to move around. This means less foundation
prep-work which leads to easier setup when you haven't got time to waste. it has a thicker side
walls and are more flexible than stainless tanks. In fact, the average thickness of a poly storage tank
is half an inch thicker than a fiberglass tank. This can make a huge difference. This allows the poly
material to absorb an impact without getting damaged. That's why most poly storage tanks have
double the manufacturer's warranty.

MAGLAGAY KAYO ISA PANG TRADE OFF

4.6 CONSTRUCTION