SK9529Y1 - Method of processing plastic waste from water surface, especially at sea, system for its implementation - Google Patents

Abstract

The method of processing plastic waste from water surface, especially at sea, consists in collecting the plastic waste from the surface and transporting it to the vessel, while it is subsequently processed directly on the vessel by a process which includes desalination and/or dehumidification of the plastic waste, the plastic waste is depolymerized on board without access of air and the resulting vapours are distilled, wherein at least one fraction is separated, which is subsequently purified by hydrogenation and provided as a fuel for river and/or sea transport or as a petrochemical semi-finished product. The system for processing plastic waste at the water surface, in particular at sea, comprises at least one vessel floating on the water surface near the place of accumulated plastic waste, a means for collecting plastic waste from the surface, a device for desalination and/or dehumidification of plastic waste, at least one depolymerisation unit for depolymerisation of plastic waste without air access, a distillation unit for separating at least one fraction and a hydrogenation device for purifying at least one fraction, the output of the depolymerisation unit being connected to the inlet of the distillation unit and the outlet of the distillation unit being connected to a hydrogenation device for purifying at least one fraction.

Description

SK 9529 Υ1

Field of technology

A utility model relates to the treatment of plastic waste which floats on or near the water surface, in which the plastics are depolymerised in an autonomous manner directly on board, in particular at sea. The subject of the utility model is also a system for depolymerizing plastic material, which is located within at least one vessel.

Prior art

To reduce the pollution of the seas and oceans by plastic waste, it is not only necessary to prevent the discharge of plastic into rivers and seas, but it is also necessary to remove plastic waste that has already been discharged from the seas and oceans. Special ships are used for the collection and disposal of plastic waste, such as according to documents KR20150119993A, CN110356519A, which have a facility for collecting floating waste. Plastic waste collection facilities include pick-up conveyor belts, excavators, submerged walls, nets or similar elements.

The collected waste is stored in containers and taken to the mainland for processing. Landfilling is a problem, as no country wants to bear the cost of treating waste that does not explicitly come from that country, and the origin of the waste collected is always unclear and difficult to prove.

This shortcoming is eliminated by systems that separate and at least partially process plastic waste directly on board. Publication KR102031828B1 describes a vessel on which a plastic management pyrolysis technology is located. Pyrolysis units for the treatment of waste generated on board are known, for example, from CN107723005A, where heat from a ship's internal combustion engine is used to heat waste. Such devices serve in particular to reduce the volume of the final product.

Small island ships are also known, such as GR1005676B, which process plastic waste collected on an island where the ship functions as a mobile waste treatment station.

Depolymerization and decomposition are used in the processing of the plastic material on land, whereby fission products are formed, especially in the gaseous state, which subsequently condense in distillation columns to the desired diesel and / or gasoline fractions. The depolymerization systems thus used (for example as described in EP 0591703 A2, EP 0687692 A1, US 20170073584 A1, WO 03104354 A1) are used as permanent plants located in a stable place where sorted plastic waste is weighed.

There is a desirable and unknown solution that will efficiently process plastic waste on the seas, oceans, lakes, and river deltas, and the treatment must also be economically viable in order to be sustainable in the long term.

The essence of the technical solution

The above-mentioned shortcomings are substantially eliminated by a method of processing plastic waste from the water surface, in which the plastic waste is lifted from the surface and transported to the vessel, subsequently treated directly on board by a process , the essence of which is that plastic waste is depolymerized on board without access of air and the generated vapors are distilled, while at least one fraction is separated, which is subsequently purified by hydrogenation and provided as fuel for other vessels or as a petrochemical semi-finished product. .

The term surface refers to the surface of the water and the subsurface layers of water to a depth of 5 m, and the water can be standing or flowing or flowing. The surface includes the surface of water at sea, ocean, lake, river and the like. The term sea in this document includes any salt water that fills the spaces between lands, so the term sea also names the ocean. The term vessel refers to any floating means, it can be a self-propelled boat, a floating pontoon moved by a tugboat or a boat, a catamaran and the like.

The fuel fraction will include in particular the diesel fraction adapted for combustion in conventional internal combustion engines of ships. In order to achieve the required purity of the resulting diesel fraction as a fuel for internal combustion engines of ships, hydrogenation is preferred to purify the diesel fraction to a certification quality.

SK 9529 Υ1

An essential feature of the presented technical solution is the processing of plastic waste directly at sea, where the processing results in shipping fuel or semi-finished products for petrochemical production, for example in the form of light fractions such as gasoline, thinners, semi-finished products for plastics production. That is, in one preferred embodiment, the plastic waste is processed into fuel and the plastic waste treatment system according to the present technical solution is a floating filling station used by other ships, i.e. ships which are not a direct part of the described system. Naturally, the vessel or vessels carrying the equipment forming the system according to this technical solution are also supplied with energy generated by the output of the depolymerization unit.

The system according to the present technical solution comprises at least one vessel floating at sea near the place of collected plastic waste, the system comprising means for collecting plastic waste from the surface and also comprising a device for desalination and / or dehumidification of plastic waste. Furthermore, the system comprises at least one depolymerization unit for depolymerizing plastic waste without air access, a distillation unit for separating at least one fraction and a hydrogenation device for purifying the fraction, preferably also comprises a pumping station for dispensing the purified diesel fraction as fuel for other vessels.

The system can be located on one vessel or it can also be distributed on several vessels, which will have specialized functions. For example, the first vessel will move while catching (picking up) plastic waste from the surface. The first vessel brings the plastic waste to the second vessel, where the plastic waste is processed and the resulting fuel can be stored in the tanks of, for example, the third vessel, which will serve as a floating filling station. The allocation of the separate functions of several vessels of the system will depend in particular on the required plastic waste treatment capacity. The vessel or several vessels of the system will float near large collection points for plastic waste at sea and may supply fuel to ships which have normal transport routes near the treated plastic waste.

The creation of a floating filling station, where the source of fuel is the processing of plastic waste, brings important environmental as well as economic benefits. Plastic waste is processed near their collection point. The assembly point is a place naturally conditioned by sea currents and wind. As plastic waste is processed directly at or near the assembly point, there is no need to spend energy transporting the caught plastic waste to the mainland. At the same time, it is not necessary to transport the resulting recycled product to land, even if the described method and system do not preclude it. On-site treatment of plastic waste while consuming the final product as fuel used by other ships in the area is the most environmentally efficient, as the energy required for transport is minimized and the carbon footprint is also reduced.

The terms near and near need to be interpreted in nautical practice and can represent a distance of up to 200 to 500 nautical miles.

In order to achieve a sufficient plastic waste processing capacity as well as a stable production of the resulting fuel, it is suitable if the system comprises several depolymerization units for the depolymerization of plastic waste. The vessel in question may have several modular depolymerisation units, these units having their own or a common distillation unit. The modular arrangement with several depolymerization units brings the advantage of stable operation, where even during maintenance or service of one depolymerization unit, the system is able to continuously process the caught plastic waste.

In order to achieve the required purity of the resulting diesel fraction as a fuel for internal combustion engines of ships, the diesel fraction purification plant will include a hydrogenation unit. In order to achieve the prescribed fuel quality, the process may also include the addition of additives that are pumped on board the vessel before being transferred to the assembly. All the fractions obtained can be purified by means of a hydrogenation unit, thus obtaining the final petrochemical product of the desired quality, e.g. for processing in the production of plastics and the like.

Non-processable waste containing mainly solid carbon will usually be stored on board and later handed over on land for further secondary use.

In a preferred embodiment, the system also includes a line for separating the caught plastic waste. To increase the energy self-sufficiency of the system, the system may also include other sources of electricity in the form of photovoltaic panels and a wind power plant. At least one vessel may be equipped with a heliport for helicopter landing and take-off to change staff. The vessel or several vessels of the system may operate in a continuous mode until the entire mass of plastic waste at the relevant assembly point is exhausted. They then move to another assembly. It is also possible to operate when the vessel anchors on land, picks up plastic waste from land, resp. from the island in question and then processes it into a fuel that is used to power transport on land or nearby. However, the main goal of the system according to this technical solution is the collection and treatment of plastic waste on the high seas internationally

SK 9529 Υ1 waters without moving plastic waste to land. The second important use is for the vessel to enter a wide delta of large rivers through which plastic waste floats into the sea. It is also possible to move the vessel to lakes or inland streams.

The advantage of the present technical solution is the efficient processing of plastic waste, whereby plastic waste is not only removed from the sea, river or lake, but is also processed on site into the final product, for example in the form of fuel. Produced fuel or other petrochemical product, resp. intermediate are an economic benefit while minimizing the cost of transporting them to consumers.

Overview of figures in the drawings

The technical solution is explained in more detail with the help of Figures 1 to 3. The size ratio of individual elements of the system is shown, the number of vessels is only illustrative. The dimensional ratios in the figures, for example the size of the depolymerisation unit to the size of the vessel, cannot be interpreted as narrowing the scope of protection.

Figure 1 shows a side view of a vessel retrieving plastic waste from sea level, where all equipment of the system is located on one vessel. Subsequently, Figure 2 is a plan view of the vessel.

Figure 3 shows a group of three vessels, where the first vessel has means for collecting plastic waste, the second vessel carries several depolymerization units and the third vessel has tanks and a filling station.

Examples of embodiments

Example 1

In this example according to Figures 1 and 2, the system is located on one vessel 1.

The position and size of the plastic waste collection point 2 are determined from the satellite images, and the approximate volume of plastic waste 2 is also calculated. distance of up to 500 nautical miles from the assembly with an offer to sell fuel for their ships.

The vessel 1 is transported to a plastic waste collection point 2. By means of the plastic waste collection means 2, the plastic waste 2 is continuously transported to the beginning of the line, where it is first separated, rinsed off and dehumidified in centrifuges. Subsequently, the plastic waste 2 in the reactor vessel is depolymerized without the access of air and without a catalyst with at least partial stirring at a temperature of 200 ° C to 500 ° C. The depolymerization unit 4 in this example has a feeder in the form of a screw extruder and a reactor consisting of a cylindrical cone-shaped bottom vessel with gas burner heating, and also has an outlet device adapted to continuously discharge solid residues. The gaseous form of the final product consists of the heating gas for its own use for the development of the required process heat or for other energy purposes of the vessel 1.

The depolymerization unit 4 is able to process mixed waste, which contains in particular polypropylene PP and polyethylene PE in any mutual ratio. The output of the depolymerization unit 4 is connected to a distillation unit. In this example, two depolymerization units 4 with two distillation units are located on vessel 1. The distilled oil fractions are purified by a hydrogenation process and are pumped to a tank which is connected to a dispenser of a pumping station 5. The yield of gas products is in the range of 5 to 30 wt. %, the gasoline fraction is in the range of 10 to 50 wt. % and the diesel fraction is 20 to 85 wt. %. Vessel 1 has a tank for additives, which are added to the purified diesel fraction by a dosing device in order to achieve the fuel properties required by cargo ships in maritime transport.

In this example, one existing ship is used as vessel 1, in which all elements of the system are placed, in another example, vessel 1 can be designed from the beginning as a carrier of system elements.

Example 2

In this example according to Figure 3, the system is divided into several vessels 1. The first vessel 1 carries a means 3 for collecting plastic waste 2. This vessel 1 is easy to maneuver and floats partly inside the floor plan of the assembly, picks up plastic waste 2 and then unloads it into a collection point.

SK 9529 Υ1 opens on the second vessel 1, which is equipped with a line for separation, desalination and dehumidification of plastic waste 2. In this example, this line is followed by three depolymerization units 4 with three distillation units. The output of the diesel fraction is connected to a hydrogenation purifier.

The third vessel 1 is a fuel tank with a filling station 5 for dispensing fuel for transport ships which approach the plastic waste collection point 2.

Example 3

In this example, a light gasoline fraction, a diluent and a diesel fraction are produced on the vessel 1 from the collected plastic waste 2. In this example, vessel 1 is moored in a large river delta. The plastic waste 2 is carried by the current to one bank, where it is captured by a submerged wall.

Industrial applicability

Industrial usability is obvious. According to this technical solution, it is possible to industrially and repeatedly depolymerize plastic waste 2 directly on the water surface, in close proximity to the plastic waste collection 2, whereby the resulting product, for example in the form of fuel, is used for transport ships operating mainly near the collection. It is also possible to repeatedly manufacture or modify vessels to system elements according to the presented technical solution.

SK 9529 Υ1

List of reference marks and positions

- vessel

- plastic waste

3 - means for collecting plastic waste

- depolymerization unit

5-gas station

Claims (15)

SK 9529 Υ1 PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS A method of treating plastic waste from the water surface, in particular at sea, in which the plastic waste (2) is lifted from the surface and transported to the vessel (1), subsequently treated directly on the vessel (1) by a process comprising desalination and / or dehumidification of plastic waste (2), characterized in that the plastic waste (2) is depolymerized on board (1) without air access and the resulting vapors are distilled, whereby at least one fraction is separated, which is subsequently purified by hydrogenation and provides is provided as a fuel for river and / or maritime transport or is provided as a petrochemical semi-finished product. Process for the treatment of plastic waste from the water surface, in particular at sea, according to Claim 1, characterized in that the diesel fraction is separated, which is purified by a hydrogenation process for internal combustion engine quality. Method for treating plastic waste from a water surface, in particular at sea, according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the plastic waste (2) is desalted by rinsing and dehumidified in a centrifuge. Method for treating plastic waste from a water surface, in particular at sea, according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the plastic waste (2) is separated and subsequently depolymerized, in particular separated polypropylene PP and polyethylene PE. Method for treating plastic waste from a water surface, in particular at sea, according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that gaseous fuel generated for heating plastic waste (2) and / or for heating intermediate products is used. in depolymerization. Process for treating plastic waste from a water surface, in particular at sea, according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that additives are added to the purified oil fraction to achieve the desired final fuel properties. 7. Method of processing plastic waste from. water level, in particular at sea, according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one light fraction containing petrol and / or diluent is separated. A system for the treatment of plastic waste at water level, in particular at sea, comprising at least one vessel (1) floating on the water surface near the site of the collected plastic waste (2), in particular at sea, the system comprising means (3) for collecting of plastic waste (2) from the surface and also comprises a device for desalination and / or dehumidification of plastic waste (2), characterized in that it comprises at least one depolymerization unit (4) for depolymerization of plastic waste (2) without air access, a distillation unit for separating the at least one fraction, a hydrogenation device for purifying the at least one fraction, wherein the outlet of the depolymerization unit (4) is connected to the inlet of the distillation unit and the outlet of the distillation unit is connected to the hydrogenation device for purifying the at least one fraction. A system for treating plastic waste at the water surface, in particular at sea, according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises a pumping station (5) for dispensing the purified diesel fraction as a marine fuel, wherein the outlet of the hydrogenation plant is the purification of the diesel fraction is connected to the filling station (5). A system for treating plastic waste at the water surface, in particular at sea, according to claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the depolymerization unit (4) has a screw extruder feeder, a reactor and an outlet device adapted to continuously discharge solid plastic depolymerization residues. waste (2), A system for treating plastic waste at the water surface, in particular at sea, according to claim 10, characterized in that the reactor comprises a cylindrical double-walled conical-bottomed vessel equipped with an opening connected to the outlet device and a heater located between the reactor vessel jackets. . A system for treating plastic waste at the water surface, in particular at sea, according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the depolymerisation unit (4) is housed in a frame structure having the external dimensions of a transport container or has the external dimensions of several connected transport containers. A system for treating plastic waste at the water surface, in particular at sea, according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the oil fraction purification device is a hydrogenation process purification device. A system for the treatment of plastic waste at water level, in particular at sea, according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that it has a tank of cleaned diesel SK 9529 Υ1 fraction included between the diesel fraction cleaning plant and the filling station dispenser (5). A system for the treatment of plastic waste at water level, in particular at sea, according to any one of claims 8 to 14, characterized in that it is spread over at least two vessels (1). 2 drawings