Pyrolysis is not a single technology - Podcast Video#4
00:00 Why pyrolysis is not one technology
00:11 $2 billion in pyrolysis project losses: Europe and the USA
00:32 Suhas Dixit: 12 patents and more than 50 projects
00:59 Feedstock preparation: shredding, drying and conveying
01:22 Airlock feeding, pyrolysis reactors and furnaces
01:50 Carbon discharge and cooling
02:12 Vapour pipelines and staged condensation
02:47 Pyrolysis gas, burners, scrubbing and waste heat recovery
03:25 Upgrading pyrolysis oil, biochar and carbon black
04:26 Tyre pyrolysis and recovered carbon black
04:57 The skyscraper analogy: seeing versus engineering
05:33 How one weak technology package affects the whole plant
06:09 Which technology packages can you engineer in-house?
06:29 The role of an owner's engineer
Pyrolysis is not one technology. A working pyrolysis plant combines 15 to 20 technology packages—and a weak link in any one of them can undermine the entire project.
In this video, I discuss $2 billion in pyrolysis project losses across Europe and the USA, and a costly misconception: treating a complete plant as a single technology purchase.
I'm Suhas Dixit, Founder and CEO of APChemi. I hold 12 patents in pyrolysis and have been behind more than 50 pyrolysis projects. I explain what pyrolysis plant design and technology integration involve, using plastic, tyre and biomass pyrolysis as examples.
We follow the process from feedstock preparation to product upgrading: shredding, drying and conveying; airlock feeding; reactors, furnaces and rotary kilns; carbon discharge and cooling; vapour pipelines and staged condensation; pyrolysis gas storage and firing; scrubbing and waste heat recovery; and upgrading pyrolysis oil, biochar and recovered carbon black.
My central point: understanding the concept is roughly 5% of the job. The other 95% is engineering—and that can mean 10,000 to 30,000 engineering hours. A plant visit shows you the equipment; it does not reveal all the engineering needed to make those systems work together.
Before committing to a pyrolysis project, identify which technology packages your team can engineer in-house, who will cover the remaining packages, and who will coordinate the whole plant. This is where an owner's engineer comes in. I'll explore that role in a separate video.
At APChemi, we work as an owner's engineer and plant simulation partner. We simulate plants before construction to identify design and integration problems before they reach the site.
Which technology package does your project need help with? Tell me in the comments, or book a meeting below.
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CONNECT WITH APCHEMI
APChemi on LinkedIn: / apchemi
Suhas Dixit on LinkedIn: / suhas-dixit
Websites: https://www.apchemi.com/ | https://pyrolysisplant.com/
