Utilization of the Energy Potential of Waste from the Automotive Industry

Abstract

Human life is inextricably linked to the generation of waste, whether at the municipal or industrial sphere. Waste is an important source of secondary raw materials and stored energy, which nowadays is advantageous to use. The most suitable way of waste recovery is its recycling and reuse. The share of waste that is unsuitable for recycling for various reasons is high, it currently exceeds the processing capacity of the Slovak Republic and is therefore deposited in landfills. The energy stored mainly in chemical bonds is therefore not used. The share of energy stored in this way is considerable, and its use would help not only in the field of rational waste management, but also in the field of power industry. The simplest way of energy recovery of waste is its direct combustion, more complex technologies are its gasification and pyrolysis. All technologies are called as Waste to Energy systems. Combustion of waste releases stored chemical energy, which is converted into heat, which is used for the production of electricity and heating. The products of gasification and pyrolysis are gaseous and liquid fuels that can be directly used in heat sources for the production of electricity and heat for heating, but also as an input material for the creation of high-grade fuels and for the chemical industry. The article deals with the conceptual design of a small facility for the recovery of waste, especially plastics, from the automotive industry and sorted municipal waste. The concept discusses the technical possibilities of preparing the input material, the technical ways of using it by gasification or pyrolysis, and the possibilities of using the resulting products of processing plastic waste. The assumptions for the design of a small waste recovery facility are verified on an experimental pyrolysis waste treatment device, the article contains the results of laboratory pyrolytic waste treatment and the properties of the resulting products.