Development of Novel Sensors to Characterize Airborne Carbon-Containing Emissions: Application to the Generation of Fuel Oil Via the Pyrolysis of Waste Plastic

The measurement of carbonaceous aerosols such as CO, CO2, particulate matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and PM are important for emissions monitoring and control, as well as the optimization of industrial processes, but routine and robust methods for in-situ measurement are currently not economically feasible in developing world.

This research seeks to change that by developing sensors to characterize carbon-containing emissions. As an initial proof-of-concept, we will optimize the overall fuel production from a waste plastic to oil pyrolysis reactor at a paper mill in Muzaffarnagar U.P., using our sensor nodes to better understand where the carbon available in the waste plastic is going under different reactor operating conditions. (Types of waste include non-condensable gas, char, heavy oil/slag, and fuel oil.) A sensor node capable of measuring CO, CO2, PM, and VOCs will be developed as a standalone device that is both low cost and low power.

Adopting this technology will allow businesses operating industrial scale processes to use a low-cost diagnostic device to more efficiently run their plants. Optimizing their processes will reduce the amount of fuel needed, increase primary product yields, and reduce carbon emissions simultaneously.

Initial product deployment will be as an add-on diagnostic device to the pyrolysis reactor currently in development by the Tata Center. Scale deployment will be achieved by marketing our device more broadly as both an add-on diagnostic instrument for industrial processes and as a real-time monitoring device for industrial stack emissions.