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US 11,299,396 B2Granted
System for the production of carbon nanotubes from carbon matter, preferably, plastic waste and solar energy; method of production
AssigneeUniversidad De Chile
InventorsFrancisco Gracia Caroca, Mauricio Morel Escobar, Vania Jocelyn Rojas Fuentes, Gerardo Cabrera Papamija, Nicolas Carvajal
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a system for the production of carbon nanotubes from carbonaceous matter, preferably, plastic waste and solar energy; Method of production.
Claims33
A system for obtaining carbon nanotubes (CNT) from carbonaceous matter using solar radiation as energy source comprising:
- a) a solar tracking sub-system along of a length of the system or X axis and at altitude or Y axis to provide solar radiation to two zones of a two-zone solar reactor, comprising:
- a.1) an upper support providing stability, housing Fresnel lenses that allow the tracking and concentration of incident solar radiation in at least one focal point;
- a.2) at least four upper actuators for positioning at least two Fresnel lenses;
- a.3) a central actuator to fit a height of said upper support in relation to said two-zone solar reactor in order to control a circle radius of sunlight generated by the concentration of solar radiation, and
- a.4) a photo-detector that cooperates with a balance set for moving said upper support according to the sun's path and keeping the circle radius of sunlight at a same point, wherein said balance set comprises:
- i) a hydraulic arm actuator,
- ii) a bearing-shaft coupling that receives the hydraulic arm actuator, and
- iii) a lower support of the hydraulic arm actuator, which serves as a support point to actuate said actuator and which is adhered to said lower support;
- wherein said upper support comprises a central structure that supports said central actuator and keeps the center of mass of said upper support;
- a control board adhered to said lower support, containing a controller for said central actuator and said photo-detector, in order to automatically or manually control the movement of said upper support along the length of system (X axis) and/or altitude (Y axis) and said at least two Fresnel lenses each independently, based on the information received from the photo-detector, and a base where the solar reactor is coupled in order to be able to rotate together with the upper support structure;
- b) a two-zone solar reactor sub-system comprising a two-zone reactor, a carbonaceous matter pyrolysis zone and a carbon nanotube synthesis zone, which may be separated by use of at least one catalyst;
- and optionally
- c) an energy conversion sub-system to convert solar to electrical energy that continuously feeds the controller of said control board with electrical energy, and which comprises a system for solar to electrical energy conversion.
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A method for producing carbon nanotubes (CNT) from carbonaceous matter and using solar radiation as an energy source characterized by comprising:
- a) placing a solar reactor on a lower support medium supported on a base medium and anchored through fastening bolts to said base medium,
- b) placing carbonaceous raw matter including polypropylene, high density polyethylene or mixtures of both and at least one plastic pyrolysis catalyst in a carbonaceous matter pyrolysis zone and a carbon nanotube synthesis catalyst including a catalyst based on nickel, cobalt, iron and a combination of two or more thereof, optionally with a support in a carbon nanotube synthesis zone of the reactor by entering through a first gate and a second gate of the solar reactor and by sliding rails,
- c) controlling temperature and pressure in the carbonaceous matter pyrolysis zone and the carbon nanotube synthesis zone,
- d) activating a solar tracking system in order to orient an upper support medium in the direction of the largest solar radiation,
- e) actuating the actuator mediums for positioning the Fresnel lenses so that the focus of concentrated light is positioned on the carbonaceous matter pyrolysis zone and the carbon nanotube synthesis zone,
- f) preheating the carbonaceous matter pyrolysis zone and the carbon nanotubes production zone of the reactor from room temperature to a reaction temperature in the range of from 500 to 800° C. in the carbonaceous matter pyrolysis zone and in the carbon nanotube synthesis zone.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.