System and method for generating electricity using pyrolysis of plastics

A system for generating electricity comprising:

• a pyrolysis reactor comprising a pyrolysis input and a pyrolysis output, and configured to receive an organic material into the pyrolysis input and produce a pyrolysis fluid at the pyrolysis output;
• a fluid separator device comprising a separator input and a plurality of separator outputs, wherein the separator input is coupled to the pyrolysis output and configured to receive the pyrolysis fluid and to separate the pyrolysis fluid into a plurality of sub-mixtures of fluids, wherein each sub-mixtures is provided via a respective separator output of the plurality of separator outputs;
• a plurality of fuel-cell devices, each fuel-cell device comprising a fuel-cell input coupled to a respective separator output, and an electricity output, and wherein the plurality of fuel-cell generators use a respective plurality of fuel-cell technologies;
• and
• a controller controllably coupled to the pyrolysis reactor, the separator device, and the plurality of fuel-cell devices, and comprising an input for receiving at least one of:
• a signal representing a demand for electric power,
• a signal representing cost of operating at least one of the pyrolysis reactor and the fuel-cell generator, and
• a signal representing minimum price of electric power, and
• wherein the controller determines flow of plastic materials into the pyrolysis input, and flow of sub-mixtures of hydrocarbons into each fuel-cell generator, wherein each of the flows are determined according to at least one of:
• the signal representing demand for electric power,
• the signal representing cost of operating at least one of the pyrolysis reactor and the fuel-cell generator, and
• the signal representing minimum price of electric power.

A method for generating electricity comprising:

• pyrolyzing an organic material to form pyrolysis fluid;
• separating the pyrolysis fluid into a plurality of sub-mixtures of fluids, wherein each sub-mixtures is provided via a respective separator output of a plurality of separator outputs;
• generating electricity by at least one of a plurality of fuel-cell devices, each fuel-cell device comprising a fuel-cell input coupled to a respective separator output, and an electricity output, and wherein the plurality of fuel-cell generators use a respective plurality of fuel-cell technologies;
• and
• controlling the process of pyrolyzing, separating the pyrolysis fluid, and generating electricity, using a controller controllably coupled to the pyrolysis reactor, the separator device, and the plurality of fuel-cell devices, and comprising an input for receiving at least one of:
• a signal representing a demand for electric power,
• a signal representing cost of operating at least one of the pyrolysis reactor and the fuel-cell generator, and
• a signal representing minimum price of electric power, and
• wherein the controller determines flow of organic materials into the pyrolysis input, and flow of sub-mixtures of hydrocarbons into each fuel-cell generator, wherein each of the flows are determined according to at least one of:
• the signal representing demand for electric power,
• the signal representing cost of operating at least one of the pyrolysis reactor and the fuel-cell generator, and
• the signal representing minimum price of electric power.