Device to Transfer Heat From the Oxidation of Organic Waste Utilizing Activated Carbon

Abstract

A device was developed for laboratory testing of a heat generating process that can use commercial organic by-products as fuel. This process, Activated Carbon Facilitated Oxidation (AC FOX), enables less refined organic compounds to be used as fuel sources, including glycerin, animal fats, and forms of brown grease. AC FOX oxidizes these compounds on the carbon surface in an exothermic reaction that does not involve combustion via flame. Although AC FOX has been demonstrated and patented, further development is required for industrial application. The device developed in this project forms a packed column vessel measuring three inches in diameter by five inches in height. Multiple ports have been drilled for temperature sensors and fluid flow. A thermosyphon design is being tested for heat transfer, and consists of a steel tube that will be partially filled with a working fluid. The bottom of the tube, evaporator, sits centrally in the packed column of activated carbon while the top section, condenser, is submerged in water. This device will enable the establishment of optimal conditions for AC FOX heat generation.