Theoretical study of liquid phase pyrolysis for efficient conversion of large-scale mixed plastic waste to hydrocarbon fuels through the sequence of b

由于固体内部长度梯度理论的最新进展，本研究旨在通过基于一组修改的Navier-Stokes方程建立一个模型，将流体和固体湍流的概念联系起来。流体内部流动的不稳定性与塑性动力学之间存在联系，这有助于将修正的NS方程应用于固体流动。接下来的目的是制定一个液相热解理论，该理论模拟了塑料有效分解成碳氢化合物燃料的过程。该研究对今后废塑料的处理和回收具有基础性的意义。目前，塑料垃圾通常不能生物降解，只能在垃圾填埋场中持续数年，或者在海洋中分解成纳米颗粒。本研究将为高效、安全的废塑料回收利用为可用燃料提供一个实验验证的理论模型。有可能根据这个拟议项目的结果提出专利申请。可以把塑性看作是固体的湍流，正是通过这个想法，我们打算把NS方程的流体动力学与“固体”塑料的动力学联系起来。我们将采用目前只应用于流体动力学的分岔序列方法，与波动湍流理论一起开发一种混合模型，该模型将适用于更广泛的微分系统，而不仅仅是塑性分解。该项目的第一阶段是开发一个pde系统，用于将塑料分解为燃料的两阶段过程。该系统将基于修正的NS方程。内部长度梯度理论的最新进展使得固体可以被建模为流体，这是该项目的关键，因为它们为如何模拟固体内部的湍流提供了见解。一旦形成，这些方程的解，将识别不同的塑性状态，将由建立在专有代码上的数值软件近似。这一发展阶段还将允许将新的耦合偏微分方程与实验结果进行直接比较，以进一步验证和改进理论。当内部软件充分体现了理论，并且产生的结果与实验数据一致时，软件的优化将产生与大规模回收塑料为燃料相关的基本结果。此外，该软件将分为单处理器版本（出于教学原因-例如本科交付）和多处理器版本（用于高性能应用程序）。该项目的初始阶段，包括一个完整的研究计划，预计需要6-12个月。这一阶段将允许仔细规划时间和资源，以尽量减少项目的风险，并确保设定合理的最后期限。在这段时间和接下来的6个月里，将对文献进行更深入的阅读，并开始对耦合pde的公式进行初步研究。一旦文献综述完成，在第二年和第三年的剩余时间里，将制定热解方程，同时初步开发数值软件以验证结果。这将是一个迭代过程，因为理论工作将影响软件开发，反之亦然。在第四年，一旦开发出数值软件，将进一步将其结果与实验数据进行比较，以确定将废物转化为燃料的效率最大化的过程。研究的第五年将构成软件的优化，以获得更好的协议与验证的理论。最后一年将用于论文撰写。

This research aims to link the concepts of fluid and solid turbulence, by developing a model based on a modified set of Navier-Stokes equations due to recent advances in internal length gradient theory in solids. There are links between the instabilities of flow within fluid and plastic dynamics, which lend themselves to the potential application of modified NS equations to solid flow. Sequentially the intention is to formulate a liquid-phase pyrolysis theory, which models efficient decomposition of plastic into hydrocarbon fuels.The research will be of fundamental importance to the future of waste plastic processing and recycling; at present, plastic waste often does not biodegrade and lasts for years in landfill or breaking to nano-particles at sea. This research would offer an experimentally verifiable theoretical model for the efficient and safe recycling of waste plastic into usable fuel. There is potential for patent applications to be based on the results of this proposed project.It is possible to consider plasticity as the turbulence of a solid and it is by this idea that we intend to link the hydrodynamics of the NS equations to the dynamics of "solid" plastics.We will employ a sequence of bifurcations approach which, at present, has only ever been applied to fluid dynamics, alongside wave turbulence theory to develop a hybrid model which will be applicable to a wider class of differential systems, not only plastic decomposition. The first stage of the project is to develop a system of PDEs for the two-phase process of decomposing plastic into fuel. This system will be based on modified NS equations. The recent advances of internal length gradient theory, allowing solids to be modelled as fluids, are key to this project as they provide insight into how turbulence within solids might be modelled.Once formulated, the solutions of these equations, that will identify the different plastic states, will be approximated by a numerical software built on proprietary code. This stage of development will also allow for direct comparisons of the new coupled PDEs with experimental results for further validation and refinement of theory.When the theory is sufficiently represented by the in-house software and the results produced are in-line with experimental data, optimisation of the software will produce fundamental results relevant to the large-scale recycling of plastic into fuel. Additionally, the software will be divided into single (for pedagogical reasons - e.g. undergraduate delivery) and multiple (for High Performance Applications) processor versions. The initial stage of the project, to include a full research proposal, is expected to take 6-12 months. This phase will allow for careful planning of time and resources to minimise risk to the project and to ensure sensible deadlines are set. During this time and for a further 6 months, deeper reading into the literature will occur and initial work on the formulation of the coupled PDEs will begin.Once the literature review is complete, for the rest of the 2nd and 3rd year, the pyrolysis equations will be formulated alongside initial development of the numerical software to verify the results. This will be an iterative process, as work on the theory will influence the software development and vice-versa. In the 4th year, once the numerical software is developed, further comparison of its results will be made with experimental data in order to identify processes for maximising efficiency of the conversion from waste to fuel. The 5th year of the research will constitute optimisation of the software in order to obtain better agreement with the verified theory. The final year will be devoted for the thesis write-up.