This repository is dedicated to Plastic to Power: Microwave Energy for Plastic Decomposition, a final-year engineering project at the University of Cape Town. This project explores the use of microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis (MAP) to convert plastic waste into hydrogen and valuable by-products like carbon nanotubes.
This project investigates the role of microplasmas and hotspot identification within the microwave cavity to improve efficiency and consistency in hydrogen production. It also examines the performance differences between inverter and transformer microwaves to determine the optimal conditions for large-scale, sustainable plastic waste conversion.
- Final Report: Comprehensive documentation of the project’s background, methodology, results, and conclusions.
- Project Poster: A concise, visual summary of the project’s key findings.
- Graduate Attributes Document: Document submitted to demonstrate the fulfillment of graduate attributes required by ECSA for degree completion.
- Ethical Clearance: Official ethical clearance and proposal document outlining the project's objectives and methodologies, necessary for project approval.
- Supervisor Brief: Original project brief from the supervisor, detailing the scope and objectives.
- Proposal Document: Detailed project proposal submitted to obtain ethical clearance and outline the project goals.
- Evolving Project Documents: Documents that were adapted and iteratively modified throughout the project to refine its objectives and approach.
- Datasheets: Datasheets for essential equipment and components used in the project.
- Foundational Documents: Important research papers and reference materials that were fundamental to the project’s development and understanding of MAP.
- Results Folder: Contains results from various experiments conducted, documenting the performance of the catalytic pyrolysis process under different conditions.
- Sensing Module Design and Calibration: Documents essential to the design of the custom temperature sensing module, along with calibration results to validate its accuracy.
- P2P (Power-to-Plastic) Folder: Contains the original project that inspired this work, providing background and context for the current research.
The code for the temperature monitoring system, designed to track real-time temperature changes within the microwave cavity, can be found in a separate repository:
Monitoring System Code Repository
This code supports the custom-built temperature sensing module, featuring thermocouples, thermistors, and a remote monitoring camera, which was crucial for all experimental tests in this project.
- Explore Key Documents for a comprehensive understanding of the project, including the final report, proposal, and graduate attributes submission.
- Review Project Development Resources for insights into the project’s evolution, from initial proposals to final deliverables.
- Access Experimental Results to view outcomes from key experiments, including hydrogen production tests and sensing module calibration.
- Consult Reference Materials for detailed information on equipment specifications and foundational research.
- Refer to the P2P Folder for background on the initial project that inspired this work.