Waste Plastic to Fuel Conversion Unit

The exponential increase in plastic production and consumption has caused a serious global environmental challenge due to the non-biodegradability and long persistence of polymeric materials in ecosystems. Conventional methods of waste plastic management such as landfilling, incineration, and mechanical recycling are no longer sufficient to handle the growing volume and diversity of plastic waste streams. Consequently, alternative approaches that integrate environmental sustainability with energy recovery have become imperative. One of the most promising strategies is the conversion of waste plastic into liquid fuel through controlled pyrolysis, a thermochemical decomposition process that occurs in the absence of oxygen. This paper presents an extensive study and engineering development of a Waste Plastic to Fuel Conversion Unit, integrating thermochemical analysis, process design, catalyst optimization, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based control modeling. The research emphasizes the influence of process variables—temperature, residence time, catalyst selection, and feedstock composition—on fuel yield and quality. Additionally, a computationally aided process optimization framework employing artificial neural networks (ANN) and genetic algorithms (GA) has been developed to predict and enhance fuel conversion efficiency. Experimental and simulation results confirm that the optimized process achieves a conversion yield of up to 82%, producing a hydrocarbon-rich liquid fuel with calorific values comparable to commercial diesel. The proposed unit demonstrates an economically viable, environmentally safe, and scalable pathway for converting non-recyclable plastic waste into useful energy resources.