Small Scale RDF Workflow

Basics

• This page aims to outline the development of a workflow for the Production, Storage, and Use of Refuse Derived Fuel at a small scale
• Although somewhat similar to Small Scale Waste Incineration , this page aims to mainly use only clean burning materials
• Also care to optimize use as fuel is prioritized over maximizing Variety of MSW it can process/efficiency

Equipment

Fuel Preparation

• Paper Shredder (Preferably one that cam handle a full sheet of Corrugated Containerboard )
• A Paper Pulping Setup
  • A Bin, Water, and an Immersion Blender or Drill Bit Attachment should work fine, although more complex setups may be worth looking into
• Potentially a Moisture Content Meter
• Additives/Binders such as Starch
• Scissors / a Reciprocating Saw if cutting pre-shredding is needed, or in leu of a shredder
• Final Pressing Equipment for the Prepared Fuel Mixture Such as
  • A Paper Log Press or Paper Briquette Press
    • Easiest to acquire, especially if a manual device is used, also heavily proven to not be picky)
  • A Pellet Mill / Pelletizer
    • Higher Quality End Fuel, although requires more precise control of Moisture Content and Particle Size / Mesh Size
  • A Boilie Roller / Automatic Boilie Maker
    • There doesn’t seem to be any examples of this being attempted, but using a similar consistency mix, but for fuel instead of Fishing Bait may work well
    • This could get a form factor similar to Wood Chips or Wood Pellets , but less picky in fuel properties
    • This would almost certainly require usage of a Binder however
• A Solar Solid Fuel Dryer would be of use, although not required
• Torrefaction or Charring into Charcoal may also be useful

Fuel Use

• It could be used for a Fire Pit, although use for Heating to Electricity Generation is preferable
• A Rocket Stove , Rocket Mass Heater , Thermoelectric Stove are all good lower cost options
• Gasification could be done
  • Using the Charcoal Gasifier , assuming it can run on the fuel shape, would be doable given the TRL of that design
  • Entrained Flow Gasification of the slurry itself would be an interesting route to explore

Documentation of Work by User: Eric

• I’ll grab the link but the paper shredder arrived yesterday and is an absolute ‘’’MACHINE’’’
  • Handles everything up to cardboard, but I’d tend to cut it to paper width
  • Also shredded that annoying packaging box fill brown paper (long strips from a roll) without needing to cut it first
  • I did remove all staples, and also left out tape and especially “gummy” labels
  • It does seem to have a fam for active cooling which is nice, and the hour or so of all of us feeding it stuff it didn’t even seem to worry, it does have an overheat warning light+shutdown for that as well (although this didn’t activate)
• After doing tons of cardboard “runs”, and/pr more glossy or label covered stuff some debris would occasionally appear on top of the bank of blades, but a few sheets of “nicer” stuff like plain printer paper and whatnot and jt was
• Today (Friday) the Paper Brick Maker is arriving
  • I’ll probably try burning the cross cut shreds on their own too, although i am slightly concerned about ember risk
  • No Burn Ban or anything in effect, and on the larger fire pit it does have that mesh cover
  • I might try putting a (cut) brick and/or shreds into an old Paint Can for charcoal production
    • This may also allow for quick drying of the bricks, but honestly that solar dryer is probably the way to go
• I’ll keep you posted!