Proposing a new solution for marine debris by utilizing on-board low-temperature eco-friendly pulverization system

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Marine debris (MD) poses a significant threat to environmental sustainability.
• Current recycling methods face limitations due to storage capacity and secondary pollution.
• Efficient recycling processes are crucial for mitigating the impact of marine pollution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an eco-friendly, low-temperature marine debris pulverization system.
• To utilize excess liquefied natural gas cold energy (LCE) from LNG propulsion ships for recycling.
• To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of marine debris recycling.

Main Methods:

• Designed and prototyped a low-temperature pulverization (LTP) system.
• Integrated the LTP system with liquefied natural gas cold energy (LCE) utilization.
• Tested the system's performance using four types of plastics from actual marine debris.

Main Results:

• The LTP system can substitute up to 2831 kg/hour of consumable refrigerant.
• 1250 kg of marine debris can be treated with 363 kg of additional refrigerant using 20% ship output.
• Storage capacity increased over 10 times compared to bulk marine debris, with minimized energy consumption.

Conclusions:

• The proposed low-temperature pulverization system offers an effective and efficient solution for marine debris recycling.
• Utilizing liquefied natural gas cold energy presents a sustainable and economically viable approach.
• The system demonstrates significant potential for increasing storage capacity and reducing environmental impact.