A Comparative Study of Experimental Results and Modelling Results for the Melting of Polyethylene Using a Scheffler Solar Concentrator

Abstract

Plastic waste (PW) management remains a major concern in our towns and rural areas. An approach involving the recovery of this waste through the manufacture of composite materials could be a solution to this problem. To this end, an experimental study and a numerical study were proposed. The results of the experimental study showed that the melting of 2 kg 200 g of waste, under an average solar irradiance of 473 W/m² and an average internal temperature of 206.4 °C, is effective, representing a difference of 6.4 °C from the melting point of PE (200 °C). Simulation studies have shown that the average internal temperature in the simulation is 216.85°C, which is 16.85°C below the melting point of PE (200°C). From these results, we note that the experimental data show a higher efficiency of 96.89 per cent of the heat required to melt 2kg 200g, compared with the simulation result of 92.22 per cent. Experimental work is more efficient than simulation work.