JPR1@ns.cc.lehigh.edu (James P. Reynolds) (06/12/91)
I am a graduate engineering student looking for advice on a project. If there are any profs or grad students here who teach Chemical Eng. or PARTICULARLY petroleum engineering, I need your help. I would like to design a device that burns used motor oil. Currently most used oil is illegaly and harmfully dumped because recycling it is economically impractical. A machine that burns it instead would help prevent much of the damage. I would like to know: 1. Is such a machine practical? On a small scale? On a scale big enough so one could take up neighborhood "collections" every so often? 2. Would it be necessary to get special, costly equipment to make this a reality? Is it hard to burn motor oil? 3. What additives are commonly put in oil? Would burning them release harmful or toxic gases? Would residues be left behind that are toxic and would need to be disposed of at great expense and inconvenience? I need good advice here. I hope someone can help me with this. --Jim Reynolds at Lehigh University