Browse Tesla3.com archives in 7 categories Parcourez les archives de Tesla3.com en 7 catégories: Find the older websites here >> http://waterfuel.100free.com and http://waterfuel.t35.com << Trouvez les anciens websites ici SHOPPING GENERAL ENERGY NATURE HUMAN FORME METAPHYSIC ENERGY > Waste Gasification: Last updated: 2007 Transforming any organic or synthetic waste that contain carbon in energy (heat and clean combustible gas) is now a proven technology, and it starts to be widely commercialized around the world. The process is self sustaining, it means that it needs no external classic source of energy, and it produces much more energy that it needs, from the Plasma Gasification of carbonic elements. It's considered as a very clean technology compared to what we had until now; it eliminates solid and liquid wastes while giving extra usable energy. For details, see below. We can consider Professor Santillini (Magnegas) and William RICHARDSON (Aquafuel) as pioneers in the technology (even if they were concentrated on the liquid gasification form), that is now well understood and developped by numerous companies in the world. See the page 'Cold Fusion' of this website at: cold_fusion.html to the top ## Description of the process, through the official websites of companies involving in this domain: ## Integrated Environmental Technologies, LLC http://www.inentec.com/index.html # Commercial Systems: IET has sold several commercial PEM™ units throughout the world to process a wide range of waste materials. These systems are briefly discussed below. - Allied Technology Group, Inc. (ATG) Allied Technology Group, Inc.'s (ATG) Mixed Waste Treatment Facility in Richland, WA used a G200 PEM™ system for treating a combination of hazardous and radioactive waste, some of the most difficult material in the world to process. (The facility is in cold standby.) - Asia Pacific Environmental Technologies (APET) Asia Pacific Environmental Technology's (APET) Hawaii Medical Vitrification (HMV) facility in Honolulu, HI uses a G100 PEM™ system to treat hospital and other medical waste from the Honolulu area, destroying all pathogens and biohazards and generating electricity from the syngas. - Fuji Kaihatsu The G300 PEM™ system was installed at Fuji Kaihatsu’s facility in Iizuka, Japan (near Fukuoka). The system was designed to process up to 10 tons per day (TPD) of plastics and industrial waste into electricity in a clean (low pollution), non-incineration process. - Okinawa PCB and Asbestos Demonstration Unit This G100 system was installed at Ryukyus University on the Japanese island of Okinawa by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (one of IET's representatives in Japan). It was used to demonstrate to the Japanese Regulatory Authorities that the PEM™ could safely process PCBs and meet Japanese destruction requirements. The demonstration program was executed in mid 2003 and lasted for two months. Following the test and receipt of approval from the Japanese authorities for processing of PCB contaminated materials, the PEM™ system was dismantled and shipped to another location near Kobe. A paper on the test results is available upon request. See Certifications section. In 2006, Kawasaki installed the system in Harima, Japan, for a demonstration of asbestos destruction. This very successful test was completed in June 2006. The system will now be moved to the KHI facility near Osaka, Japan, and reinstalled for PCB destruction on an ongoing basis. - Global Plasma in Taiwan Global Plasma of Taipei, Taiwan installed a G100 system for treating medical waste and batteries. Commissioning of the plant was completed in March of 2005. The system easily passed the Taiwan EPA performance test for environmental emissions. This is the first system using a dual-fueled diesel engine for combustion of the syngas. The power generation system uses a Miratech SCR with urea injection for NOx reduction and an oxidation catalyst for CO control. - BioPure Systems in Malaysia A 1 TPD PEM™ System is being installed by IET's Malaysian representative BioPure Systems in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It will be used as a testing and demonstration facility for the Malaysian market. to the top ## Advanced Plasma Power http://www.advancedplasmapower.com/ - Belt conveyor system: A crane is used to lift containers of RDF into a receiving hopper. The RDF is then transferred to the feed hopper by a belt conveyor system. - Fluid Bed and feed system: The arrangement of the feed system and fluid bed gasifier (FBG) is shown in figure 3. The RDF is fed continuously at a controlled rate through a solid fuel feeder system. The feed rate is modulated by a variable speed screw feeder which discharges into a rotary solids valve (RSV), purged with inert gas, which provides an airlock on the system. The feed from the RSV is transferred via a constant speed feeder to the gasifier. The FBG contains a heated bed of calcined clay which is suspended in a rising column of gas. The fluidised bed technique enables good contact between the fuel and oxidant streams to achieve high gasification rates and close temperature control within the unit. - Gasifier and feed system: Oxygen and steam are injected in the base of the unit, and their rate is metered to match the feed rate of the RDF to maintain the temperature of the bed between 750-850°Celsius and generate a crude syn gas of the required calorific value. The oversized ash material generated in the FBG is also removed via a sealed valve in the base section. Arrangement of the Gasplasma facility - Fluid Bed Gasifier base section showing Oxygen and steam injection and ash removal system - Plasma Convertor roof: The contaminated gas from the FBG is treated in the cylindrical plasma converter unit (roof of unit shown). The plasma arc is transferred from the tip of the drilled graphite electrode located in the centre of the unit, to the surface of the molten bath in the refractory lined converter hearth. The crude syn gas from the gasifier unit flows via a refractory lined duct through a port in the roof of the converter. Steam and oxygen injection also occurs at this stage, to enhance the cracking and reforming of the long chain organic species and promote the gasification of soot and char products. The plasma arc power to the unit is controlled to maintain the temperature of the gases exiting the unit to ~1,100-1,250°Celsius. The ash particulates entrained in the input gas stream drop out and are vitrified in the molten bath. - Scale Model: The 100:1 scale model of the Gasplasma plant, rated to treat 50,000 tonnes per annum of RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) shows the general configuration and relative sizes of the main process equipment. The plant is compact; the footprint area of the covered space is 1,750m2 whilst the external space is 1,000m2. There are 4 main sections in the facility:i) fuel storage area, ii) advanced thermal processing section, iii) syn gas cooling and cleaning (external) and iv) Power island. - Gas Cleaning Plant: A-Engine Exhaust ; B-Gas Storage ; C-Scrubber ; D-Waste Heat Boiler ; E-Particulate Filter The plant has a 2 days fuel storage capacity to allow continuous operation of the thermal plant. A belt conveyor system is used to transfer and provide managed storage of the received RDF material. The advanced thermal treatment section incorporates 2 processing units: the fluid bed gasifier (FBG) and the plasma converter (PC). The RDF is transferred at a controlled rate via a screw conveyor system to the FBG feed system. The feed incorporates an airlock to prevent gas egress or air ingress at this point. The feed is transferred at a controlled rate to the gasifier ~9 m high and 3 m diameter. The FBG operates at a temperature of between 800-900°Celsius and is fluidised by steam and oxygen injection at the base of the unit. The plasma converter is a cylindrical refractory lined steel vessel ~4metres high and 4.3 metres in diameter. The drilled graphite electrode is located in the centre of the unit and the plasma arc, which uses nitrogen as the plasma stabilising gas, is transferred from the tip of the electrode to the surface of the melt. In operation, the crude syn gas from the gasifier unit flows via a refractory line duct into the plasma converter. The high temperature within the converter, plus the addition of steam and oxygen addition at this stage, promotes the cracking and reforming of the long chain organic species and the gasification of soot and char products. The power to the unit is controlled to maintain the temperature of the gases exiting the unit to ~1,100-1,250°Celsius. Ash particulates carried over from the gasifier drop out in this section and are assimilated in the melt. The cleaned syn gas (from the syngas cleaning system described in slide 3) is fed to the power island which incorporates gas engines. The power generated is partly used in the fuel preparation process but the major part is exported to the power grid. Around 6 tonnes per hour of 10 Bar steam is recovered from the engine exhaust gas stream for use elsewhere in the process or for additional electrical power generation. - Detail of Interior Plant A-RDF Fuel Storage ; B-Feed System ; C-Plasma Converter ; D-Fluid Bed Gasifier ; E-Gas Engines The syn gas cooling and cleaning system is located outside of the building. The hot gas exiting the plasma converter is cooled from ~1,200 to 200 °Celsius using a waste heat boiler that generates ~4 tonnes per hour of 10 Bar steam for use elsewhere in the process. The contaminated dust entrained in the gas stream is efficiently captured in the particulate filter unit. A gas scrubber located downstream of the filter is used for the removal of acid gases. The cooled clean syn gas can then be stored in pressurised buffer storage tanks prior to use at the power island. The gas emissions from the gas engines are discharged through a low profile stack. # The Gasplasma Process: The Gasplasma Process is based on three well-proven technologies namely: - fluid bed gasification - plasma treatment - gas engines. This combination provides a high degree of assurance as to the performance of the overall process given the extensive operating track record of its individual components. It is a modular and scaleable technology. Whilst it can operate effectively at only 30,000 tonnes per annum, significant economies of scale as well as process efficiencies are achievable at 50,000 tonnes per annum. It is closely integrated, gasification and plasma vitrification process that extracts the maximum amount of energy from a pre-treated waste feedstock. - Interactive Annotation (1.3Mb) http://www.advancedplasmapower.com/gasplasma/interactive.htm - 3D Walkthrough On-screen (5.6Mb) http://www.advancedplasmapower.com/gasplasma/walkthrough5_6MB.htm # The Science: The Gasplasma Process comprises a conventional fluid bed gasification plant to convert the organic waste material into a synthetic fuel gas that is a mix of hydrogen circa 40%, carbon monoxide 40% and carbon dioxide 19%. The balance comprises mostly nitrogen. The gasifier is a vertical refractory lined cylinder with a bed made up of sand that is fluidised by passing through it, a mix of oxygen and steam causing it to ‘boil’. The use of oxygen and steam allows the conditions within the gasifier to be carefully controlled, maintaining a starved air atmosphere. At the high temperatures of operation, material fed into the gasifier thermally degrades into a syngas with considerable energy still to be released. Conventionally syngas would then be oxidised (i.e.: mixed with air) and combusted in an adjoining or nearby combustion chamber. The heat produced would be used to make steam that in turn would drive a steam turbine generating power. However, small-scale steam cycle power plants are relatively inefficient in that they convert only around 20% of the energy in the feedstock into power. - We will be able utilising our syngas in a gas engine or turbine, which can achieve much higher electrical generating efficiencies of 35-40%,and exporting substantially more than half the total electrical output. To date, there have been a number of attempts to clean syngas of the tars and other contaminants that will rapidly foul gas engines/turbines or block their filter systems. These have generally not been successful. Fouling occurs because most syngas contains tars in vapour form that condense at the low temperatures required for use in gas engines. - Trials of the plasma treatment have already shown its effectiveness in removing these tars and producing a syngas of high quality and consistency. The Fluid bed gasifier incorporated into the Gasplasma Process also creates a significant amount of char and ash (the percentage depends on ash material within the feedstock- usually 10-15% from MSW). - The Gasplasma Process will recover this material as a form of recycled aggregate and so provides a solution that results in a minimal amount of residues having to be sent to landfill. The plasma converter is a refractory lined closed vessel into which a graphite electrode is inserted. Electrical power is passed between the electrode and the melt, which is in contact with electrically conductive elements built into the refractory hearth of the converter, and these provide the return electric path to the power supply. An inert gas such as nitrogen or argon is passed down the centre of the electrode. Above 3,000 degrees Celsius, this gas ionises and becomes electrically conductive. The gas changes its properties and becomes more viscous and forms a plasma; often referred to as the fourth state of matter. The plasma, which is usually around 30-40cm in diameter, typically operates at between 5,000-10,000 degrees Celsius and provides an intense source of heat and of Ultra Violet light that rapidly breaks down the feedstock materials. The heat from the plasma radiates out inside the vessel resulting in an average temperature of around 1,200 - 1,500 degrees Celsius. As it leaves the plasma convertor the syngas, is at high temperature and requires cooling which is undertaken by conventional heat exchangers. It is then further cleaned to remove acid gases e.g. sulphur and chlorine containing vapours before being transferred into a buffer storage tank where it is stored as a fuel, prior to being fed into gas engines. # Breakthrough: The breakthrough flows from being able to produce a clean syngas capable of being fed into a gas engine or turbine at a highly competitive cost while simultaneously vitrifying the ash residues in the plasma converter. The syngas as well as the chars and ash are all fed directly into the plasma vessel (closely coupled up to the fluid bed gasifier) the former operating at well over 1,000 degrees Celsius. The carbon remaining in the soot, tar and char is converted into further syngas to maximise energy recovery. - The Plasma treatment thermally ‘cracks’ the dirty syngas (from the gasifier) breaking up its complex molecular structure and reforming it into a much simpler structure resulting in a clean hydrogen rich fuel gas of consistent calorific value. - The ash material from the gasifier is simultaneously melted and forms a molten slag in the plasma vessel which is then continuously tapped off and, as it cools, it sets into a granite like glassy slag material which is a dense, hard, environmentally stable material capable of being re-used as building aggregate. It can also be granulated in water as it cools to produce a more readily useable product. - The volume reduction is very substantial with the volume of inert slag being around 200 times less than the volume of the original feedstock material. Conventional combustion, gasification and pyrolysis processes produce significant quantities of one or more of bottom or grate ash, toxic fly ash, chars, tars and acetates which are hazardous and, whose disposal and transport is increasingly expensive. In contrast, the Gasplasma Process, with its minimal waste residues, therefore enjoys a significant cost and environmental advantage. # Technology Validation: As part of our detailed validation process, executive summaries of full reports by Fichtner are now available: - http://www.advancedplasmapower.com/downloads/APP_Proof_of_Concept.pdf - http://www.advancedplasmapower.com/downloads/APP_Validation_Report.pdf # Corporate: - APP was founded in Nov 2005 to commercialise Gasplasma technology originally developed by Tetronics Ltd. - Tetronics was established some 40 years ago and has 33 international reference sites with Plasma Arc solutions used in vitrifying mostly inorganic and hazardous wastes and in metals recovery. - Plasma is traditionally used in vitrifying mostly inorganic and hazardous waste and in metals recovery. - The Gasplasma has adapted the plasma arc technology platform for the high volume municipal / commercial solid waste markets, and is subject to a number of patent applications. # Press Releases: - APP Ends Report Nov06 http://www.advancedplasmapower.com/pdf/app_ends_report_nov_06.pdf - APP EU Power http://www.advancedplasmapower.com/pdf/app_eu_power.pdf - APP Public Servant Daily Aug06 http://www.advancedplasmapower.com/pdf/app_public_servant_daily_aug_06.pdf - APP Sustainable Solutions Feb07 http://www.advancedplasmapower.com/pdf/app_public_servant_daily_aug_06.pdf - Equity Development Mar07 http://www.advancedplasmapower.com/pdf/equity_development_mar_07.pdf - Press Release (November 2006) http://www.advancedplasmapower.com/pdf/app_press_release_nov06.pdf For more information please email info@advancedplasmapower.com or call +44 (0)20 7374 6335. # The Environment The Gasplasma Process is an advanced conversion technology developed to treat household, commercial and other mixed solid wastes. - It converts the organic matter to a gas that is useable for renewable energy generation. - It converts the inorganic matter to an inert vitrified residue useable as an aggregate. - It is a ‘closed process’ that produces no environmentally polluting gases. - It leaves almost nothing (around 1 per cent of input volumes) to go to landfill. The environmental impact is further reduced because: - The process requires a limited footprint that extends to no more than 2,000 square metres including feedstock reception and storage. (The plant fits into a standard retail warehouse). - It requires a low chimney, unlike combustion or incineration processes. These low profile, unobtrusive accommodation features combined with: - the low volume non-polluting discharge to air and - the vastly reduced need to transport residues (that are, in any case, inert and, therefore, do not need special handling), mean that, from a planning point of view, Gasplasma facilities can be built on a scale to meet the needs of local communities and so avoiding the large regional solutions that require waste to be transported from a wide catchment area. - The consequence of this is an additional substantial saving in transport costs, fuel usage as well as pollution and congestion. - We anticipate that the process will consume well below half the electricity it generates with the surplus exported to local end-users or onto the national grid. - The Gasplasma Process qualifies for ROC's and will be able to generate substantial quantities of Renewable power. - All the heat generated will either be used in the process itself, for further power production, or for export to local users, achieving energy efficiencies of around 60%. to the top ## EnviroArc®, Material and Energy Recovery. http://www.enviroarc.com/default.asp # EnviroArc® offers solutions that remove the drawback of conventional technologies: hazardous residues and emissions, insufficient volume reduction and energy recovery, as well as lack of commercial viability for smaller plants. By applying the highly effective and environmental-friendly PyroArc® http://www.enviroarc.com/pyro.asp technology, we can treat all kinds of waste (except nuclear waste). Inorganic compounds are recovered as a slag and a metal alloy, organic material is converted into a fuel gas and all toxic compounds are decomposed. Features : - All types of waste can be treated in one compact plant - Efficient recovery of energy - No or limited amount of rest products to landfills - Metals and minerals recovered as valuable products - Emissions are well within the strictest requirements in Europe and USA Benefits : - Attractive return on investment, also for smaller plants - Energy recovered as a fuel gas gives flexibility with regard to use and return - Suitable for smaller plants - Less space required than for conventional systems # With the VitroArc technology, which is a specialised vitrification technology, we can stabilize and detoxicate fly ash. Fly-ash originates from filters, for example in conventional incineration plants, and is often highly toxic. The VitroArc process decomposes the toxic material and makes it into a leach resistant building material. Features : - Converts dusty materials like fly ash from incinerator plants to a stable non-leaching mineral/slag - Complete destruction of organic compounds (dioxins < 0.1 ng/m3) - Production of non-leaching slag - Separation of zinc and lead from the slag - Low energy consumption Benefits : - Minimises the problem of toxic fly-ash from incineration processes - Stand-alone plants or easily integrated in existing incineration plants, sharing common components and giving considerable cost savings - Very compact and commercially attractive plants, with reduced space requirements - Possible recovery of zinc and lead # With the BioArc technology, we can efficiently convert any biomass or coal into a fuel gas (synthesis gas) mainly consisting of H2 and CO for replacement of fossil fuel. Features : - More flexible use of energy from biomass - Independent of type of biomass - No fly ash for landfill deposit - A pure fuel gas produced, i.e. no emissions Benefits : - Fuel gas regarded as green energy - 70% of the energy recovered as a fuel gas of synthesis gas - The gas can replace fossil fuel or used as a raw material in petrochemical industry # Gasification: Gasification is a technology for production of fuel gas from materials containing organic components, ranging from highly polluted waste to oil residues, coal and biomass. After some additional treatment this fuel gas may be used as: - fuel gas for highly efficient gas turbines or gas engines for production of electricity - raw material for production of hydrogen or synthesis gas for the petrochemical industry - fuel gas for domestic and industrial use The basic principle of gasification is heating and partial combustion. By this the energy in the material is converted from "solid or liquid" energy to "gaseous" energy. Gasification is sometimes called partial oxidation because it represents the most important chemical reaction that takes place. However the gasification also involves a lot of other reactions, making the reaction pattern quite complex, nevertheless the key feature of the gasification is that it makes it possible in an elegant way to remove the pollutants from the material and, in that way, produce a clean gas. Most gasification processes suffer from difficulties related to tare and dirt in the produced gas. This can result in corrosion and/or plugging of the system and may require immediate quenching and loss of energy. These problems have been solved in the patented PyroArc process by use of the unique plasma treatment of the produced gas from the gasifier. # The plasma system: Plasma is characterised as the fourth state of aggregate after solid, liquid and gas. This state can be achieved either by high temperature or by lowering the pressure. The plasma system used in our processes is always based on high temperature plasma. When a gas is heated to a high temperature, its properties change. At about 2000C (3500F), the gas molecules start to dissociate and the gases become monoatomic. At 3000C (5500F), the atoms loose some of their electrons. The gas is ionised. This ionised gas is called gas plasma or simply plasma. Plasma has good electrical conductivity and is carrying a high enthalpy. The plasma also emits tremendous thermal radiation. The plasma generator - High efficiency gas heating A plasma generator is a device for transforming electric energy into heat energy carried by a gas. With plasma generators, virtually any gas can be heated to the plasma state. The heat input can be accurately and readily controlled. The heat energy carried by the gas can be utilized for heating, gasification and chemical reactions, which take place in a reaction chamber in front of the plasma generator. The carrier gas normally takes part in the reactions. The plasma generators transform 85%-90% of the electric energy supplied to them into usable heat energy. Thanks to the extremely high enthalpy (energy density) of the plasma, gasification and reforming reactions can take place within a very small space. # Vitrification: Vitrification means that a material is changed and bound into a glass-like and non leaching substance (vitrified slag). The organic material and volatile components that are not gasified in the VitroArc and the PyroArc process are melted. In the PyroArc process, the rest is melted to form a metal phase and a leach resistant vitrified slag. In the VitroArc process the melted residue forms a leach resistant vitrified slag. Through vitrification, potential inorganic pollutants are fixed in the glass-like substance that makes them resistant to leaching. The leach resistant slag is by this transformation converted into a commercial commodity that can be used, for example, as a construction material. The environmental authorities in Europe and the US have imposed strict regulations with regard to leachability and have developed comprehensive analyzing procedures for testing leachability. EnviroArc has tested the leachability of the vitrified slag, both from the PyroArc and VitroArc processes, and the results show that the leachability is well within the requirements. A typical slag composition from the PyroArc process is shown in the table below: # Flash smelter: In the flash smelter power and dust is introduced into a stream of plasma heated gas in a vertical reactor where the material smelts. The material melts and accumulates at the bottom of the reactor and is continuously tapped through a siphon type tapping device. In a hot cyclone remaining slag droplets are separated from the gas. Energy to the process is supplied by a plasma generator and by partial combustion of coal in the feed material. By adjustment of the oxygen content in the plasma gas, selective reduction and volatilisation of, for example, zinc and lead can be achieved. The content of these materials in the produced slag can be reduced to very low levels. The process is especially suitable for melting and vitrification of fly ash from waste incinerators. # The VitroArc® Process Description http://www.enviroarc.com/vitro.asp Overview: VitroArc is a vitrification process for stabilising and detoxifying fly ash from waste incineration plants. The process converts the dusty materials into a stable non-leaching mineral/slag. The fly ash enters the process in the flash melting zone where all toxic organic materials are gasified and decomposed. Volatile inorganic material like zinc and lead evaporate while the rest of the inorganic material melts. A plasma generator and natural gas provide for energy to the process in the flash melting zone. The melted inorganic material is collected at the bottom of the reactor and continuously tapped through a siphon type tapping device. Oxides of zinc and lead can be recovered in the gas leaning system of the process. Background: Fly ash from waste incineration is a growing environmental problem. High contents of chlorines and sulphates together with various heavy metals and organic compounds make this residue highly leachable and toxic. There are a large number of waste incineration plants in the world today. Although incineration emits limited pollutants to the atmosphere, many hazardous components of the waste concentrate in the solid residues from the incineration. These residues can represent up to 20 percent of the waste treated and are divided into a bottom slag and fly ash. In particular, the fly ash contains large quantities of hazardous compounds such as dioxins and heavy metals. To prevent these toxic and hazardous materials from polluting the environment, many countries have passed regulations that prohibit landfill of untreated fly ash. Stabilisation of the fly ash with cement has not been very successful and is normally not accepted by environmental agencies as a final solution. The regulations, while laying down conditions for the disposal of residues, also call for the possibility of utilizing the residue, provided the polluting potential is within specified requirements. The VitroArc process converts the fly ash into a vitrified black, glassy slag that is stable and leach resistant. The hazardous metals evaporated in the process are recovered while the glassy slag is usable for various applications. The process has been tested in a pilot plant with an hourly capacity of 1 ton. More than 400 tons have been treated. Vitrification of fly ash: There are many vitrification processes potentially suitable for pulverized products. These processes use electricity to generate high fusion temperatures to form a usable slag and to recover a heavy metal fraction. The challenge for all vitrification processes is that fly ash, compared to traditional pulverized products, has a smaller particle size, lighter specific weight, exhibits a higher diffusivity into air and has a higher water absorption capability. In addition, the properties and composition of the fly ash depends very much on the type of waste incinerated and whether wet or dry flue-gas cleaning is used. The VitroArc® process : The VitroArc process represents a solution where any harmful organic compounds of the fly ash are completely decomposed and removed. The VitroArc process shown in fig 1 is intended for a stand alone facility and consists of the following main elements: - Material handling including storage and injection system. - Thermal treatment unit including the unique plasma generator system. - Air pollution control including gas cleaning and water purification. Fly ash from the storage tank is pneumatically fed into the plasma heated vitrification reactor. The volatile part of the fly ash (chlorine, sulphur and possibly zinc and lead) is evaporated. The residue is vitrified to a black glassy slag, which is stable and leach resistant. Electric energy to the plasma generator and partial combustion of a fuel provide for energy to the melting of the fly ash and for the gasification reactions. The fly ash is treated in a reactor by the unique plasma generator technology, which has been utilised for more than fifteen years in the metallurgical industry. Several reactions take place in front of the plasma generator (the flash melting zone) at a temperature of about 1400 C: - Decomposition and evaporation of chlorines, sulphates, carbonates and part of the alkaline metals - Reduction and evaporation of zinc and lead - Decomposition and partial combustion of organic compounds. - Vitrification of the remaining part of the fly ash The retention time in the flash melting zone is about one second. Gas and slag are separated after the flash melting zone. The vitrified slag leaves the reactor in a continuous flow through a siphon type, tapping device. Most of the heavy metals are vaporised when the fly ash is heated. The chemical composition and the leachability of the remaining slag depend on the ratio between SiO2 and CaO as well as on the Al2O3 content. The leachability also depends on whether the vitrification takes place under reducing or oxidising conditions. Al2O3 modifies the property of the glassy slag and reinforces the stability, in particular resistance to chemical agents. Likewise, oxides as Na2O, K2O, CaO and MgO act as modifiers and reduce the vitrification temperature. Most fly ashes contain the main elements, silica and aluminium, in amounts favourable to vitrification. In order to evaporate most of the zinc and lead from the fly ash and suppress the NOx content in the gas to below 50 ppm, only about 20 -30 % of the CO is oxidised to CO2 in the flash melting zone. Air is injected into the reactor to fully oxides the gas i.e. CO to CO2 and H2 to H2O before the gas leaves the reactor. The gas from the reactor is quenched with water at the outlet and is then cleaned from particles and acid gas components in a venturi scrubber and a conditioner. The produced fuel gas contains approximately equal amounts of CO, CO2 and H2. The major part of the impurities is extracted from the gas in the water quench. The sludge from the quench and the remaining gas cleaning system is rich in zinc and lead. The sludge can be sold to refining companies for recovery of the zinc and lead. The soluble alkali salts may be dried or concentrated for reuse in the industry. Products: The products from the vitrification process are: - About 600 kg of a vitrified, stable and leach resistant glassy slag per tonne of fly ash. The content of lead and zinc in the vitrified slag can be kept below 0.04% and 0.4% respectively and depends on the degree of oxidation during operation. - A sludge containing mainly metal hydroxides. The content of zinc and lead is in the order of 50% and consequently the sludge is a good basis for recovery of those metals. - A cleaned solution of water-soluble salts, mainly NaCl and KCl. Test results: To verify and test the process described above, a pilot plant, with a treatment capacity of one ton of fly ash per hour, was built at the ScanArc facility in Sweden. An extensive test programme was carried out and more than 400 tons of fly ash was treated. The energy consumption in the vitrification is about 1000 kWh per ton of dry fly ash in addition to about 40 kg coal powder or hydrocarbons used to control the NOx and zinc as described below. A significant amount of testing has been done to optimise the separation of zinc from the slag. The results show that the zinc may be separated from the slag by controlling the combustion ratio shown in fig. 3. Simultaneously the NOx formation is also controlled as shown in fig. 4. Leachability: The produced slag has been tested for leachability with the most stringent test method available. Slag samples have been ground and repeatedly mixed with sulphuric acid. Analysis of the lechate shows that the VitroArc slag fulfils the demands for unrestricted use, se table below. RESULT OF LEACHING TEST, CEN TC298 Metals (mg/kg) leached from different materials compared to Dutch threshold limits for non restricted use as construction material (building). Numbers below the limits are green while numbers above is red. MSWI: Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator System Description: The VitroArc plant for vitrification of fly ash may be built either as an integrated system in an existing incineration plant or as a stand alone unit comprising full gas cleaning and water cleaning facilities as shown on Figure 1. The plant consists of three main areas: # Storage and feeding system # VitroArc vitrification reactor # Gas and water cleaning system By integration into an existing incineration plant, considerable savings and simplifications may be obtained in particular in the gas- and water cleaning system. If the gas is used as additional fuel in the incinerator only a quencher and a simple scrubber is necessary in the VitroArc plant. The final gas cleaning takes place in the gas cleaning system of the incineration plant. Further, if the existing plant has a wet gas cleaning system with separation of soluble salts only a one step precipitation and filtration unit is required in the VitroArc plant for removal of the zinc concentrate. The remaining water treatment may take place in the existing water treatment plant. # The Proof: Our References: There are several waste destruction concepts under development that may work well in theory. Ours have left the drawing board, and are proving their practical worth and commercial viability. Our experience from the following plants make our processes very commercial attractive. - The PyroArc® plant at Osterøy http://www.enviroarc.com/borge.asp , near Bergen, Norway. EnviroArc® has built the PyroArc® plant that represents a permanent solution for the treatment of all waste materials generated by the Borge tannery. The Borge tannery is one of Scandinavians top tanneries producing 600 hides a day. - In Pilot plant in Hofors, Sweden ScanArc's laboratory facilities and pilot plant is located in Hofors, Sweden. These facilities are one of the most advanced in the world regarding nontransferred plasma systems. Their personnel represent many years of experience in development, implementation and operation of processes and applications in non-transferred plasma arc systems. The facility comprises both a PyroArc and a VitroArc pilot plant. Each of the plants is fully equipped to treat waste in continuous operation. The VitroArc plant has an hourly capacity of 1 tonne of fly ash. The PyroArc pilot plant has a capacity of 700 kg of waste per hour, dependant on the bulk density of the waste material. The pilot plants have been used to successfully demonstrate complete decomposition of chlorinated hydrocarbons, including PCB, and decomposition of compounds containing NO3-, NHx or CN-groups without incurring NOx-formation. The following waste materials have been treated successfully: · Household waste ; · Impregnated wood, CCA and creosote ; · Tires ; · "Car fluff" ; · Electronic waste ; · Refrigerators ; · Simulated hospital waste ; · Chlorinated hydrocarbons ; · PCB ; · Freon ; · Batteries ; · Oil filter ; · Paint, glue etc. ; · Asbestos ; · Tannery waste - The ScanDust plant in Landskrona. The plant recover valuable metals from filter dust captured in processes of stainless steel production. The plant employs the same plasma generator system as in the PyroArc® and VitroArc® process. # Papers: What others say EnviroArc has a close relation with leading academic and research institutes, such as SINTEF (The Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research at the Norwegian Institute of Technology). These pages contain articles, presentations and other materials related to the technologies and processes inherent in the EnviroArc solutions. - [29.02.03] Azore paper on tannery waste http://www.enviroarc.com/dok/azorepaper.pdf - [29.02.03] Hetland-Lynum Porto-paper http://www.enviroarc.com/dok/Hetland-Lynum%20Porto-paper.pdf - [29.02.03] Hetland-Lynum-Santen - Garveri http://www.enviroarc.com/dok/Hetland-Lynum-Santen%20-%20Garveri.pdf - [29.02.03] Bjorn Bakken.pdf http://www.enviroarc.com/dok/Bjorn%20Bakken.pdf Enviroarc® Technologies AS, PO Box 673, Skøyen, N-0214 Oslo, Norway Office: Karenslyst Allé 11, 3 etg., Skøyen, Oslo, Norway ; Tel. +47 24 11 12 50 ; Fax. +47 24 11 12 99 ; post@enviroarc.com to the top ## OE Gasification, Energy-from-Waste Solutions: from Organic Energy Inc. http://www.organicenergy.ca/welcome.html # A Typical Customer The Organic Energy Gasification system can be implemented for various purposes by a variety of organizations. Primarily, certain characteristics that identify "the ideal user". Important User Characteristics: - Year-round, steady steam requirement - Local source of complementary waste stream for balanced fuel needs. - Industrial process waste (animal, biomass, wood, paper, organic material). - Space for the OE Gasification components - fuel handling, gasifier, boiler, filter. - Steam load of at least 7,000 lbs/hour, preferably 14,000 lbs/hour and over. - Access to waste (biomass, organic municipal waste or organic ICI waste), - Progressive mind set to adopt an "environmental plan" where energy-from-waste solutions play an integral role in energy generation and waste management. The environment in which an OE Gasification system can be implemented can vary. There are certain variables essential to a successful implementation. ... # The Waste Management Perspective OE Gasification, in addition to reducing fossil fuel combustion, is economical and environmentally sustainable waste management solution. Note the community and commercial benefits: - Efficient disposal of industrial waste - Locally viable disposal of municipal waste and biomass (sewage sludge, agricultural waste) - Reduction in use (elimination in some cases) of burgeoning landfill sites. # System Economics : The investment in an OE Gasification system is a function of its configuration. Up to three "SK 1000 solids-to gas" conversion units can feed a single boiler and filter system to accommodate different energy / waste needs. The heat recovery equipment (i.e. hot water or steam boiler) will dictate the staffing requirement in most jurisdictions and the plant can be located in most commercial, institutional or industrial settings. # Variables: The project economics are also contingent on the waste and energy needs and may vary from case to case. They are dependent on the investment required, ranging from a completely new energy plant to a situation where the OE Gasification system only complements an existing energy infrastructure. In addition to investment and operating costs of the plant, the cost / value of the organic waste stream and the price of alternative energy solutions, will have an impact on the return on investment. # Government Incentives: The project may also take advantage of financial incentives offered by governments to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and encourage the development and implementation of more environmentally sustainable energy solutions. # Reference Projects: Typically installations have a 6 to 9 year pay back. # Control System : The OE Gasification system incorporates the patented control process that calibrates and optimizes the SK 1000 operation. - Software: The system runs on Microsoft Windows NT as a HMI (Human-Machine Interface) on an off-the-shelf PC, while PLCs (Programmable Logic Controller) are used for process control. PLC to HMI data transfer is handled by OPC (OLE for Process Control) via standard TCP/IP protocol. TCP/IP is the most widely used data transport protocol, e.g. on the internet and in office networks. TCP/IP protocol is also used for communication with other PLCs, such as flue-gas filter, boiler and feeding system. - Sensor: The system patent covers the principle and process of maintaining energy output balance by controlling the volume of fuel fed into the primary chamber and the flow rate and mix of recycled inert gas / fresh air into the primary and secondary chambers. A sensor monitors the characteristics of the flue gas after it exits the cyclone and compares it to the specifications set by the boiler. Any changes in the flue gas properties results in an automatic adjustment in the gasification process, therefore maintaining the required energy output even if there are variations in the fuel mix (moisture levels, calorific values.) - Security: The security system is integrated in the control system on different levels. If an alarm in the plant occurs, the alarm messages can be transmitted as SMS messages to a mobile telephone or pager to on-duty staff. In turn the whole process can be monitored and/or operated from a remote location. # Core Technology The SK 1000 system is the standard reactor unit of the INC/OE Gasification core technology. It is a two-stage gasification process that converts sorted solid waste and biomass into a clean, inert “syngas” for thermal sinks to produce steam for industrial process and hot water for heating applications. The SK 1000 is a standard unit that can process between 3,500 and 7,500 metric tons of solid waste per year, depending on the waste characteristics. The energy output is typically between 1.5 and 2.5 MW (thermal). Multiple units can be linked together to increase the volume of waste converted and the energy output produced. - Process Detail: 1. Fuel Input : The SK 1000 accepts a variable fuel mix. 2. Gasification : Solid fuel is fed into the Primary (Gasification) Chamber, where the gasification takes place. The solids-to-gas conversion process in the primary chamber has three stages – drying, pyrolysis and gasification – where temperature and air mix are carefully controlled. The air supply to the primary chamber is automatically controlled through a PLC to achieve gasification. The bottom ash from the primary chamber is automatically removed and collected in the bottom ash handling system. The ongoing gasification process is fueled by the glowing ash from the solid waste fuel in the bottom of the primary chamber. Hence, no external energy is required after start-up. 3. Combustion : The low-calorific gas produced in the primary chamber flows into the Secondary Chamber where secondary air is added to support the complete combustion of the flue gas. The combustible syngas that is produced in the primary chamber can be used for several energy generation purposes. The syngas is "cleaned" by combustion in the secondary chamber and a particle separation process in the cyclone. The inert flue gas, at approx. 950ºC (1740ºF), is ducted to the boiler. 4. "The Cyclone" : The gas then flows into the cyclone-shaped Tertiary Chamber where remaining unburned fractions are completely burned out, and any remaining heavy particles in the flue gas are separated out as fly ash. Hot water or steam is recovered from the flue gas leaving the cyclone to be used for industrial or heating applications. Leaving the cyclone, the hot flue gas is cooled down in the boiler where either hot water or steam is generated for industrial processes or heating applications. - LOW EMISSIONS and “GREEN CREDITS” : The emissions standards are well within the EU 2000 guidelines. This gasification of bio mass and sorted waste is considered a CO2 neutral process. Therefore, energy users who replace their current fossil-fuel burning system with gasification of organic and sorted waste, will qualify for "green" credits. # Getting Started : Each OE Gasification project is approached and developed according to its unique characteristics. The 6-Stage Process : 1. Feasibility Study: - Assessment of steam requirements - Analysis of local fuels - Cost benefit analysis - Preliminary plant layout and interconnections - Preliminary cost estimate - Initiate environmental and project approvals 2. System Specifications : - Detailed Project Proposal includes detailed engineering and implementation schedule, financial analysis with firm costs, and a detailed checklist of local approvals. 3. Solution Partnerships : - Final commitments from relevant participants and partners. 4. Regulatory Approvals : - Different jurisdictions have different regulations - federal, states and/or provincial and local governments, various ministries, etc. 5. Plant Construction : - Supervised building contractor. 6. Plant Operation: Staffing, system management preparation # System Economics : The investment in an Organic Energy system is a function of its configuration. Up to three "SK 1000 solids-to gas" conversion units can feed a single boiler and filter system to accommodate different energy / waste needs. The project economics are also contingent on the waste and energy needs and may vary from case to case. They are dependent on the investment required, ranging from a completely new energy plant to a situation where the Organic Energy system only complements an existing energy infrastructure. In addition to investment and operating costs of the plant, the cost / value of the organic waste stream and the price of alternative energy solutions, will have an impact on the return on investment. The project may also take advantage of financial incentives offered by governments to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and encourage the development and implementation of more environmentally sustainable energy solutions. # Projected Economics : For 3 x SK1000: Investments : - SK1000 Unit Feeder, boiler, filter, etc. Building Space System Integration : C$12.7 Million - Engineering/Contingency : C$3.3 Million Total: C$16.0 Million Yearly Revenues : - Fuel Cost Savings/Electricity sales : C$2.1 Million - Avoided waste/tipping fee: C$1.6 Million Total: C$3.7 Million The savings will vary with the costs and volumes of the replaced fossil fuel, steam/hot water use, electrical production and the tipping fees associated with the waste processed. In the above example, a typical payback period would be between 5 and 8 years, depending on the Organic Energy system size. # Technology Overview : The INC/OE Gasification technology is applied in small-scale combined heat and power (CHP) plants and the solutions are based on the standard SK 1000 gasification module with a thermal output of about 2MW – 3MW. Each SK 1000 module has the capacity to process between 3,500 and 7,500 metric tons of waste per year, depending on the waste composition. By combining several SK 1000 modules into clusters, the energy recovery and generation plants can be adapted to serve energy users with variable demands. The SK 1000 is designed to convert the fuel (Processed Waste) into another fuel, syngas, used by boilers to produce hot water and steam for heating and industrial process applications, and to feed steam generators for the production of electricity. # 4 Key Process Elements : 1. Gasification module ("primary chamber") with inlet for fuel and outlet for ash and a manifold system for injection of "primary" air mixed with recycled flue gas. 2. Oxidization module ("secondary chamber") into which the syngas from the primary chamber is fed and a manifold system for injection of "secondary" air mixed with recycled flue gas. 3. Cyclone with combustion chamber for low calorific gas. 4. A patented Control System for the calibration, operation and optimization of the gasification process, including air supply and feeding of flue gas. # The Fuels " One of the key benefits of OE Gasification is that the system is designed to provide a constant energy output (BTU/hr) with a variable waste (ie fuel) input. The mix can come from a variety of sources, and have a moisture content of up to 60% by weight. The patented control system maintains constant energy output even with variations in fuel characteristics (mix, calorific value, moisture). Fuel Types : - Sorted Municipal waste (Organic Waste, sewage sludge) - Agricultural waste (manure, biomass) - Industrial process waste (animal, biomass, wood, paper, organic material) - Other hydrocarbon-rich substances The OE Gasification solution can both solve a waste problem and ensure a required level of energy output by combining low-calorie waste with energy-rich fuels. The Fuel Composition impacts such diverse areas as the energy output, the exhaust air emission quality, and the ash volume and quality. Waste is... - Produced…by industry, offices and residences, then treated according to normal regulations. - Transported…to a facility for processing, near or beside the gasification plant. - Sorted…at source or in a Transfer Station, according to criteria and prepared for gasification: - Separate recyclables, hazardous waste, large non-combustible items, and other items not fit for gasification. (Rotational drum and magnetic separation implements are some of the tools used in this process.) - Waste is then mechanically sorted and shredded; - Waste is baled, placed in other containers for transport and storage. - Stored, Transported…the prepared waste is brought to the gasification plant - Gasified…with low emissions, low ash, for energy production using the SK1000 gasification module. # Reference Projects : - Hoff Sundnes Brenneri, Norway ; Company:Manufacturer of potato based food products ; System: 1 SK 1000 (2 MW th) ; Commission Date: December 2001 ; Owner: Nord-Trøndelag Energiverk (Regional Utility, Mid-Norway) ; Fuel: Sorted, Shredded, Baled Municipal Waste ; Capacity: 20 metric tons/day; 6,000 tons/year Energy: Steam The company uses the SK 1000 to reduce its reliance on an oil burner as the energy source for steam production. The success of the initial system has the company planning the installation of a second SK 1000. - The Boseong City Project, Korea : Company: The City of Boseong ; System: 1 SK 1000 (2 MW th) ; Commission Date: Spring 2001 ; Owner: The City of Boseong ; Fuel: Sorted, Shredded, Baled Municipal Waste ; Capacity: 20 metric tons/day; 6,000 tons/year The Korean Environmental Authorities has issued the operational & environmental permissions and Certificate of Approval. A second 25 metric tons/day unit is currently under construction adjacent to the existing unit, to be operational in late 2006. # Business and Technology Inquiries: Jan d'Ailly, Organic Energy Inc. ; 32 Academy Crescent ; Waterloo, Ontario ; Canada N2L 5H7 Phone: +1 (519) 884-9170 ; Cell: +1 (519) 569 9950 ; Fax: +1 (519) 624-6637 ; Email: jdailly@organicenergy.ca to the top ## Louis CIRCEO, Plasma Incinerator http://rexresearch.com/circeo/circeo.htm Louis Circeo, Georgia Institute of Technology, (404)894-2070, lou.circeo@gtri.gatech.edu. # Florida county plans to vaporize landfill trash http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-09-09-fla-county-trash_x.htm FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida county has grand plans to ditch its dump, generate electricity and help build roads — all by vaporizing garbage at temperatures hotter than the sun. The $425 million facility expected to be built in St. Lucie County will use lightning-like plasma arcs to turn trash into gas and rock-like material. It will be the first such plant in the nation operating on such a massive scale and the largest in the world. Supporters say the process is cleaner than traditional trash incineration, though skeptics question whether the technology can meet the lofty expectations. The 100,000-square-foot plant, slated to be operational in two years, is expected to vaporize 3,000 tons of garbage a day. County officials estimate their entire landfill — 4.3 million tons of trash collected since 1978 — will be gone in 18 years. No byproduct will go unused, according to Geoplasma, the Atlanta-based company building and paying for the plant. Synthetic, combustible gas produced in the process will be used to run turbines to create about 120 megawatts of electricity that will be sold back to the grid. The facility will operate on about a third of the power it generates, free from outside electricity. About 80,000 pounds of steam per day will be sold to a neighboring Tropicana Products Inc. facility to power the juice plant's turbines. Sludge from the county's wastewater treatment plant will be vaporized, and a material created from melted organic matter — up to 600 tons a day — will be hardened into slag, and sold for use in road and construction projects. "This is sustainability in its truest and finest form," said Hilburn Hillestad, president of Geoplasma, a subsidiary of Jacoby Development Inc. . For years, some waste-management facilities have been converting methane — created by rotting trash in landfills — to power. Others also burn trash to produce electricity. But experts say population growth will limit space available for future landfills. "We've only got the size of the planet," said Richard Tedder, program administrator for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's solid waste division. "Because of all of the pressures of development, people don't want landfills. It's going to be harder and harder to site new landfills, and it's going to be harder for existing landfills to continue to expand." The plasma-arc gasification facility in St. Lucie County, on central Florida's Atlantic Coast, aims to solve that problem by eliminating the need for a landfill. Only two similar facilities are operating in the world — both in Japan — but are gasifying garbage on a much smaller scale. Up to eight plasma arc-equipped cupolas will vaporize trash year-round, non-stop. Garbage will be brought in on conveyor belts and dumped into the cylindrical cupolas where it falls into a zone of heat more than 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. "We didn't want to do it like everybody else," said Leo Cordeiro, the county's solid waste director. "We knew there were better ways." No emissions are released during the closed-loop gasification, Geoplasma says. The only emissions will come from the synthetic gas-powered turbines that create electricity. Even that will be cleaner than burning coal or natural gas, experts say. Few other toxins will be generated, if any at all, Geoplasma says. But critics disagree. "We've found projects similar to this being misrepresented all over the country," said Monica Wilson of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. Wilson said there aren't enough studies yet to prove the company's claims that emissions will likely be less than from a standard natural-gas power plant. She also said other companies have tried to produce such results and failed. She cited two similar facilities run by different companies in Australia and Germany that closed after failing to meet emissions standards. "I think this is the time for the residents of this county to start asking some tough questions," Wilson said. Bruce Parker, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based National Solid Wastes Management Association, scoffs at the notion that plasma technology will eliminate the need for landfills. "We do know that plasma arc is a legitimate technology, but let's see first how this thing works for St. Lucie County," Parker said. "It's too soon for people to make wild claims that we won't need landfills." Louis Circeo, director of Georgia Tech's plasma research division, said that as energy prices soar and landfill fees increase, plasma-arc technology will become more affordable. "Municipal solid waste is perhaps the largest renewable energy resource that is available to us," Circeo said, adding that the process "could not only solve the garbage and landfill problems in the United States and elsewhere, but it could significantly alleviate the current energy crisis." He said that if large plasma facilities were put to use nationwide to vaporize trash, they could theoretically generate electricity equivalent to about 25 nuclear power plants. Americans generated 236 million tons of garbage in 2003, about 4.5 pounds per person, per day, according to the latest figures from the Environmental Protection Agency. Roughly 130 million tons went to landfills — enough to cover a football field 703 miles high with garbage. Circeo said criticism of the technology is based on a lack of understanding. "We are going to put emissions out, but the emissions are much lower than virtually any other process, especially a combustion process in an incinerator," he said. Circeo said that both plants operating in Japan, where emissions standards are more stringent than in the U.S., are producing far less pollution than regulations require. "For the amount of energy produced, you get significantly less of certain pollutants like sulfur dioxide and particulate matter," said Rick Brandes, chief of the Environmental Protection Agency's waste minimization division. Geoplasma expects to recoup its $425 million investment, funded by bonds, within 20 years through the sale of electricity and slag. "That's the silver lining," said Hillestad, adding that St. Lucie County won't pay a dime. The company has assumed full responsibility for interest on the bonds. County Commissioner Chris Craft said the plasma process "is bigger than just the disposal of waste for St. Lucie County." " It addresses two of the world's largest problems — how to deal with solid waste and the energy needs of our communities," Craft said. "This is the end of the rainbow. It will change the world." Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. to the top # Plasma Processing of Municipal Solid Waste, Braz. J. Phys. 34 (4b), Dec. 2004 Edbertho Leal-Quirós , Scientific Research Department, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, PO Box 192017, San Juan, PR 00919-2017 Abstract: In this paper a review and assessment of the Hot Temperature Plasma Processing of Waste is presented. The environmental advantage of this method over incineration is clearly demonstrated. The present technology of Plasma Arcs and the Modern Plasma Torches Applications are also shown. An Assessment of the Heavy Duty Gasification Combined Cycle Turbines, Gasification Process, Magmavication/Vitrification process, and Environmental Engineering Protection are also described. 1. Introduction : Imagine a process in which we convert the inorganic components of the municipal solid waste in architectural tiles and construction bricks, at the same time we convert all the organic contents of the waste into Synthesis gas, (basically a mix of H2 + CO, almost a green fuel) and in addition we generate electrical power. Furthermore, could we have a system that doesn't generate ashes, and doesn't pollute the air, the water nor the soil, as incineration does? The answer is yes. The plasma torches that operate at very high temperatures (between 5,000ºC and 100,000ºC) can process all kinds of waste: municipal solid, toxic, medical, biohazard, industrial and nuclear waste at atmospheric pressure. Effectively, the inorganic waste is vitrified in solid-like glass materials that are used to manufacture aggregates for the construction industry (Magmavication process) and the organic materials (plastics, paper, oil, bio-materials, etc.) are converted into Syngas with caloric value, fuel that is used on the Heavy-duty advanced gas turbines for the generation of electrical power (Gasification process). No ashes are produced because at more than 5,000ºC, all the organic molecules are disintegrated and only the mix of H2 + CO remains at high temperature. 2. Plasma and it's technological evolution: from discharge tubes to torches : Plasma is the ionized state of matter, it's conformed by a quasi-neutral gas composed of charged and neutral particles, which exhibit a collective behavior; plasma is the most abundant form of matter in the universe. It is formed whenever ordinary matter is heated over 5,000 ºC, which results in electrically charged gases or fluids. They are profoundly influenced by the electrical interactions of the ions and electrons by the presence of a magnetic field. Plasma produced with DC electrical discharge has been the precursor of a modern and more efficient Plasma Torch device1. Taken an electrical discharge tube [2,3,4] -like the classical schematic shown in the Fig. 1 and raising the voltage V, while measuring the current I following through the discharge, the result is a high nonlinear Voltage-Current curve. The three major regimes of industrially important DC low-pressure electrical discharges tubes are:the Dark Discharge, the Glow Discharge and the Arc Discharge (Shown in Fig. 2). The arc regime is comprised of three regions: the glow to arc transition, the non-thermal arcs, and the thermal arcs. When the current density is great enough to heat the cathode to incandescence, then a discontinuous glow-to-arc transition region appears in the Voltage-Current characteristic curve. This glow-to-arc transition happens for currents between1 and 10 Amperes at low pressures. As we can see in Fig. 3, thermal arcs always are found at higher pressures and higher gas temperature than non-thermal arcs; however, non-thermal arcs may also exist at atmospheric pressure. The total current of arcs is always more than 1 ampere and the current density ranges from several amperes per square centimeter to more than thousand amperes per square centimeter. The electron density of thermal arcs is higher than in non-thermal arcs. In non-thermal arcs, low emission arcs usually require thermionic emission from cathodes, whereas in thermal arcs, high intensity arcs usually operate in field emissions. Thermal arcs can be considered in thermodynamic equilibrium. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show different types of arcs and torches: the transpiration stabilized arc, the coaxial flow stabilized arc and the axe symmetric, non-transferred, unmagnetized arc jet or plasma torch. 3. Cascade process of ionization : In a cascade process, one incident electron (e—) collides with a neutral atom to produce a second electron and an ion. There are then two electrons and one ion. After these two electrons have each collided with another neutral atom, there are produced four electrons and three ions. This process continues and, after about 20 successive sets of collisions, millions of electrons and ions will have been formed rapidly (the mean free path between collisions is very small at atmospheric pressures). The Debye length is a measure of the width of the effective electric field of an ion and is given approximately by the next formula, in which Te is the electron temperature and ne is the number density of electrons (per mL). lD = 6.9 (Te/ne)1/2. For a plasma temperature of 8,000 ºK and ne = 1014/cm3, lD is about 0.0006 mm, which is very much smaller than the 1mm sampler orifice and so ions can pass through easily. Hot gases from the plasma impinge on the edges of the sampler orifice so that deposits build up and reduce its diameter with time. The surroundings of the sampler orifice suffer also from corrosive effects due to bombardment by hot species from the plasma flame. These problems necessitate replacement of the sampler from time to time. As the gas leaves the other side of the sampler orifice, it experiences a vacuum of about 10-5 Torr and the expanding jet of gas cools very rapidly and reaches supersonic speeds. 4. Modern high power plasma torches : Westinghouse in his Plasma Center2 , has produced modern High Power Plasma Torches [4,5]. The author visited that facility, inspected one torch, and noticed the excellent performance. There are several manufacturers of plasma torches (a list of them is available on the web). However, to the author knowledge, only Westinghouse manufactures torches of high power even in the order of 10 MW (Fig. 8). Models similar to this torch are commercially available even in the range of 75 KW to 10,000 kW of power. A thermal efficiency of 90% is easily possible; the efficiency represents the percentage of arc power that exits the torch and enters the process. However, the operational characteristics of each torch depend of the gas composition. The most common gases used in plasma torches are Argon, and Helium. The quality of the plasma produced depends on the plasma density and the plasma temperature; at atmospheric pressure plasma torches may produce a density of 1014 cm-3. As more power is given to the torch, there is better quality of plasma. Due to the broad range of plasma temperatures and densities, plasmas have several applications in research, technology and in the industry. 5. Plasma magmavication or vitrification process: Plasma torches provide efficient means for melting solids or waste materials into magma or a lava form, after a short time of interaction of the plasma (T > 5000ºC) with the solids. In a longer cooling time, the resulting mass forms a chemically and physically durable igneous rock. Depending upon the original mineralogy and rate of cooling, the final product consists of either amorphous glassy material resembling volcanic obsidian or a crystalline igneous rock similar to granite or basalt. Several applications have been done in the construction industry (Circeo [6,7,8] et al., 2000 at Georgia Tech). The Georgia Tech group found a formula for the amount of vitrified mass produced, as a function of the plasma torches energies. The mass produced obeys the relation: M (kg) = 0.35 P (kW-hr), where M is the vitrified mass-produced in Kg, and P is the electrical energy consumed in the process. One application is for remediation of radioactive waste, where highly radioactive liquid and sludge are mixed with glass particles and heated to very high temperatures to produce a molten glass. This molten glass is then poured into stainless steel canisters. When the mixture cools, it hardens into a stable glass that traps the radioactive elements and prevents them from moving through the air or water into the environment. DOE is currently operating vitrification plants at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the West Valley Demonstration Project in New York. In Japan, Kobe [9,13,14] Steel LTD and The Kansai Electric Power Company developed a Plasma vitrification system. 6. High temperature plasma processing of waste : Solid waste from municipalities can be processed using high-energy plasma torches. Plasma can process any kind of waste. The chemical properties and the contents of the average municipal waste are shown in Table 1. Westinghouse [12] has conducted many successful experiments, designs and developments involving the gasification and/or Vitrification of simulated MSW (municipal solid waste), ASR (auto shredder residue), fossil fuels, and industrial liquid and solid wastes in a plasma reactor. The gasification test material feed ranged from low Btu MSW (1600 kcal/kg) to medium Btu simulated auto shredder residue (4500 kcal/kg) and to high Btu coal (8,000 kcal/kg). Experiments were conducted where fuels were gasified to produce primarily carbon monoxide, CO and hydrogen, H2. The inorganic components of the feed were converted to molten slag that was removed as vitrified by product. The slag passed the EPA-mandated Toxicity Characteristic Leachate Procedure (TCLP) requirements. Emissions are very much reduced and the slag is a glassy product with value as a construction material base. Dioxins were measured at levels approximately 100 times lower than from an incineration plant (e.g., < 0.01 ng/nm3 measured in stack gas), and predicted fuel gas production is observed. For organic waste, the production of power via a combustion/turbine combined cycle at much higher efficiencies (approximately 40% thermal efficiency versus approximately 20% for an incineration steam boiler plant) is an added benefit which makes the project cost attractive compared to incinerator/steam boiler MSW plants. Additionally, the high quality glassy material produced can be sold as a roadbed or construction material and the need and expense to dispose of ash is eliminated. 7. Metal-electrode-plasma furnace applications : The plasma energy corporation has investigated the use of this plasma technology for treatment of municipal waste, used tires, polychlorobenzyl (PCB), oils and medical wastes (Pocklington and Corox [3], 1992; Camacho [5], 1990) since plasma can provide thermal decomposition of some toxic molecules into simple benign one's. A 300-kW level power operation has been used in a range of experiments. Hydrocarbon waste is fed into the furnace through a double door air lock system. A molten pool was formed in the earth. In some experiments, steam was injected to generate hydrogen-rich gas that could be used in future applications for energy production. The gases produced by the furnace were scrubbed to control chlorine and sulfur emissions. The inorganic and metals in the molten pool of the furnace were tapped, and vitrified (glass-like) slag and metal product was obtained. The electrical power requirement for conversion of one ton of municipal solid waste into the final products of vitrified solids and metals, hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas was 550-790 kW h. Typically 20% of the initial waste is converted into solid products. The remainder is converted into gas. Combustion of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the gas could be used to offset the electrical power requirement. 8. Plasma gasification processes of waste: Gasification [9,11,13] is a simple and commercially well-proven technology. It involves the conversion of various feedstocks to clean syngas, through a reaction with oxygen and steam; this reaction is spontaneous at high temperature and pressure under reduction conditions, and consumes half of the oxygen required for total combustion. The raw syngas product is cooled and purified, it is then used in one or a combination of many product applications: syngas for chemicals, gaseous fuels, for liquid fuels burned in commercial boilers to produce steam or in heat transfer process and in internal combustion engines to produce electrical energy. Combined cycles are also possible leading to co-generation of electrical energy. The energy efficiency of biomass gasification varies from 75 to 80%, this depends of the composition and heat capacity of the raw material; Humidity and the inorganic inert matter content reduce the efficiency. The traditional market for syngas is focused in gas production as an intermediate step during the production of important chemicals, such as ammonia for fertilizer. However, application of gasification in other processes is increasing due to market changes associated with improved gas turbines, deregulation of electrical power generation, and stringent environmental mandates. Gasification plant capacity is reported in units of volumetric output of syngas (i.e., normal cubic meters per day). However, the Department of Energy (DOE) converted all the gasification input and output capacities to MWth. (1MWth = 3,413,000Btu/hr). Gasification is an alternative to combustion, and has an energy efficiency of 50%. The advantage consists on reducing both the atmospheric emissions and the volume of solid residues to be land filled. Since the solid residues come from a high temperature at normal conditions, they're inert materials that can be used as part of the bulk material in concrete production. 9. Synthesis gas cleaning island: The purpose of this system is to remove pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter, hydrochloric acid (HCl) and Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) vapors from the synthesis gas. The primary design requirements are environmental protection and safe operation of the gas turbine. The basic unit operations are those of gas cooling, particulate removal, and acid gas neutralization. First, the syngas is sufficiently cooled prior to gas cleanup it is passed through a partial quench. The gas leaves the chamber at 350 ºC. The goal is to lower the gas temperature sufficiently so as not to damage the downstream equipment while maintaining the gas above saturation temperature. The gas then passes through a fabric filter bag-house to remove particulates. The blowers are each sized at 100% to provide full redundancy. The gas is then in a saturation tank, which lowers the gas temperature to 50 ºC, then it passes through a packed bed aqueous scrubber for acid remove. Sodium hydroxide solution is used to neutralize the acid. The gas, still ''sour'' at this point, then undergoes first stage compression for use in the gas turbine. It then enters the lower section of the H2S Absorber Vessel and flows countercurrent to a regenerated solution of chelated iron oxide (FeO2) fluid for removal of any H2S. The H2S absorbed by the solution is removed from the bottom of the H2S Absorber Vessel and circulated by the Rich Solution Pump, through a Solution Cooler, and into the Solution Oxidizer Tank, where Air Blower introduces air. The air blower agitation causes the elemental sulfur to precipitate, forming slurry at the bottom of the Solution Oxidizer Tank. The slurry is removed from Solution Oxidizer Tank by a Sulfur Slurry Pump Tag and sent to a conveyor Sulfur Filter. The filtrate solution drains off and is returned to the Solution Oxidizer Tank, while the wet inert sulfur cake is collected for disposal to a non-hazardous landfill. At this point, the gas exiting the H2S Absorber Vessel is considered 'clean' for use as a fuel gas. Specific Heat Capacity of Syngas = 1.488 kJ/kg. K 10. Gas turbine excess of energy and green energy: The Lower Heating Value (LHV) of the natural gas supply is assumed to be 11,900kcal/kg. The minimum LHV acceptable to the CTG is assumed to be 3,600kcal.kg. The ability of the Integrated Plasma Gasification Combined Cycle System (IPGCC) to use low calorific value (LCV) feedstock, and produce high value co-products, along with energy, enhance the economic viability of new projects. The ability to successfully burn LCV fuels like the case of municipal solid waste required that GE modified the can-annular combustion systems since 1990. GE concluded that a Syngas fueled combined cycle plant can have the same Reliability-Availability-Maintenance (RAM) performance as a natural gas-fueled combined cycle plant. IPGCC shows superior environmental performance and viability, also the power plant emissions are far below any other coal technology, for all the major pollutant categories (NOx, SOx, metals, mercury, CO2, sludge, water). 11. IPGCC environmental performance: IPGCC is inherently "greener" than any other coal technology. In the process, harmful pollutants can be removed from the syngas before they reach the gas turbine; thus, back-end exhaust gas clean up is not necessary. The SOx, NOx, mercury, metals, and particle emissions from the plant are fractions of those of a conventional pulverized coal boiler power plant. Consequently, IPGCC plants require significantly less effort and time to meet air emissions regulations and to obtain local and state governmental environmental permits. The process is approximately 5% more efficient than other coal power technologies; thus, CO2 emissions per kW are also 5% lower. Additionally, in the process, carbon can be removed from the syngas to create a high hydrogen fuel that effectively eliminates CO2 emissions. The advantage of IPGCC over conventional boiler plants for CO2 reduction is that the carbon can be removed from the fuel gas (pre-combustion) instead of having to remove it from the exhaust (flue) gas (post-combustion), which is far more costly because of the larger SCR volume required (about 10:1). 12. Conclusion and general assessment: The Plasma Torches technology is mature, reliable and a well-known method of producing plasma at atmospheric pressure and temperatures larger than 5,000 ºC; this may disintegrate all mater, in particular solid waste, creating gasification because the organic materials are converted in syngas, which is cleaned before being used in the Turbine. Magmavication or Vitrification is the result of the interaction between plasma and inorganic materials, in presence of a coke bed in the cupola or reactor, a vitrified material is produced and products are used in the manufacture of architectural tiles and construction materials. Integrated Plasma Gasification Combined Cycle System (IPGCC) generates green electrical power using heavy duty Turbines; the heat from the non-transferred electric plasma torch is used to gasify the waste, producing a synthetic fuel gas that is then cleaned. The cleaned syngas will then be combusted in two simple cycle combustion turbines to produce electricity for internal consumption, as well as for export to the electric grid. The reactor will be designed to handle some liquid waste mixed with the solids. The plant is designed for continuous operation, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and about 330 days per year. Although at first look the IPGCC process appears new, it is in fact a repackaging of existing, proven technologies. To the author's knowledge, the IPGCC plasma process MSW is the only environmentally ideal technology that we have today to process waste. References : - [1] E. Leal-Quirós, Advanced Analyzers and Probes for Fusion-Plasma Diagnostics, Current Trends in International Fusion Research. Second Symposium Edit by E. Panarella (NRC Research Press, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ONK1A 0R6) 1999. - [2] D. R. Cohn, Plasma Science and the Environment. Chap 9, Manheimer W., Sugiyama L. E., Stix T. H., (editors) (AIP Press-American Institute of Physics, Woodbury, New York) 1996. - [3] J. R. Roth, Industrial Plasma Engineering, Volume 2. Applications to Non-thermal Plasma Processing, (IOP Institute of Physics Publishing, Bristol) 2001. - [4] S. L. Camacho, Plasma Pyrolysis of Medical Waste in Proceedings of the First International EPRI Plasma Symposium, EPRI Center for Materials Production, Report No. CM90-9, May (1990). - [5] S. L. Camacho, ''The plasma arc torch: its electrical and thermal characteristics'' Proc. Int. Symp. On Envir. Technol. by Plasma system & Applications, Vol. I, Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta. P 45-66 (1995). - [6] B. P. Spalding, and G. K. Jacobs, Evaluation of an In-situ vitrification Field demostration of a simulated radioactive liquid waste disposal trench, Pub. No. 3332, ORNL/TM-10992, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn. (1989). - [7] J. Louis Circeo, Private communication. - [8] J. E. Surma, D. R. Cohn, et al. Proc. of information exchange meeting on Waste Retrieval, Treatment and Processing, U.S. Dept. of Energy Environmental Exchange Restoration and Waste Management Technology Development Program, Houston, Texas, March, p 391. (1993). - [9] R. T. Do and G. Letherman, 2001, Renewable Energy Market: Waste to Energy utilizing Plasma Technology, (Global Plasma Systems Corporation), Solena Presentation to the annual meeting of the Society of Women Engineers at PUPR, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, Hato Rey, P. R., April 23, 2001. - [10] www.westinghouse-plasma.com, www.sfapacific.com, www.fe.doe.gov, www.gasification.org, www.netl.doe.gov - [11] A. D. Foster, H. E. von Doering, and M. B. Hilt, ''Fuels Flexibility in Heavy-Duty Gas Turbines,'' GE Company, Schenectady, New York, 1983. - [12] Shyam V. Dighe, et al: 2001, Private communication. - [13] S. Lavoie and J. Lachance, ''Five years of Industrial Experience with the Plasma Dross Treatment Process''. Proc. Third International Symposium Recycling of Metals and Engineering Materials. Edit by Queneau, P., and Peterson, R. (A publication of TMS) 1995. - [14] Mitsubishi heavy industries, LTD.5-l, Marunouchi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100 TEL03-3212-3111, FAX03-3212-984. Received on 03 February, 2004; revised version received on 04 June, 2004 1 Reed J. Roth [3] gives a comprehensive review of the evolution of the plasma technology to the modern Transferred and Non-Transferred Plasma torch and it is used for this review. 2 Waltz Mill Site, Madison Pennsylvania Plant. Sociedade Brasileira de Física, Caixa Postal 66328, 05315-970 São Paulo SP - Brazil, Tel.: +55 11 3091-6922, Fax: (55 11) 3816-2063 to the top # CIRCEO's Patents - WO 2007-002422, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTEGRATED PLASMA PROCESSING OF WASTE. CIRCEO LOUIS JOSEPH JR (US); MARTIN ROBERT C JR, 2007-01-04 Abstract -- Systems and methods of integrating plasma waste processing are described. An integrated energy generation system provided with a fossil fuel power plant system having a combustion chamber and a plasma waste processing system having an output. The integrated energy generation system also including an integrator for combining the output of thermal energy from the plasma waste processing system with the combustion chamber of the fossil fuel power plant. - USP # 5,827,012, Thermal Plasma Conversion of Local Soils into Construction Materials, CIRCEO JR LOUIS J, 1998-10-27 http://rexresearch.com/circeo/us5827012.pdf Abstract -- A plasma arc torch heat based apparatus and method converts a quantity of particulate soil having a first set of engineering properties into a selected number of smaller quantities each having improved engineering properties differing from the first set of engineering properties and makes practical utilization of the smaller quantities for applications in which the first set of engineering properties were not suited. The apparatus includes a rotatable kiln which is positionable at an angle to horizontal such that soil is received in an upper end and discharged at a lower end thereof. The kiln is heated to a controlled temperature based on the properties of the soil before treatment and the desired improved properties after treatment to meet application requirements. - USP # 5,276,253, In-Situ Remediation and Vitrification of Contaminated Soils, Deposits and Buried Materials, CIRCEO JR LOUIS J (US); CAMACHO SALVADOR, 1994-01-04 http://rexresearch.com/circeo/us5276253.pdf Abstract -- A method is disclosed in which a plasma arc torch is used to vitrify and remediate a site containing contaminated soils, resulting from a hazardous material deposit or spill, or contaminated buried objects. The contaminated earthen material or subterranean deposit is pyrolyzed, melted or solidified by the plasma torch which is energized at the bottom of a cased, vertical borehole, and then gradually raised to the surface. An array of boreholes, appropriately spaced, will remediate an entire mass of contaminated material. Similarly, buried objects such as metal drums containing contaminants and underground storage tanks may be selectively remediated at their specific buried depth. Similar use is made of the plasma torch in a second embodiment with the additional step of processing at selected underground locations in the borehole array to create a sealed horizontal layer, vertical cutoff walls or a sealed basin as a barrier against further leaching of contaminants into surrounding soil and groundwater. Gaseous by-products of the pyrolysis process are collected, treated and processed, as appropriate. - USP # 5,181,795, In-situ Landfill Pyrolysis, Remediation and Vitrification, CIRCEO JR LOUIS J (US); CAMACHO SALVADOR L, 1993-01-26 http://rexresearch.com/circeo/us5181795.pdf Abstract -- The process of the present invention serves to remediate and reduce the volume of waste materials in a landfill site and increases the useful life of the treated landfill. The process steps involve drilling a series of holes into the waste material mass at proper spacing, inserting and operating a plasma arc torch in each drilled hole to pyrolize, remediate and vitrify the waste materials and allowing the melted materials to cool and harden. During the process, a gaseous by-product is produced and collected in a hood which is attached to scrubbing and chemical cleaning apparatus. The resultant gases are commercially useful as fuel gas and the vitrified residue is significantly smaller in volume than the original waste material volume, thus substantially extending the useful life of the landfill site and ultimately providing a firm foundation for construction. - USP # 4,067,390, Apparatus and Method for the Recovery of Fuel Products from Subterranean Deposits of Carbonaceous Matter Using a Plasma Arc, CAMACHO SALVADOR LUJAN; CIRCEO JR LOUIS JOSEPH, 1978-01-10 http://rexresearch.com/circeo/us4067390.pdf Abstract -- An apparatus and method utilizes a plasma arc torch as a heat source for recovering useful fuel products from in situ deposits of coal, tar sands, oil shale, and the like. When applied to a coal deposit, the plasma torch is lowered in a shaft into the deposit and serves as a means for supplying heat to the coal and thereby stripping off the volatiles. The fixed carbon is gasified by reaction with steam that is sprayed into the devolatilized area and product gases are recovered through the shaft. - USRE35715E, In-Situ Remediation and Vitrification of Contaminated Soils, Deposits and Buried Materials, CIRCEO JR LOUIS J (US); CAMACHO SALVADOR L, 1998-01-13 http://rexresearch.com/circeo/usre35715.pdf Abstract -- A method is disclosed in which a plasma arc torch is used to vitrify and remediate a site containing contaminated soils, resulting from a hazardous material deposit or spill, or contaminated buried objects. The contaminated earthen material or subterranean deposit is pyrolyzed, melted or solidified by the plasma torch which is energized at the bottom of a cased, vertical borehole, and then gradually raised to the surface. An array of boreholes, appropriately spaced, will remediate an entire mass of contaminated material. Similarly, burled objects such as metal drums containing contaminants and underground storage tanks may be selectively remediated at their specific buried depth. Similar use is made of the plasma torch in a second embodiment with the additional step of processing at selected underground locations in the borehole array to create a sealed horizontal layer, vertical cutoff walls or a sealed basin as a barrier against further leaching of contaminants into surrounding soil and groundwater. Gaseous by-products of the pyrolysis process are collected, treated and processed, as appropriate. to the top

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