Plasma Converters

1
Plasma Converters!

• What They Do, How They Work, and Why We Should
  Use Them
• Matt Hiltman

2
What Is a Plasma Converter?

• It is a machine that uses plasma to break
  molecules apart into individual elements

3
Well What Is Plasma???

• Two completely different definitions

• The yellow-colored, liquid part of blood

• A neutral-charged, ionized (has free electrons
  floating around) gas that is the fourth state of
  matter
• Most common phase of matter in the universe
• Stars, lightning, TVs

4
Whats the Big Deal?

• Plasma converter technology can eliminate all
  garbage in an environmentally-friendly and
  economically feasible manner

5
StarTechs Plasma Converter
John B. Carnett
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How Does a Plasma Converter Work?

• Grind up trash
• Molecular dissociation
• Separate products

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First Step

• Waste is ground up for much the same reason as we
  chew our food

This is what makes a plasma converter really loud!
8
Burn Baby, Burn!

• See picture ?

• Three products
• Slag
• Gas
• Heat

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What Happens to the Slag?

• Is 5 volume and 20 weight of original waste
• Can be used for
• Concrete/asphalt
• Bricks
• Rock wool

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What Happens to the Gas?

• The more carbon-based waste, the more syngas
• Mainly hydrogen and CO
• Can be used as a fuel source
• Sent through scrubbers, afterburners, turbines

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What Happens to the Heat?

• Used to heat water and turn steam turbines that
  provide power to continue the process

12
People Can Be Greedy!
13
Why It Has Taken So Long

• Technology

• Morals

• Economics

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Technology

• Plasma torches were created in 1941
• Took several decades to modernize the technology,
  think up the application, and design the
  converter
• Plasma converters are custom built and use many
  different technologies

15
Morals

• Only recently has the idea of environmental
  responsibility become popular

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Economics

• With the increase of population and development
  it has become more expensive to store waste in
  landfills
• Plasma converters are now competitive and can
  even produce a profit!

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Where Are the Plasma Converters?

• Two in Japan, one in France
• Israel and Russia are expressing interest

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Current Developments

• GeoPlasma, based in Atlanta, is working with a
  county in Florida to build a plasma gasification
  plant to process the countys waste and to mine
  the existing landfill
• If it succeeds there will likely be many more
  coming soon!

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Bibliography

• http//www.popsci.com/popsci/science/873aae7bf86c0
  110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html
• http//science.howstuffworks.Com/plasma-converter.
  htm
• http//www.Dictionary.com
• http//www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID1061