Plasma Technology

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Plasma Technology

• Opportunities for a Sustainable Future

2
Objective

• Present an initiative to produce sustainable
  energy from waste materials

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Methodology

• Use plasma arc technologies to destroy wastes
  (biomass, solid waste, hazardous materials)
• Generate fuel gases including hydrogen and carbon
  monoxide
• Use fuel cells to produce energy in the form of
  heat and electricity

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What is PLASMA?

• Fourth State of matter
• Ionized gas at high temperature capable of
  conducting electrical current
• Lightning is an example
• from nature

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Characteristics of Plasma Arc Technology

• Plasma acts as a resistive heating element which
  cannot melt and fail
• Temperatures 4,000C to over 7,000C
• Torch power levels from 100kW to 200 MW produce
  high energy densities (up to 100 MW/m3)
• Torch operates with most gases-not a combustion
  process
• Elimination of requirement for combustion air
• Reduces gas volume requiring treatment
• Reduces potential for formation of complex
  organics (I.e., dioxins and furans)

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Ideally suited for waste treatment

• Hazardous toxic compounds broken down to
  elemental constituents by high temperatures
• Organic materials
• Pyrolyzed or volatilized
• May be converted to fuel gases
• Amenable to conventional off-gas treatment
• Residual materials (radionuclides, heavy metals,
  etc.) immobilized in a rock-like vitrified mass
  which is highly resistant to leaching

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Plasma torch in operation
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Plasma Gasification of MSW
Gas Heating Value Output
Steam
4.30
Electricity Input
Negligible
Gas Heat Energy
1.05
MBtu
Product Gas
PLASMA
30,300 SCF
GASIFIER
Heating Value
8.16 MBTU
Losses
1.77
MBtu
Based on data from Resorption Canada, Ltd. 1995
(Summarized and converted to English units)
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An Ultimate Solution to MSW?
376 tons/day MSW)
Plasma ArcTorch
4.1 MW
Coke/Limestone
Fuel Gases 3x107 Btu 10.6 MW
Solid Residue 50 tons/day Sell Aggregate Metal
s Bricks Other
Net 6.5 MW
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Experimental Results
PRODUCT GAS DISTRIBUTION
Compounds Test 1 ( with no moisture) Test 1 ( with no moisture) Test 1 ( with no moisture) Test 2 ( with moisture) Test 2 ( with moisture)
Compounds Sample 2 (30 min) Sample 3 (50 min) Sample 6 (110 min) Sample 3 (30 min) Sample 4 (50 min)
CO 16.95 18.56 21.65 17.42 21.39
CO2 0.22 0.24 0.28 0.44 0.53
CH4 1.72 2.94 3.91 2.06 1.86
H2 8.36 12.10 18.31 10.10 16.31
H2O 0.16 0.23 0.35 0.37 0.60
N2 60.84 54.74 49.80 47.59 50.52
O2 7.17 7.37 5.42 8.57 8.64
C6H6 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.13 0.13
unidentified 4.33 3.56 0.03 13.33 0.02
total 95.67 96.44 99.97 86.67 99.98
The gases measured were H2, O2, N2, CH4, and CO.

• In addition to benzene, small amounts of methane
  and benzene and trace amounts of toluene,
  styrene, ethyl benzene, methyl-ethyl benzene, and
  benzonitrile were found in the DCM samples.
• The high concentrations of O2 and N2 are due to
  air leaking into the system prior to the sample
  point.

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Cobb County Plasma Arc Waste Processing System
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Next Steps

• Assembly of the Cobb County Plasma Arc Waste
  Processing System
• Optimization testing for integration with fuel
  cells
• Testing of biomass, MSW and other feedstock
• Hydrogen capture and optimization