The Gasification of Municipal Solid Waste Utilizing a Plasma Gasifier

1. The Gasification of Municipal Solid Waste Utilizing a Plasma Gasifier Tien Diep Kevin Estacio Sebastian Iskra Linda Quan Felix Velazquez

2. Specification • Plasma Gasification is the gasification of matter to decompose waste material into its basic molecular structure utilizing plasma. • Converts • organic waste into a fuel gas that still contains all the chemical and heat energy from the waste. • inorganic waste into an inert vitrified glass.

3. Specification Plasma is considered the fourth state of matter. Electricity is fed to a torch, which has two electrodes, creating an arc. Inert gas is passed through the arc, heating the process gas to internal temperatures as high as 7000 ºC.

4. Specification • The temperature from the torch can be as high as 4000-7000 ºC. At these high temperatures: • Waste is completely destroyed and broken down into its basic elemental components. • Inorganics such as silica, soil, concrete, glass, gravel, etc. are vitrified into glass and flow out the bottom of the reactor. • Metals become molten and flow out the bottom of the reactor with the vitrified slag.

5. Plasma Torch in Operation

6. Specification Oxygen gas is being used instead of air in order to eliminate the presence of nitrogen in the gasifier and outlet gas. Initial feed of five metric tons of MSW for now, then scale up later as required. Desired hydrogen gas:carbon monoxide:carbon dioxide ratio 2:.9:.1

7. Competing Processes The Europlasma Process It uses an auto-thermal gasifier, comprised of a stoker grate auto-thermal gasifier, based on design already in use in Germany. The syngas is then heated to over 1200°C with a plasma torch and prepared for electricity production in a gas turbine. At this stage, all organic free radicals are destroyed. Lastly, a second plasma torch to produce an inert material that can be used in construction vitrifies the ash, consisting of metals and minerals.

9. Competing Processes The Alter NRG/WPC process Up to six plasma torches are used at the bottom of the gasifier to provide sufficient heat for the gasification to take place. A bed coke is created within the cupola by feeding metallurgical coke (met coke) to absorb and retain the heat energy from the plasma torches and provides the environment for melting the inorganic materials into a vitrified slag. The coke is fed through the same inlet as the MSW feedstock.

11. Competing Processes Plasma Enhanced Melter Process combination of plasma and glass melter technologies. the MSW is gravity fed. the plasma arc is created with the graphite electrodes right after. two side entry electrodes and keeps the glass bath at a constant temperature while the melted solids are going out at 1,000°C.

13. Advantages • Can use multitude of feedstock • Coal, biomass, petcoke, MSW • High conversion of feedstock to SynGas • Variety of outputs can be produced from SynGas • Liquid fuels, chemicals, energy, etc.

14. Feedstock • MSW - Municipal Solid Waste, commonly called “trash” or “garbage” • This category of waste generally refers to common household waste, as well as office and retail wastes, (but excludes industrial, hazardous, and construction wastes) including: • durable goods: tires, furniture. • nondurable goods: newspapers, plastic plates/cups. • containers and packaging: milk cartons, plastic wrap. • other wastes: yard waste, food.

15. Feedstock Composition of Waste Generated (before recycling) in the U.S. in 2006 2006 U.S. Total Waste Generation – 251.3 million tons

16. Feedstock

17. Environmental Review Eventual reduction in landfill size. Vitrified slag is non-hazardous and usable in the construction industry. Reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared to other processes.

18. Environmental Review

19. Conceptual Process Block Flow Future Addition of Shift Reactor

20. Commercial Scale Production • Japan has 3 facilities • Yoshii, developed by Hitachi Metals Ltd. and Westinghouse Plasma Corp. • 166 ton-per-day pilot plant • Produces steam for industrial usage • Utashinai City, completed in 2002 • Processes 300 tons of MSW per day • Generates 7.9 MW/hr of electricity • Mihama-MikataIndistrialpark began operation in 2002 • Processes 24 tons of MSW per day and 4 tons of waste water treatment plant sludge • Produces steam and hot water which is used for power and heat generation • Produces syngas • Produces sand that is used to make paving stone

21. Commercial Scale Production • National Cheng Kung University in Tainan City of Taiwan • Funded by the Taiwan government • Uses 3-5 metric tons of waste per day • Waste include fly ash, medical waste, organic waste, inorganic sludge, consumer batteries, heavy metal sludge, etc. • received operating permit in 2005 and has been running

22. Commercial Scale Production • St. Lucie Florida is in the works for building a plasma gasification facility utilizing • located on 9 acres • produce approximately 22 megawatts of power from approximately 600 tons per day of waste. • Scheduled to be done in 2011

23. Commercial Scale Production • Costs approximately 1 million – 300 million dollars to implement • Cost is determined by several factors: • Size of plant • Location

24. Commercial Scale Production

25. Commercial Scale Production • Why build in Illinois • Illinois produces 18.9 million tons of garbage in 2007 which is 19% higher than the national average • An average Illinois resident produces 2,088 lbs of garbage per year while the average American produces 1,751 lbs of garbage per year. • Chicago accounts for approximately 70% of all waste generated in the state • In 2003 there are 50 active landfills accepting waste in IL • It is estimated that IL landfills can serve the community for another 19 years

26. Commercial Scale Production

27. Commercial Scale Production

28. References http://www.plascoenergygroup.com/our-technology/the-plasco-process/ http://www.ewp.rpi.edu/hartford/~stephc/EP/Research/sewage_gasification_energy_production.pdf http://www.opbe.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62&Itemid=201 http://www.recoveredenergy.com/overview.html#flow http://www.ewp.rpi.edu/hartford/~stephc/EP/Research/plasma_gasification_cycle.pdf http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/2144/proving-out-plasma-gasification http://www.dep.state.fl.us/Air/emission/construction/geoplasma.htm http://www.peat.com/national_cheng.html http://faculty.mercer.edu/mccreanor_pt/eve420/Lesson04-Composition/Lesson04-Composition.htm

29. http://igpa.uillinois.edu/IR_2010/PDF/pg70-80z_Waste&Recycling.pdfhttp://igpa.uillinois.edu/IR_2010/PDF/pg70-80z_Waste&Recycling.pdf http://www.westinghouse-plasma.com/technology/competitive-advantage http://www.recoveredenergy.com/d_plasma.html http://www.thesciencecouncil.com/index.php/louis-j-circeo/70-top-10-facts-about-the-plasma-gasification-of-municipalwaste http://www.tech-faq.com/plasma-gasification.html http://www.trackg.com/R4CleanEnergy/Presentation-slides/Tuesday-tech-Ben%20Taube/Lou%20Circeo-Plasma%20Arc%20Gasification%20of%20Solid%20Waste.ppt