STUDY OF PLASMA TORCH TECHNOLOGY FOR USE IN MUNCIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL
WASTE DISPOSAL IN CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
53:159 “Air Pollution Control Engineering”
Professor Keri Hornbuckle
BY:
Johnathan LarsenJennifer Pratt&RaShelle Russell
Presentation Agenda
Introduction Background The treatment technology Significance Research Schematic Webpage Overview
Introduction Many municipal areas are need of new strategies to deal
with their solid waste. The cities of Cedar Rapids and Marion, IA have been dealing with this issue, and have considered incineration processes as a way to minimize their solid waste. There has been opposition to a new landfill, and a group in the Marion area proposed a process called PLASMA TORCH TECHNOLOGY.
Issues to address:
Is plasma torch a wise investment for treating MSW? Can plasma torch be used to melt existing landfills by
90% as technology experts claim? What type of financial investment are we talking about? What types of environmental permits are required? What kind of pollution does the technology emit? How is the waste air treated? What are the benefits and disadvantages?
http://www.geocities.com/plasmatorchtech/landfill.html
Background
U S Annually Produces 230 Million Tons of MSW 30% is Recycled 14% is Incinerated 56%, or About 130 Million Tons, is sent to a landfill
Energy Act of 2005 Recognizes MSW as a Renewable Energy Source Energy in U. S. Solid Waste is Nearly 10
Times That Available From Wind Power
Background: Landfilling
Source: http://www.opala.org/recycling_at_home/how_city_manages_waste.html
• Landfilling is a typical waste disposal method used in the U.S. today.
• Produces greenhouse gases and leaves behind toxic liquids that can escape
• Landfill gas (mostly methane) burned without air pollution control for 20 years after closure
Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/mswaste/msw.html
Background: Thermal methods of solid waste disposal
Methods include incineration, gasification, and pyrolysis.
Pyrolysis is form of gasification carried out in the complete absence of oxygen.
There are 3 main stages in the process: ►waste breakdown
►gas cleaning
►conversion to power
Background:Incineration
Emits gas and small particles from smoke stack
Usually have modern pollution control technology: scrubbers, lime injection, bag filtration
Produces heat, bottom ash, and fly ash Ash must be landfilled
Source: http://www.howproductsimpact.net/exchanges/disposalincineration.htm
What is a Plasma Torch?• Ionized gas that conducts
electricity• "the fourth state of matter“• NASA developed plasma
heating technology in 1960's• Torch converts energy from
electrical to thermal• Controlled plasma "fields"
generated from steady gas flow (N2, O2, or air) between electrodes
• Ionized gas creates intensely hot "plume“
• Average temperature around 6,000 Celsius
PLASMA TORCH TECHNOLOGY Plasma created using almost
any type of gas heated to extreme temps
Breaks down waste on a molecular level leaving little behind
About double the price of traditional methods of landfilling and incineration
Produces energy at a smaller ratio to used energy than a traditional waste to energy incinerator facility
Produces a very stable glassy rock that is non leachable, non toxic. Great for use as gravel another way that plasma torch generates income
Plasma Torch Technology
Reduces gas volume requiring treatment All known contaminants effectively treated or
remediated
SCHEMATIC
In-situ Plasma Reactor
Heat in reactor pulls apart the organic molecular structure of the waste to create a simpler gaseous structure: CO, H2, and CO2
- the inorganic waste is vitrified (melted)- the organic and hydrocarbon waste is
gasified• Advantages – better heat transfer• Disadvantages – potential corrosive effect on
the torch itself
Control Devices Used to Create Clean Syn-Gas
Syngas (Product) Gas Composition
Gas Cleanup
•85% of the particulates are removed in a cyclone
•Recovered particulate and metals are then injected into the molten glass
•The vitrified glass material passes EPA leachability tests.Scrubber HCL scrubbed form dilute HCL water
•Liquid series of nano filter membranes remove PM/metal
•The water in the gas is condensed out and is used to provide clean makeup water for the rest of the plant.
•H2S scrubbed out for fertilizer or converted to sodium bisulfite.
•Finally Gas Compressor and Turbine
Byproduct UsesProcess of Molten Stream
Air Cooling (Gravel)
Water Cooling (Sand)
Water Cooling (Metal Nodules)
Air Blown (Rock Wool)
Uses For Product
Coarse Aggregate-roads, concrete, asphalt
Fine Aggregate-concrete, asphalt, concrete products
Recyclable metals
Insulation, sound proofing, agriculture
One More Use for Plasma TorchRemediation of already landfilled waste
Where is Plasma Torch Used
NSPS ComplianceMetal Permissible
Concentration (mg/L)Concentration
Measured in Slag (mg/L)
Arsenic 5 <.1
Barium 100 <.5
Cadmium 1 <.02
Chromium 5 <.2
Lead 5 <.2
Mercury .2 <.01
Selenium 1 <.1
Silver 5 <.5
Source: USEPA NSPS: 40:CFR 60.52b
How Plasma Technology Differs from currently used technologies:
Oakdale campus uses batch process- pathological waste incinerator
Fueled by Natural Gas 600-800 lb capacity Primary pollutant
emitted is particulate Uses afterburner for air
pollution control
Oakdale Incinerator Unit for Radioactive solid waste
Oakdale Incinerator Unit for Radioactive solid waste
Benefits: Waste volume
reduction Cost Savings due to vol
reduction
Disadvantages: Maintenance is very
demanding, particularly because the system is not used constantly.
Oakdale Incinerator: System Controls
Permit Requirements:
Construction Permit from IDNR
IAC-567-23.4(12)
Max capacity = 130 lbs/hour License for system
Comparison of Plasma and Incineration
Feature Incineration Plasma Torch
Volume Reduction 5:1 250:1
Weight Reduction 3:1 9:1
Integral Smoke Stack Require 100-300 ft N/A
Increase in Moisture Content
Increases Harmful emissions
No effect
Temperature Control Requires secondary fuel, may have cold spots
Easily Maintained
Air Emissions Can exceed standards Clean by-product gas
Landfill Requirements Bottom Ash-Leachable/Fly Ash- Toxic
None
Commercial by-products Heat for electricity Gas for electricity, Slag for resale
Emission Parameter
Units U.S. EPA Limits Measured Output from Utashinai,Japan
Dioxins/Furans Ng/dscm .13 .01
Particulates Mg/dscm 24 6.8
HCL Gas ppmv 25 7
NOx Gas ppmv 150 83
SO2 Gas ppmv 20 2
CO ppmv 100 <12
Considering Air Pollution Regulations
Source: USEPA NSPS: 40:CFR 60.52b
Significance: Cost Comparison
Expensive to operate plasma torch at 3000 °C If government helped fund could be a viable
option If energy production desired, more money needed
to store energy produced Cost depends on size of facility if energy were to
be sold No comparisons for future, too new Would require a 30-40 percent higher equity
contribution or government support
Cost Continued
Plasma and WTE make money 3 ways: Electricity, tipping fees, and sale of other outputs
Electricity depends on rate
Tipping fees depend on magnitude, operation cost, etc.. Currently 35 $ per ton most likely increase to 75 $ per ton
Sale of ash, slag usually between 0-25 $ per ton
Research
• How much energy can be produced?
• What waste is at the landfill?
• Complete combustion of samples using a bomb calorimeter with pressurized oxygen
• Combustion reaction
Experimental Procedure Samples weighed and placed in bomb calorimeter Mass water placed in the calorimeter surrounding
the “bomb” Bomb secured tightly and pressurized to 20 atm of
oxygen inside bomb Bomb placed in calorimeter and lid secured and
stirring began
Experimental Procedure Continued The initial temperature of water taken and
bomb ignited The highest change in water temperature
taken Done for various samples known to be in the
landfill C6H10O5 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 5H2O
Materials Analyzed
Food, wood, plastics and paper done with bomb calorimeter
62 % of landfill compositionComposition Of Landfill by Mass Percent
25%
15%
6%2%2%
12%
10%
9%
5%
4%
1% 3% 2%3%
1%
Paper
Plastic
Metal
Glass
Yard Waste
Food Waste
Wood
Demolition Debris
Durables
Textile and Leathers
Diaper
Rubber
Household Hazardous Material
Other Organic
Other Inorganic
Data collected
Change in water temperature determines how much energy was added to the water from combustion
Q=m Cp ΔT
Cp = 4186 J / (kg °C) Represents all of
energy release from combustion
Sample Q ( Btu/ lb )
Food 5187.33
Plastic 14511.7
Wood 21740.3
Paper 5617.47
Data Analysis
The majority of energy comes from the food, wood, plastic and paper
Using the mass fraction of components in landfill and average of heat of combustion the energy per mass can be found for combusting the municipal waste
Conclusions• Significant energy contained in landfill could be utilized to
produce power• Plasma technology is better for the environment however it costs
more• Both plasma technology and waste to energy cost more than
land filling but are better for environment• Either plasma torch tech or waste to energy facility will lower the
waste space at the landfill• Plasma torch technology is cleaner for the environment• Economic comparison between plasma technology and waste to
energy is difficult due to differences in the processes• More energy is recovered in the plasma torch technology than
the waste to energy process
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Project website is found at:
www.geocities.com/plasmatorchtech
References
Beck, R.W. (2003). City of Honolulu Review of Plasma Arc Gasification and Vitrification Technology for Waste Disposal. Retrieved February 17, 2006 from, http://www.opala.org/TECH/plasma/PlasmaArc.pdf
Franzman, D. (2005). Alternative in Landfill Battle. Retrieved February 17, 2006 from, http://www.kcrg.com/article.aspx?art_id=98667&cat_id=123
Iowa DNR Waste Management. Retrieved from http://www.iowadnr.com/waste/index.html
Sioux City Journal. (2005). Legislators, Regulators Discuss Plasma Torch Technology. Retrieved February 17, 2006 from, http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/ 2005/11/25/news/iowa/392b9c94861de492862570c400138f7b.prt
Yando, A. (n.d.) Plasma Energy Pyrolysis System. Retrieved February 17, 2006 from http://www.jdmag.wpafb.af.mil/peps.pdf
QUESTIONS????
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