(best examples and good practices) on household organic waste ...

(best examples and good practices) on household organic waste ... (best examples and good practices) on household organic waste ...

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51 ong>andong> particulates are produced along with trace metals or heavy metals, notably cadmium ong>andong> mercury. Gasification is widely considered as an energy efficient technique for reducing the volume of solid waste ong>andong> for recovering energy. Useable energy of some 500 to 600 kWh per ton of waste is generated by gasification. Gasification technologies have been operated for over a century for coal producing town gas ong>andong> have long been promoted as being a viable, cleaner alternative to incineration for residual municipal wastes. It is more widely used ong>andong> more developed than pyrolysis for several reasons. First, a highly efficient process produces a single gaseous product. Second, gasification does not have the heat transfer problems associated with pyrolysis. However, plants are known to have closed down due to waste variability ong>andong> material hong>andong>ling problems. Newer processes have been developed in order to overcome these problems through extensive pre-processing of the feedstock waste. 3.2.7. Plasma Technology Plasma is a mixture of electrons, ions ong>andong> neutral particles (atoms ong>andong> molecules). This high temperature, ionized, conductive gas can be created by the interaction of a gas with an electric or magnetic field. Plasmas are a source of reactive species, ong>andong> the high temperatures promote rapid chemical reactions. Plasma processes utilize high temperatures, resulting from the conversion of electrical energy to heat, to produce plasma. They involve passing a large electric current though an inert gas stream under these conditions, hazardous contaminants, such as PCBs, dioxins, furans, pesticides, etc., are broken into their atomic constituents, by injection into the plasma. The process is used to treat organics, metals, PCBs (including small-scale equipment) ong>andong> HCB. In many cases pre-treatment of wastes may be required. An off-gas treatment system depending on the type of wastes treated is required, ong>andong> the residue is a vitrified solid or ash. The destruction efficiencies for this technology are quite high,>99.99 %. Plasma is an established commercial technology, however the process can be very complex, expensive ong>andong> operator intensive. Different kinds of plasma technologies are: Argon plasma arc Inductively coupled radio frequency plasma (ICRF)

52 AC plasma CO2 plasma arc Microwave plasma Nitrogen plasma arc (Thermal methods of municipal waste treatment.,2009) A typical plasma gasification plant is presented in (Figure 20.) Figure 20.: A typical plasma gasification plant In the process shown in the above Figure, waste is fed into a plasma arc furnace from the top ong>andong> falls onto a layer of molten slag. A layer of untreated waste is maintained on top of the molten slag, where the gasification reactions occur. Air is introduced at that level. This layer of untreated waste, called a “cold top”, also acts as a filter to heavy metals ong>andong> reduces entrainment of waste from the furnace. Product gases exit through a pipe located in the upper section of the furnace. Gasification reactions are complex reactions, consisting of a combination of gas-solid ong>andong> gas phase reactions, as demonstrated in Tables 2 ong>andong> 3. (Moustakas et. al.,2003)

52<br />

AC plasma<br />

CO2 plasma arc<br />

Microwave plasma<br />

Nitrogen plasma arc (Thermal methods of municipal <strong>waste</strong><br />

treatment.,2009)<br />

A typical plasma gasificati<strong>on</strong> plant is presented in (Figure 20.)<br />

Figure 20.: A typical plasma gasificati<strong>on</strong> plant<br />

In the process shown in the above Figure, <strong>waste</strong> is fed into a plasma arc furnace<br />

from the top <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> falls <strong>on</strong>to a layer of molten slag. A layer of untreated <strong>waste</strong> is<br />

maintained <strong>on</strong> top of the molten slag, where the gasificati<strong>on</strong> reacti<strong>on</strong>s occur.<br />

Air is introduced at that level. This layer of untreated <strong>waste</strong>, called a “cold top”,<br />

also acts as a filter to heavy metals <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> reduces entrainment of <strong>waste</strong> from the<br />

furnace. Product gases exit through a pipe located in the upper secti<strong>on</strong> of the<br />

furnace. Gasificati<strong>on</strong> reacti<strong>on</strong>s are complex reacti<strong>on</strong>s, c<strong>on</strong>sisting of a<br />

combinati<strong>on</strong> of gas-solid <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> gas phase reacti<strong>on</strong>s, as dem<strong>on</strong>strated in Tables 2<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> 3. (Moustakas et. al.,2003)

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