Plasma Arc Process
PROCESS
Plasma gasification system and exits as electricity and building
material. Geoplasma can use MSW consisting of household waste,
construction and demolition debris, tires and dewatered sewage
sludge.
Air and electricity are used in the plasma system to create a plasma
arc that reaches temperatures of approximately 10,000 degrees
Fahrenheit. This intense heat results in a gasification of the waste
releasing the BTUs (British Thermal Units--a heat/energy value)
contained in the waste materials. At this point, the gasified waste
is known as syngas. Syngas is a mix of mainly hydrogen, nitrogen,
and carbon monoxide with a heating value of 150-200BTU/scf gas and
can be used in gas turbines, similar to natural gas.
The other byproduct produced at this stage is a hard, obsidian-like
stone that can be used as aggregate or shaped into paving bricks or
other construction materials. Inorganic molten metals are also
discharged, collected and sold as scrap metal.
While operating models vary slightly, the syngas typically travels
from the plasma gasification facility to a co-located energy
production facility. There the syngas is cleaned/scrubbed and used
to fuel a gas turbine system to produce electric energy. The process
also produces steam, which is used for electric energy generation
for internal consumption to operate the Geoplasma facility.
Approximately one fourth of the energy recovered from the MSW is
returned to the system to operate the facility, and the remaining
three fourths are made available to the local utility grid.
