PAGMaWPlasma Arc Gasification of Municipal Solid Waste
Thesis PresentationApril 2, 2014Celerick StephensMasters Management (Marketing)Masters Engineering Science (Sustainability)
PAGMaW Plasma gasification process overview Benefits of plasma gasification of waste Application and benefits of technology Modeling the process Next steps
Agenda
What is plasma Fourth state of matter
Ionized gas in which the number of free electrons nearly equals the number of free ions
Electric arcs Neon bulbs Lightning
Overview
What is Plasma Gasification Gasification is the process of changing one
state of matter into a useful gas Plasma gasification is applying high-energy
gas (plasma) to gasify any solid Plasma gasification
Severs molecular bonds of solids Releases elemental gases and solids Vitrifies precipitate solids Allows for high temperature recombination of
gases
Overview
Plasma Gasification of Waste Reduces/eliminates need for solid waste
disposal Vitrified waste is reduced (>90%) Produces low-heating value βnaturalβ gas
(syngas) useful for power/heat production Reduces carbon footprint Reduces release of harmful products
Dioxins nearly eliminated Vitrified wastes make harmful agents inert
Benefits of Waste Gasification
Plasma Process In Real-World Usage
13 commissioned sites worldwide Europe Japan United States
Hawaii* Proven energy
production exceeds energy requirements
Application of Technology
Scaling the Technology Unique application of technology
on a smaller scale From 250 tons/day to 7 tons/day (or smaller)
Community Waste Disposal Reduces waste transport energy Reduces electrical transmission
waste Reduces cost of operation Reduces electrical consumption Supplements community
heating
Fast Facts Americans generate 4 lbs trash/day
60% of MSW is landfilled (145 million tons) We can bury Rhode Island each year We use 1.5 billion gallons of fuel/yr to haul
trash (1.4 million average daily drivers)
10% of the power produced is wasted in delivery (400 million MW-hrs/year) US Line loss can power
NYC for 35 yrs or France for 1 year (10th largest consumer of
electrical power in the world)
Application of Technology
The Future Need Economists show the
United States as the Middle Class Model
Trends indicate unsustainable nature in energy consumption
Power cannot be created fast enough to match demand
Waste cannot be disposed fast enough to match demand
Application of Technology
Scaled Plasma Gasification of Community Waste
Modeling the Process
Waste stream
Plasma process
Power process
Heat recovery
Functional Basis
Gasification ProcessChemical equilibrium evaluation
Molecular decomposition of the waste stream Proximate analysis Ultimate analysis
Mass Balance Molecular balance of constituents
Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Soot (metals/glass) Water (moisture content)
Heat Balance Heat capacities Heats of formation HHV refuse derived fuel
Products of equilibrium is syngas CO, CO2, H20, H2, CH4
Thermochemical Analysis
πΆπ» π₯ππ¦+π€π» 2π+3.76ππ 2+ππ2βπ1π»2+π2πΆπ+π3πΆπ2+π4π»2π+π5πΆπ» 4+π6π 2 .πΆπ+3π»2=πΆπ»4+π»2ππΆπ+π» 2π=πΆπ2+π» 2
πΆ+π» 2π=πΆπ+π»2
Results
Process independent of gasification temperature
Process scalable to waste stream input Optimized waste recycling content apparent
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 0
0.000001
0.000002
0.000003
0.000004
0.000005
0.000006Hydrogen Output Based Upon Energy Input
Energy Input - 1200 KEnergy Input - 1250 KEnergy Input - 1300 KEnergy Input - 1400 K
Energy Input (kJ/kg of input waste stream)
Hyd
roge
n Pr
oduc
tion
(kg/
s)
Gasification Modeling
ResultsGasification Modeling
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%0.0E+00
1.0E-06
2.0E-06
3.0E-06
4.0E-06
5.0E-06
6.0E-06
Hydrogen Gas Content (Mass) based upon Re-cycled Waste Stream Content
OrganicsPaperPlasticTextilesWoodGlassMetals
Percentage of Constituents in Waste Stream
H2
(kg/
s)
Scaled-Distributed Plasma Gasification of Community Waste
Waste stream
Plasma process
Power process
Heat recovery
Facility Modeling
Next Steps Complete energy
cycle analysis H2 Fuel Cell
Integration Waste stream size to
support facility (net zero)
Waste stream size to support community (net zero)
Document challenges Facility complexity
Noise Location Maintenance
Complexity of byproduct recycling High temperature
materials discharge Waste gas reuse Sour gas elimination
Completing the Analysis