Plasmagasification

Ironworker · Plasmagasification

I have just watched a fascinating documentary called Zero Waste. The last section in this programme was about an American company called Plasco, who have built a Plasmagasification plant, which at the moment is under testing for licensing.
I will now try to explain what happens

They start off with a sealed chamber containing a pair of electrodes which they use to heat a small amount of gas to form plasma.
Now into the plasma field they slowly add 75 tons per day of solid waste which would normally end up in land fill, i.e. dirty nappies, concrete, medical bio-hazard materials .
Hang about a second while I take a breath

Going into the plasma (which is 4,000 deg hotter than the surface of the sun) turns the waste into it's basic molecules which can be extract, hydrogen gas and some solids.
The hydrogen is used to run 1 megawatt generators to run the plant and supply power. Any solids left are sent back through the plasma stream, this creates a silica slag which can be sold of as aggregate or even to make jewellery. The only waste that remains is about 1.3kg of heavy metal and carbon waste per ton.
In New York they spend about 90$ per ton for landfill, using this system they could make 15$ a ton selling their waste to the power company. Phew

nudge nudge you can all wake up now

Diana

That sounds amazing. How long will the licensing process and testing take?

Julie

It looked like the plant was up and running on the film thingy Gordon was watching.....but than I wouldn't really know and I wasn't taking sufficient notice:-?

I don't understand why good ideas like this aren't being rushed into general use....do the refuse collectors and landfill companies have too much leverage??

Love the name though - straight out of an old Batman script......'Holy plasmagasification Batman, they're going to reduce us to our basic molecules, Cripes!

'

Maria

Very interesting stuff, thanks for the info Ironworker - and for the dull thud that my head now makes when I try and move it

. Went to have a dig around and found this, which explains just about everything - it's in a simple language, that even I (almost) understood.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/plasma-converter.htm From the 'facilites' link it tells you that there are already a couple up and running in japan.

For curious folk like myself lots of info and links, including companies already in the batman lingo business, can be found on wiki here....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_arc_gasification

Says there are two here in the UK - one in Oxfordshire and one in Wiltshire - although don't know if they are as 'clean' as the Plasco one. More reading for me to do...but not sure if my heads gonna explode ??

Lord_Azrael

Sounds too logical for our government to really make much use of!

Excellent idea though, but makes you wonder how they can contain something that is 4000 degrees hotter than the sun

You'd think the whole local area would melt under those temperatures.

Very clever stuff.

There was a more basic version on 'how do they do it?' on tv a couple of weeks back where many products were thoroughly heated to such an extent that a workable compost was made.

JamesB

looks interesting, my only concern is how mch energy is required? It sounds like its very energy intensive but i could be wrong. I suspect the problem to adoption is making it energy efficient.

James

Julie

It provides its own energy once it is up and running and a surplus to sell on too.

Ironworker

Thanks for the links Maria, I didn't know there were any in the UK.

LA, the high temperatures are only in area of the gas plasma around the electric arc. The containment is really just to collect all the gases and solid wasted that are produced.