Plasma Waste to Energy System

Summary

Pyrogenesis Canada introduces its innovative Plasma Resource Recovery System (PRRS), a groundbreaking technology that converts almost any type of waste into valuable products like energy, metal ingots, and construction materials. Unlike traditional incineration, PRRS uses gasification and vitrification to process waste at extreme temperatures, safely transforming hazardous and non-hazardous materials. The system efficiently generates fuel gas, which is purified and used to produce combined heat and power. The process results in minimal environmental impact, offering a sustainable solution to waste management by producing reusable metals, inert slag, and energy while meeting strict environmental standards.

Takeaways

• 😀 Pyrogenesis Canada's PRRS technology converts virtually any type of waste into energy and useful products.
• 😀 The technology is based on gasification and vitrification, not incineration, ensuring minimal hazardous byproducts.
• 😀 The process begins with garbage trucks transferring waste to a storage pit, followed by shredding into smaller pieces.
• 😀 Hazardous and medical waste is treated separately and fed directly into a high-temperature plasma reactor.
• 😀 Solid graphite electrodes generate plasma arcs inside the reactor, reaching temperatures over 1600°C to treat waste.
• 😀 Organic materials like paper, plastics, and cardboard are converted into fuel gas, while glass, metal, and ceramics are melted away.
• 😀 The molten material is extracted as slag, which forms inert, glossy rocks suitable for use as construction materials.
• 😀 Reusable metal ingots are produced by separating molten metal from slag in the plasma reactor.
• 😀 The fuel gas undergoes a polishing step in the inductor, where contaminants like soot and tars are broken down into simpler compounds.
• 😀 The cleaned fuel gas is filtered through a series of scrubbers to remove fine particulates, acid gases, sulfur, and heavy metals.
• 😀 The processed fuel gas powers combined heat and power (CHP) engines, generating electricity, which can be used by the system or sold back to the grid.

Q & A

What is the Plasma Resource Recovery System (PRRS)?

The PRRS is a patented technology developed by Pyrogenesis Canada that converts virtually any type of waste into energy and other useful products through gasification and vitrification, rather than incineration.

How does the PRRS work to process waste?

Garbage trucks transfer waste into a storage pit, where it is shredded into small pieces. These are then fed into a plasma reactor, where extreme temperatures break down the waste. Hazardous and medical waste are processed separately using dedicated feeders.

What types of waste can the PRRS process?

The system can process a wide variety of waste, including non-hazardous, hazardous, medical, and liquid waste. It handles materials like paper, plastics, cardboard, glass, metal, and ceramics.

What happens inside the plasma reactor of the PRRS?

Inside the plasma reactor, extreme temperatures (over 1600°C) melt glass, metals, and ceramics, while organic materials like paper and plastics are converted into a fuel gas.

What is the purpose of the plasma arcs in the PRRS?

The plasma arcs generate extremely high temperatures, which allow for the efficient treatment of waste by breaking down materials and converting them into usable products like fuel gas and metal ingots.

What happens to the molten material produced in the plasma reactor?

The molten material exits through two separate tap holes: metal oxides form slag, which is cooled into inert glossy rocks used as construction material, while molten metals are extracted separately and turned into reusable ingots.

How is the fuel gas produced in the PRRS processed?

The fuel gas produced in the plasma reactor passes through an inductor, where plasma at 5000°C breaks down contaminants like soot and tars. The gas is then cooled and filtered to remove any remaining impurities.

What happens inside the inductor in the PRRS?

Inside the inductor, plasma breaks down complex hydrocarbons into simpler forms, like carbon monoxide and hydrogen (syngas), making the gas cleaner and more efficient for energy generation.

How is the fuel gas cleaned before being used for energy generation?

The fuel gas is cleaned using a series of filters, including a Venturi scrubber to remove fine particulate, scrubbers to neutralize acid gases, an absorption tower to remove sulfur, and a high-efficiency filter to remove heavy metals.

What is the end result of the PRRS process?

The PRRS safely converts waste into energy, reusable metal ingots, and construction materials, providing a sustainable and efficient solution to waste management. The system also generates electricity, which can be used to power the plasma system or sold back to the power grid.