A magnetically controlled arc for plasma torch incineration

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:419807

Peterson, P Y; Mayo, R M; Bourham, M A; Corzine, R K; Hart, D; Messimore, J ^[1]

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1. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering

With the ever increasing problems of chemically hazardous and radioactive waste produced from federal, commercial, medical, academic, and nuclear utility sources, a safe means of waste elimination or disposal is desired. Plasma torches represent an electrical arc technology that possesses certain advantages in radioactive and hazardous waste incineration. A plasma torch provides an extremely high-temperature ionized gas (up to 1--2eV) that can be used to incinerate (and possibly vitrify) solid waste. What`s more, a plasma incinerator can be used to achieve high volume reduction ratios, possibly to 1/100 of the original waste volume, and can be used to eliminate chemical and biological hazardous waste. Further the technology is readily scalable so that a torch can be designed to operate at a power range from 30--50kW for a compact size incinerator to power level of 2 MW or greater for high throughput commercial incinerators. Several technology limiting problems, however, arise in the use of high temperature plasma torches. Present plasma incineration devices suffer from poor electrode (cathode) survivability. The authors discuss in this paper, recent developments in applying external magnetization to plasma torches in order to enhance the electrode performance through arc distribution.

• OSTI ID: 419807
• Report Number(s): CONF-960634--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
COMBUSTION
ELECTRIC ARCS
ELECTRODES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INCINERATORS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PERFORMANCE
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SCALING LAWS
WASTE PROCESSING