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Title: Tunable molten oxide pool assisted plasma-melter vitrification systems

Abstract

The present invention provides tunable waste conversion systems and apparatus which have the advantage of highly robust operation and which provide complete or substantially complete conversion of a wide range of waste streams into useful gas and a stable, nonleachable solid product at a single location with greatly reduced air pollution to meet air quality standards. The systems provide the capability for highly efficient conversion of waste into high quality combustible gas and for high efficiency conversion of the gas into electricity by utilizing a high efficiency gas turbine or an internal combustion engine. The solid product can be suitable for various commercial applications. Alternatively, the solid product stream, which is a safe, stable material, may be disposed of without special considerations as hazardous material. In the preferred embodiment, the arc plasma furnace and joule heated melter are formed as a fully integrated unit with a common melt pool having circuit arrangements for the simultaneous independently controllable operation of both the arc plasma and the joule heated portions of the unit without interference with one another. The preferred configuration of this embodiment of the invention utilizes two arc plasma electrodes with an elongated chamber for the molten pool such thatmore » the molten pool is capable of providing conducting paths between electrodes. The apparatus may additionally be employed with reduced use or without further use of the gases generated by the conversion process. The apparatus may be employed as a net energy or net electricity producing unit where use of an auxiliary fuel provides the required level of electricity production. Methods and apparatus for converting metals, non-glass forming waste streams and low-ash producing inorganics into a useful gas are also provided. The methods and apparatus for such conversion include the use of a molten oxide pool having predetermined electrical, thermal and physical characteristics capable of maintaining optimal joule heating and glass forming properties during the conversion process.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Newtown Square, PA
  2. Chestnut Hill, MA
  3. Kennewick, WA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
871576
Patent Number(s):
5756957
Assignee:
Integrated Environmental Technologies, LLC (Carle Place, NY)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
A - HUMAN NECESSITIES A62 - LIFE-SAVING A62D - CHEMICAL MEANS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES OR FOR COMBATING OR PROTECTING AGAINST HARMFUL CHEMICAL AGENTS
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01D - SEPARATION
DOE Contract Number:  
AC06-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
tunable; molten; oxide; pool; assisted; plasma-melter; vitrification; systems; provides; waste; conversion; apparatus; advantage; highly; robust; operation; provide; complete; substantially; wide; range; streams; useful; gas; stable; nonleachable; solid; product; single; location; greatly; reduced; air; pollution; meet; quality; standards; capability; efficient; combustible; efficiency; electricity; utilizing; turbine; internal; combustion; engine; suitable; various; commercial; applications; alternatively; stream; safe; material; disposed; special; considerations; hazardous; preferred; embodiment; plasma; furnace; joule; heated; melter; formed; integrated; unit; common; melt; circuit; arrangements; simultaneous; independently; controllable; portions; interference; configuration; utilizes; electrodes; elongated; chamber; capable; providing; conducting; paths; additionally; employed; gases; generated; process; net; energy; producing; auxiliary; fuel; required; level; production; methods; converting; metals; non-glass; forming; low-ash; inorganics; provided; predetermined; electrical; thermal; physical; characteristics; maintaining; optimal; heating; glass; properties; elongated chamber; joule heated; gases generated; hazardous material; conversion process; glass forming; physical characteristics; product stream; waste stream; internal combustion; preferred embodiment; gas turbine; wide range; combustion engine; highly efficient; combustible gas; waste streams; solid product; joule heating; greatly reduced; substantially complete; molten pool; systems provide; stable material; plasma electrodes; predetermined electric; preferred configuration; plasma furnace; melt pool; circuit arrangement; air quality; complete conversion; commercial applications; single location; net energy; efficient conversion; fuel provides; heated portions; air pollution; auxiliary fuel; plasma electrode; predetermined electrical; robust operation; provide complete; optimal joule; efficiency gas; greatly reduce; waste conversion; tunable waste; net electric; highly robust; plasma-melter vitrification; physical characteristic; /219/75/110/

Citation Formats

Titus, Charles H, Cohn, Daniel R, and Surma, Jeffrey E. Tunable molten oxide pool assisted plasma-melter vitrification systems. United States: N. p., 1998. Web.
Titus, Charles H, Cohn, Daniel R, & Surma, Jeffrey E. Tunable molten oxide pool assisted plasma-melter vitrification systems. United States.
Titus, Charles H, Cohn, Daniel R, and Surma, Jeffrey E. Thu . "Tunable molten oxide pool assisted plasma-melter vitrification systems". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871576.
@article{osti_871576,
title = {Tunable molten oxide pool assisted plasma-melter vitrification systems},
author = {Titus, Charles H and Cohn, Daniel R and Surma, Jeffrey E},
abstractNote = {The present invention provides tunable waste conversion systems and apparatus which have the advantage of highly robust operation and which provide complete or substantially complete conversion of a wide range of waste streams into useful gas and a stable, nonleachable solid product at a single location with greatly reduced air pollution to meet air quality standards. The systems provide the capability for highly efficient conversion of waste into high quality combustible gas and for high efficiency conversion of the gas into electricity by utilizing a high efficiency gas turbine or an internal combustion engine. The solid product can be suitable for various commercial applications. Alternatively, the solid product stream, which is a safe, stable material, may be disposed of without special considerations as hazardous material. In the preferred embodiment, the arc plasma furnace and joule heated melter are formed as a fully integrated unit with a common melt pool having circuit arrangements for the simultaneous independently controllable operation of both the arc plasma and the joule heated portions of the unit without interference with one another. The preferred configuration of this embodiment of the invention utilizes two arc plasma electrodes with an elongated chamber for the molten pool such that the molten pool is capable of providing conducting paths between electrodes. The apparatus may additionally be employed with reduced use or without further use of the gases generated by the conversion process. The apparatus may be employed as a net energy or net electricity producing unit where use of an auxiliary fuel provides the required level of electricity production. Methods and apparatus for converting metals, non-glass forming waste streams and low-ash producing inorganics into a useful gas are also provided. The methods and apparatus for such conversion include the use of a molten oxide pool having predetermined electrical, thermal and physical characteristics capable of maintaining optimal joule heating and glass forming properties during the conversion process.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Product Distribution in the Rapid Pyrolysis of Biomass/Lignin for Production of Acetylene
book, January 1981


Biomass-Fueled Gas Turbines
book, December 1992