Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Design and construction of a laboratory plasma gasification system for municipal solid waste

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Gh. Khaleghian
N. Beigmohammadi
N. Morshedian
M. Nohekhan
B. Rezaeefard

Plasma and Nuclear Fusion Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O. Box: 14399-51113, Tehran - Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2023.1237.1805
Abstract
Plasma gasification system technology is one of the definitive low-risk disposal methods. The article discusses the design and construction of a plasma gasification system using a plasma torch. In order to dispose of municipal solid waste, a DC plasma arc flame was implemented. The design and construction of the torch electrodes and their arrangement are such that when waste enters the plasma flame through the upper opening, it is permanently exposed to it. In this way, in addition to better mixing of reactants with plasma, stable performance, better control, and erosion will be reduced. In this system, due to the very high processing temperature, it is possible to remove toxic and contaminated waste. To characterize, analyze and identify torch plasma species and radicals, as well as to determine the electron excitation temperature, an optical emission spectrometer was used. Atomic and radical species such as O, N2, N, NO, and OH radicals were detected in the emission spectrum. Using the conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium and the Boltzmann method, the temperature was estimated at 5.38 eV. The gas composition was reported with the gas chromatography method including O2, N2, CO2, CO, and N2O gases.

Highlights

  1. Oliveira M, Ramos A, Ismail T.M, Monteiro E, Rouboa A. A Review on Plasma Gasification of Solid Residues: Recent Advances and Developments. Energies. 2022;15(4):1475.

 

  1. Roth J.R. Applications to Non-thermal Plasma Processing, Industrial Plasma Engineering. 2. (IOP Institute of Physics Publishing. Bristol. (2001).

 

  1. Moustakas K, Fatta D, Malamis S, Haralambous K, Loizidou M. Demonstration plasma gasification/vitrification system for effective hazardous waste treatment. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2005;123(1):120‐126.

 

  1. Gary C. Municipal solid waste to energy conversion processes: economic, technical, and renewable comparisons. John Wiley & Sons. (2010).

 

  1. Pang S, Fuel Flexible Energy Generation. Elsevier. 2016;241-269.

 

  1. Block C, Ephraim A, Weiss-Hortala E, Minh D.P, Nzihou A, Vandecasteele C. Co-pyrogasification of Plastics and Biomass. Waste and Biomass Valorization. Springer. 2019;10(3):483-509.

 

  1. Trelles J.P, Chazelas C, Vardelle A, Heberlein J.V.R. Arc Plasma Torch Modeling. Journal of Thermal Spray Technology. 2009;18(5-6).

 

  1. Ducharme C. M.Sc. thesis: Technical and economic analysis of Plasma-assisted Waste-to-Energy processes. Columbia University. (2010).

 

  1. Sun Q, Liu Y, Zhu Y, Han Y. Experimental investigation into the anode erosion phenomenon in a DC non-transferred arc plasma torch. (2020).

 

  1. Zhukovskii R, Chazelas C, Vardelle A, Rat V. Control of the Arc Motion in DC Plasma Spray Torch with a Cascaded Anode. J. Therm. Spray Tech. (2019).

 

  1. Hattingh M, Van der Walt I. J, Waanders F.B. Comparison of Cyclone Design Methods for Removal of Fine Particles from Plasma Generated Syngas. Int. J. Mech. Mechatron. Eng. 2017;11(1).

 

  1. Islam Khan M.S, Lee E.J, Kim Y.J. Roles of individual radicals generated by a submerged dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor during Escherichia coli O157:H7 inactivation. AIP Advances. 20145;5:107111.

 

  1. Wang Y, Cheng C, Gao P, Li S, Shen J, Lan Y, Yu Y, Chu P.K. Cold atmospheric-pressure air plasma treatment of C6 glioma cells: effects of reactive oxygen species in the medium produced by the plasma on cell death. Plasma Sci. Technol. 2017;19.

 

  1. Hong Y.C, Chun S.M, Cho C.H, Shin D.H, Choi D.H. High-Power Pure Steam Plasma Torch and Its Temperature Measurements. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 2015;43(2).

 

  1. Lee Y.K, Hwang K.T, Lee M.H, Chung C.W. Spectroscopic Measurement of the Electron Temperature and the Metastable Densities by Using a Simple Collisional-Radiative. J. Korean Phys Soc. 2008;52(6):1792-1799.

 

  1. Joshi N.K, Sahasrabudhe S.N, Sreekumar K.P, Venkatramani N. Variation of axial temperature in thermal plasma jets. Meas. Sci. Technol. 1997;8:1146–1150.

 

  1. Isoldi M, Ozono E, Mansano R. Excitation Temperature Measurements on a New Atmospheric Microwave Plasma Torch. J. Nanosci Nanotech Applic. 2018;2(1).

Keywords

Plasma gasification
Gasification
Plasma torch electrodes
Optical emission spectrometer
Chromatography
  1. Oliveira M, Ramos A, Ismail T.M, Monteiro E, Rouboa A. A Review on Plasma Gasification of Solid Residues: Recent Advances and Developments. Energies. 2022;15(4):1475.

 

  1. Roth J.R. Applications to Non-thermal Plasma Processing, Industrial Plasma Engineering. 2. (IOP Institute of Physics Publishing. Bristol. (2001).

 

  1. Moustakas K, Fatta D, Malamis S, Haralambous K, Loizidou M. Demonstration plasma gasification/vitrification system for effective hazardous waste treatment. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2005;123(1):120‐126.

 

  1. Gary C. Municipal solid waste to energy conversion processes: economic, technical, and renewable comparisons. John Wiley & Sons. (2010).

 

  1. Pang S, Fuel Flexible Energy Generation. Elsevier. 2016;241-269.

 

  1. Block C, Ephraim A, Weiss-Hortala E, Minh D.P, Nzihou A, Vandecasteele C. Co-pyrogasification of Plastics and Biomass. Waste and Biomass Valorization. Springer. 2019;10(3):483-509.

 

  1. Trelles J.P, Chazelas C, Vardelle A, Heberlein J.V.R. Arc Plasma Torch Modeling. Journal of Thermal Spray Technology. 2009;18(5-6).

 

  1. Ducharme C. M.Sc. thesis: Technical and economic analysis of Plasma-assisted Waste-to-Energy processes. Columbia University. (2010).

 

  1. Sun Q, Liu Y, Zhu Y, Han Y. Experimental investigation into the anode erosion phenomenon in a DC non-transferred arc plasma torch. (2020).

 

  1. Zhukovskii R, Chazelas C, Vardelle A, Rat V. Control of the Arc Motion in DC Plasma Spray Torch with a Cascaded Anode. J. Therm. Spray Tech. (2019).

 

  1. Hattingh M, Van der Walt I. J, Waanders F.B. Comparison of Cyclone Design Methods for Removal of Fine Particles from Plasma Generated Syngas. Int. J. Mech. Mechatron. Eng. 2017;11(1).

 

  1. Islam Khan M.S, Lee E.J, Kim Y.J. Roles of individual radicals generated by a submerged dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor during Escherichia coli O157:H7 inactivation. AIP Advances. 20145;5:107111.

 

  1. Wang Y, Cheng C, Gao P, Li S, Shen J, Lan Y, Yu Y, Chu P.K. Cold atmospheric-pressure air plasma treatment of C6 glioma cells: effects of reactive oxygen species in the medium produced by the plasma on cell death. Plasma Sci. Technol. 2017;19.

 

  1. Hong Y.C, Chun S.M, Cho C.H, Shin D.H, Choi D.H. High-Power Pure Steam Plasma Torch and Its Temperature Measurements. IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science. 2015;43(2).

 

  1. Lee Y.K, Hwang K.T, Lee M.H, Chung C.W. Spectroscopic Measurement of the Electron Temperature and the Metastable Densities by Using a Simple Collisional-Radiative. J. Korean Phys Soc. 2008;52(6):1792-1799.

 

  1. Joshi N.K, Sahasrabudhe S.N, Sreekumar K.P, Venkatramani N. Variation of axial temperature in thermal plasma jets. Meas. Sci. Technol. 1997;8:1146–1150.

 

  1. Isoldi M, Ozono E, Mansano R. Excitation Temperature Measurements on a New Atmospheric Microwave Plasma Torch. J. Nanosci Nanotech Applic. 2018;2(1).

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