U.S. patent application number 16/315500 was filed with the patent office on 2019-09-12 for plasma arc carbonizer.
The applicant listed for this patent is AEMERGE LLC. Invention is credited to Scott BEHRENS, Landon C.G. Miller.
Application Number | 20190276746 16/315500 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60912279 |
Filed Date | 2019-09-12 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190276746 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Miller; Landon C.G. ; et
al. |
September 12, 2019 |
PLASMA ARC CARBONIZER
Abstract
A system and method for plasma arc anaerobic thermal conversion
processing is provided to convert waste into bio-gas; bio-oil;
carbonized materials; non-organic ash, and varied further
co-products. The system and process supports a variety of
processes, including to make, without limitation, carbon,
carbon-based inks and dyes, activated carbon, aerogels, bio-coke,
and bio-char, as well as generate electricity, produce adjuncts for
natural gas, and/or various aromatic oils, phenols, and other
liquids, all depending upon the input materials and the parameters
selected to process the waste, including real time economic and
other market parameters which can result in the automatic
re-configuration of the system to adjust its output co-products to
reflect changing market conditions. Plasma arc carbonizer off-gases
produced during carbonization are supplied to a controlled heated
column for refining and recovery of the carbonizer hot gases into
distillates.
Inventors: |
Miller; Landon C.G.;
(Fortville, IN) ; BEHRENS; Scott; (Fortville,
IN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AEMERGE LLC |
Fortville |
IN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
60912279 |
Appl. No.: |
16/315500 |
Filed: |
June 29, 2017 |
PCT Filed: |
June 29, 2017 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2017/040002 |
371 Date: |
January 4, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62360141 |
Jul 8, 2016 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C10B 49/04 20130101;
C10B 27/06 20130101; C10K 3/001 20130101; C10B 19/00 20130101; C10B
53/00 20130101; C10B 31/04 20130101; C10B 7/06 20130101; C10B 25/24
20130101; C10B 53/07 20130101 |
International
Class: |
C10B 19/00 20060101
C10B019/00; C10B 53/07 20060101 C10B053/07; C10B 7/06 20060101
C10B007/06; C10B 31/04 20060101 C10B031/04; C10B 27/06 20060101
C10B027/06; C10K 3/00 20060101 C10K003/00 |
Claims
1. A system for treating waste, the system comprising: at least one
plasma arc unit; a carbonizer heated by said at least one plasma
arc units and adapted to convert the waste to a useable product and
resultant hot gases; and a thermal oxidizer in gaseous
communication with said carbonizer to receive the resultant hot
gases.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the waste includes at least one of
municipal solid waste, infectious medical waste, or bitumen that
optionally contains non-reactive inorganics.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein said carbonizer employs anaerobic
thermal conversion processing to treat the waste.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein said carbonizer comprises a
thermo-chemical reactor that is one of a drag-chain reactor, batch
reactor, continuous-stirred-tank reactor, rotating drum, thermal
oxidizers, or plug-in reactor.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein said carbonizer operates under a
reduced pressure of a partial or complete vacuum.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one plasma unit
operates with a nitrogen based atmosphere.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the useable products converted
from the waste is one or more of carbon black, carbon-based inks
and dyes, activated carbon, aerogels, bio-coke, bio-char,
combustion feedstock to generate electricity, adjuncts for natural
gas, aromatic oils, or phenols.
8. The system of claim 1 further comprising: a sealed enclosure;
and a piston driver for pushing one or more containers of waste
into a plasma heating zone of said sealed enclosure.
9. The system of claim 8 further comprising: an airlock in
mechanical communication with the sealed enclosure, where the
airlock introduces the one or more containers of waste into the
sealed enclosure to prevent gases from escaping and to maintain the
atmospheric conditions within the sealed enclosure.
10. The system of claim 8 further comprising: a drop slot in said
sealed enclosure; and a collection bin adapted to move remaining
solids and carbon by-products that result from the treated waste
with said piston driver to said drop slot for collection in the
collection bin.
11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a controlled heated
column adapted for refining and recovery of the resultant hot gases
into distillates.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein the distillates comprise one or
more of C2-C36 compounds of alkanes, alkenes, ethers, esters,
phenols, aromatics, lignins, polycyclics; and substituted versions
thereof where the substituent in place of a hydrogen atom is for
example, a hydroxyl, an amine, a sulfonyl, a carboxyl, a halogen,
or a combination thereof.
13. A method of using the system of claim 1 for treating waste with
said plasma arc carbonizer, the method comprising: adjusting a set
of parameters of said carbonizer based on waste feed stock to be
inputted; loading waste feedstock into said carbonizer; and
collecting useable byproducts obtained from the carbonizer.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the adjustable set of parameters
for said carbonizer include one or more of temperature, conveyor
speed, dwell times, or atmosphere.
15. The method of claim 13 further comprising safely disposing of
non-useable outputs from said carbonizer or reintroducing the
non-useable outputs into said carbonizer.
16. The method of claim 13 further comprising supplying the
resultant hot gases to a controlled heated column for distilling
and refining and recovery into distillates.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the distillates include one or
more of C2-C36 compounds of alkanes, alkenes, ethers, esters,
phenols, aromatics, lignins, polycyclics; or substituted versions
thereof where the substituent in place of a hydrogen atom is a
hydroxyl, an amine, a sulfonyl, a carboxyl, a halogen, or a
combination thereof.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein any hot gases or solids that do
not distill out as a useable by-product are either to be further
scrubbed and safely disposed of, or recirculated into the
carbonizer for reprocessing.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 62/360,141 filed Jul. 8, 2016, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention in general relates to a system for
converting waste into useful co-products, including hydrocarbon
based gases, hydrocarbon-based liquids, and carbonized material;
and in particular to carbonation systems using plasma arc units as
heating sources.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Pyrolysis is a general term used to describe the
thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated
temperatures without the participation of oxygen. Pyrolysis differs
from other high-temperature processes like combustion and
hydrolysis in that it usually does not involve oxidative reactions.
Carbonization in these instances operates at less than 5 atomic %
oxygen and typically less than 2 atomic % and is often
characterized by irreversible simultaneous change of chemical
composition and physical phase.
[0004] Pyrolysis is a case of thermolysis, and is most commonly
used for organic materials, and is one of the processes involved in
charring. Charring is a chemical process of incomplete combustion
of certain solids when subjected to high heat. The resulting
residue matter is called char. By the action of heat, charring
reductively removes hydrogen and oxygen from the solid, so that the
remaining char is composed primarily of carbon in a zero-oxidation
state. Polymers such as thermoplastics and thermoset, as well as
most solid organic compounds like wood and biological tissue,
exhibit charring behavior when subjected to a pyrolysis process,
which starts at 200-300.degree. C. (390-570.degree. F.) and goes
above 1000.degree. C. or 2150.degree. F., and occurs for example,
in fires where solid fuels are burning. In general, pyrolysis of
organic substances produces gas and liquid products and leaves a
solid residue richer in carbon content, commonly called char.
Extreme pyrolysis, which leaves mostly carbon as the residue, is
called carbonization.
[0005] The pyrolysis process is used heavily in the chemical
industry, for example, to produce charcoal, activated carbon,
methanol, and other chemicals from wood, to convert ethylene
dichloride into vinyl chloride to make PVC, to produce coke from
coal, to convert biomass into syngas and biochar, to turn municipal
solid waste (MSW), and other carbonaceous matter into safely
disposable substances, and for transforming medium-weight
hydrocarbons from oil into lighter ones like gasoline. These
specialized uses of pyrolysis are called by various names,
illustratively including dry distillation, destructive
distillation, or cracking. Efficient industrial scale pyrolysis has
proven to be difficult to perform and requires adjusting reactor
conditions to feedstock variations in order to achieve a desired
degree of carbonization.
[0006] Converting waste from a liability to an asset is a high
global priority. Currently employed technologies rely on
incineration to dispose of carbonaceous waste with useable
quantities of heat being generated while requiring scrubbers and
other pollution controls to limit gaseous and particulate
pollutants from entering the environment. Incomplete combustion
associated with conventional incinerators and the complexities of
operation in compliance with regulatory requirements often mean
that waste which would otherwise have value through processing is
instead sent to a landfill or incinerated off-site at considerable
expense. Alternatives to incineration have met with limited success
owing to complexity of design and operation outweighing the value
of the byproducts from waste streams.
[0007] To address this global concern, many methods have been
suggested to meet the flexible needs of waste processing. Most of
these methods require the use of a waste processing reactor, or
heat source, which are designed to operate at relatively high
temperature ranges 200-980.degree. C. (400 to 2200.degree. F.) and
allow for continuous or batch processing.
[0008] "Chain Drag Carbonizer, System and Method for the Use
thereof" as detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,801,904; the contents of
which are hereby incorporated by reference, provides an apparatus
and process for anaerobic thermal conversion processing to convert
waste into bio-gas; bio-oil; carbonized materials; non-organic ash,
and varied further co-products.
[0009] In the technology presented, any carbonaceous waste is
converted into useful co-products that can be re-introduced into
the stream of commerce at various economically advantageous points.
The carbonizer as disclosed has utility to support a variety of
processes, including to make, without limitation, carbon,
carbon-based inks and dyes, activated carbon, aerogels, bio-coke,
and bio-char, as well as generate electricity, produce adjuncts for
natural gas, and/or various aromatic oils, phenols, and other
liquids, all depending upon the input materials and the parameters
selected to process the waste, including real time economic and
other market parameters which can result in the automatic
re-configuration of the system to adjust its output co-products to
reflect changing market conditions.
[0010] "Infectious Waste Disposal" as detailed in Patent
Cooperation Treaty Application PCT/US16/13067; the contents of
which are hereby incorporated by reference provides a medical waste
handling and shredding sub-system with a built-in oxidizer to
eliminate potential airborne infectious waste prior to converting
the medical waste into useful co-products, including hydrocarbon
based gases, hydrocarbon-based liquids, precious metals, rare
earths (vaporization temperatures range from about 1200.degree. C.
to about 3500.degree. C.), and carbonized material in a system
having as its transformative element an anaerobic, negative
pressure, or carbonization system. The system includes a sealed
enclosure that houses a shredder that is fed by a vertical lift
and/or a belt conveyor that supplies the infectious waste running
from the exterior of the sealed enclosure to the shredder. The
shredder further includes a hopper to receive waste and a process
airlock where shredded wasted material accumulates and is
transferred to the feed conveyor. A rubberized exterior flap
permits containerized and bagged waste to enter the sealed
enclosure via the belt conveyor. The sealed enclosure may be
maintained at a negative pressure. A thermal oxidizer in fluid
communication with the sealed enclosure and a hood acts to destroy
any airborne infectious matter from the sealed enclosure and any
airborne infectious waste collected by the hood. The thermal
oxidizer may be run on a mixture of natural gas and
reaction-produced carbonization process gases re-circulated to
convert heat through the use of either conventional steam boilers
or through Organic Rankin Cycle strategies to operate electrical
turbine generators, or in the alternative, to conventional or novel
reciprocating engine driven generators. A feed conveyor transfers
shredded material from the shredder to a carbonizer.
[0011] Another approach to improve upon the incomplete combustion
associated with conventional incinerators is the use of plasma
technology. Plasma is a form of ionized gas, where freely flowing
electrons give positive or negative charges to atoms, thus making
plasma a highly efficient conductor of electricity and generator of
heat. The heat generating properties of plasma are utilized in
plasma gasification, a process that can break waste down to 1/300th
of its original size by using ionized gases to produce temperatures
greater than three times the surface temperature of the sun. The
plasma gasification process can safely treat almost all forms of
hazardous and non-hazardous wastes by breaking down the waste
matter into component molecules and producing a synthesis gas
(syngas) which can be used as an industrial feedstock to produce
biofuels, synthetic fuels, hydrogen, or simply as a fuel (replacing
fossil fuels) to generate steam or electricity.
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a typical plasma assisted gasification
system 10 for treating inputted waste. The inputted waste, which
may include any combination of solid, liquid, and gaseous wastes,
including both hazardous and non-hazardous wastes is delivered into
the feed system 12. Solid waste of the inputted waste is passed
through a pre-treatment process where the solid waste is shredded
into smaller pieces to prevent blockages in the feed nozzle 14. The
waste is then passed through an airlock 16 which prevents gases
from escaping into the atmosphere. The plasma gasifier 18 is an
insulated air-tight container with plasma torches 20 at the base of
the plasma gasifier 18 to provide the heat required to gasify the
waste feed. The plasma torches 20 consume a very small portion of
the total energy available from the feedstock (2-5% of total energy
input) in providing part of the heat required to drive the
endothermic gasification process. Partial combustion provides the
balance of heat required. Torch power is controlled by an automatic
control system, which adjusts the gasification conditions to
accommodate the potentially highly variable nature of the
feedstock. A plasma arc is contained within the body of the plasma
torch 20, and therefore, the waste material is not directly
subjected to the plasma arc. Hence, the classification of the
process as plasma assisted gasification. Nonetheless, the plasma
torches 20 facilitate operating temperatures above typical flame
temperatures associated with combustion of the waste feedstocks,
and also in excess of the melting points of metals and inorganic
materials. Either air or oxygen and/or steam is injected above the
torches to provide a source of oxygen for the gasification process
and control the H.sub.2:CO ratio. Importantly, the gasification
occurs in an oxygen starved environment, such that a combustible
syngas product is produced, rather than a non-combustible flue gas,
which would be the case if all the feed material was combusted.
[0013] Continuing with FIG. 1 any carbon based, or organic
molecules that are inside the gasifier 18 become volatilized and
are turned into synthesis gas 22 (syngas), which is a mixture of
H.sub.2, CO, and CO.sub.2. Inorganic compounds become vitrified, or
melted down and converted into an obsidian like substance, and
metals are melted down into a form of slag 24. An overflow
mechanism is used to control the amount of slag 24 available in the
chamber at all times, ensuring that enough slag 24 is left to
maintain the required high temperatures.
[0014] After leaving the gasifier chamber 18 the syngas 22 passes
through a series of filtration systems 26 where the syngas 22 is
cooled by using water injection and is filtered of all particulate
matter (which can then be fed back into the plasma gasifier). The
cooling process acts to prevent the formation of dioxins and furans
as these undesirable compounds are known to form within a specific
temperature range. The gas will then be reheated to create a series
of catalytic reductions to reduce the amount of NOx and convert it
into atmospheric nitrogen and water. A series of scrubbers will
then remove any acids, chlorides, fluorides, sulphates, phosphates,
sodium and calcium.
[0015] A turbine may be connected to the process to generate
electricity, which can be used to not only power the plant, but
also provide an alternate clean source of renewable power.
Cogeneration also referred to as combined heat and power (CHP) is
the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously
generate both electricity and useful heat. All thermal power plants
emit a certain amount of heat during electricity generation. The
heat produced during electrical generation can be released into the
natural environment through cooling towers, flue gas, or by other
means. By contrast, CHP captures some or all of the by-product heat
for heating purposes, or for steam production. The produced steam
may be used for process heating, such as drying paper, evaporation,
heat for chemical reactions or distillation. Steam at ordinary
process heating conditions still has a considerable amount of
enthalpy that could be also be used for power generation.
[0016] While there have been many advances in recovering useable
byproducts from recycled waste there continues to be a need for
further limiting emissions from the recycling and recovery process
that further maximizes recovered byproducts. Thus, there exists a
need for a process of waste reaction that is efficient to operate
to limit environmental pollution in the course of such a
conversion, and to produce useful co-products that aid the overall
economic value of the process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] A system is provided for treating waste, that includes a
carbonizer with one or more plasma arc units, where the carbonizer
converts the waste to useable products, and resultant hot gases
produced from the carbonizer are supplied to a thermal
oxidizer.
[0018] A method is provided for treating waste with a plasma arc
carbonizer, where the method includes adjusting a set of parameters
of the carbonizer based on waste feed stock to be inputted, loading
the waste feedstock into the carbonizer; and collecting useable
byproducts obtained from the carbonizer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The present invention is further detailed with respect to
the following drawings. These figures are not intended to limit the
scope of the present invention but rather illustrate certain
attributes thereof.
[0020] FIG. 1 is a prior art functional diagram of a plasma
gasification system that converts inputted waste to synthesis
gas;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a plasma arc carbonizer with
a piston driver for pushing containers of waste into the plasma
heating zone in accordance with embodiments of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of a chain drag carbonizer
with plasma arc heating sources in accordance with embodiments of
the invention;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a plasma arc carbonizer with
a controlled heated column for refining and recovery of carbonizer
hot gases; and
[0024] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process for refining off-gases
that are produced by a carbonizer in accordance with embodiments of
the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] An inventive system and method for plasma arc anaerobic
thermal conversion processing is provided to convert waste into
bio-gas; bio-oil; carbonized materials; non-organic ash, and varied
further co-products. In the inventive technology presented herein,
any carbonaceous waste is converted into useful co-products that
can be re-introduced into the stream of commerce at various
economically advantageous points. The present invention has utility
to support a variety of processes, including to make, without
limitation, carbon, carbon-based inks and dyes, activated carbon,
aerogels, bio-coke, and bio-char, as well as generate electricity,
produce adjuncts for natural gas, and/or various aromatic oils,
phenols, and other liquids, all depending upon the input materials
and the parameters selected to process the waste, including real
time economic and other market parameters which can result in the
automatic re-configuration of the system to adjust its output
co-products to reflect changing market conditions. In a specific
embodiment of the plasma arc carbonizer, off-gases produced during
carbinization are supplied to a controlled heated column for
refining and recovery of the carbonizer hot gases. The controlled
heated column performs hydro-carbon recycling, and acts as a
cracking tower that takes the carbonizer off-gas as a feedstock and
distills the off-gases into constituent parts under pressure and
temperature conditions where the feedstock evaporates and condenses
into a fractional column of distillates. The number of theoretical
plates needed to exact a desired level of separation is readily
calculated using the Fenske equation.
[0026] Distillates extracted are appreciated to be a function of
the chemical nature of the feedstock and the carbonizer conditions.
Illustrative distillates include C2-C36 compounds of alkanes,
alkenes, ethers, esters, phenols, aromatics, lignins, polycyclics;
and substituted versions thereof where the substituent in place of
a hydrogen atom is for example, a hydroxyl, an amine, a sulfonyl, a
carboxyl, a halogen, or a combination thereof.
[0027] As used herein, the terms "carbonized material",
"carbonaceous product" and "carbonaceous material" are used
interchangeably to define solid substances at standard temperature
and pressure that are predominantly inorganic carbon by weight and
illustratively include char, bio-coke, carbon, activated carbon,
aerogels, fullerenes, and combinations thereof.
[0028] It is appreciated that a feedstock is readily treated with a
variety of solutions or suspensions prior to carbonizer to modify
the properties of the resulting inorganic carbon product. By way of
example, solutions or suspensions of metal oxides or metal salts
are applied to a feedstock to create an inorganic carbon product
containing metal or metal ion containing domains. Metals commonly
used to dope an inorganic carbon product illustratively include
iron, cobalt, platinum, titanium, zinc, silver, and combinations of
any of the aforementioned metals.
[0029] It is to be understood that in instances where a range of
values are provided that the range is intended to encompass not
only the end point values of the range but also intermediate values
of the range as explicitly being included within the range and
varying by the last significant figure of the range. By way of
example, a recited range of from 1 to 4 is intended to include 1-2,
1-3, 2-4, 3-4, and 1-4.
[0030] Since a core element of the inventive process for refining
off-gases that are produced by a carbonizer is carbonization, there
are a wide variety of possible operating configurations and
parameters to adjust product mixes and waste stream throughput. The
system is readily re-configured, and system operating parameters
changed, some in real time, to adjust co-product outputs and
percentages thereof to reflect on-going market conditions. For
illustrative purposes, wood, before entering the process, can have
its moisture removed, but not so much as to "burst" the plant cells
within the cellular structure of the wood, but rather to rendered
contained water as steam and thus destroy the cellular fabric of
the wood. The temperature range, duration of exposure, mixing rate,
and other factors claimed as part of the inventive process, machine
and system of systems herein are thus focused on controlling the
many variables inherent in such anaerobic thermal conversion
processes in order to produce results with utility for future use
as opposed to just destruction.
[0031] System configuration in certain embodiments includes
carbonization process heat source generators that are plasma arc
units. In a specific embodiment, the plasma arc generators are
nitrogen based. Reaction-produced carbonization process gases, if
present, may be re-circulated to operate the drag chain reactor
motors, used to heat water and generate steam for turbines or steam
reciprocating engines or to supply subsequent distillation
processes. The re-circulated heat in some inventive embodiments may
also be used to preheat feedstock or to produce electricity. The
pre-processing heating system preheats feedstock material prior to
entering the reactor tube.
[0032] A carbonization system in specific inventive embodiments
also utilizes a thermo-chemical reactor which may be a drag-chain
reactor, or others such as, but not limited to batch,
continuous-stirred-tank, thermal oxidizers, or plug-in
reactors.
[0033] Another important element of an inventive system is the use
of an air-seal, which not only aids mixing and heat diffusion, but
allows pressurization of, or the creation of a partial or complete
vacuum within the reactor for various reasons, including preventing
gaseous contaminants from escaping the reactor, managing pressures,
and managing the flow of gases within the overall reactor and
associated processing elements.
[0034] Referring now to the figures, FIG. 2 is a perspective view
of a plasma arc carbonizer 30 with one or more plasma arc
generators 40, and a piston driver 34 for pushing containers of
waste 36 into the plasma heating zone 42 of the sealed enclosure
38. The sealed enclosure 38 may be maintained at a negative
pressure. An airlock 32 may be used to introduce the containers of
waste 36 into the sealed enclosure 38 to prevent gases from
escaping and to maintain the atmospheric conditions within the
process chamber of the sealed enclosure 38. The remaining solids
illustratively including metals, glass, and carbon by-products are
moved with the piston driver 34 to the drop slot 44 and collected
in the bin 46. The collected materials may then be separated, and
non-useable by-products may be reintroduced into the plasma arc
carbonizer 30 for further processing. A thermal oxidizer 48 in
fluid communication with the sealed enclosure 38 acts to destroy
any airborne infectious matter and pollutants from the sealed
enclosure 38.
[0035] FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of a chain drag carbonizer
50 with one or more plasma arc heating sources 40. Waste is
inputted into an airlock 32 that introduces the waste to a shredder
52 that deposits the shredded waste on to a conveyer 56. The
conveyer 56 carries the shredded waste into a plasma heated sealed
enclosure 54. A thermal oxidizer 48 in fluid communication with the
sealed enclosure 54 acts to destroy any airborne infectious matter
and pollutants from the sealed enclosure 54.
[0036] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a plasma heated system 100 with
a plasma heated carbonizer 102 with a controlled heated column 104
for refining and recovery of by-products from carbonizer hot gases.
The plasma heated carbonizer 102 may perform anaerobic thermal
conversion processing with one or more plasma arc generators 40 to
generate heat that converts input (arrow A1) illustratively
including, but not limited to municipal solid waste, infectious
medical waste, and bitumen into useable products (arrow A8) such as
bio-gas; bio-oil; carbonized materials; non-organic ash.
Non-useable output (arrow A9) from the plasma heated carbonizer 102
may either be safely disposed of, or recirculated back into the
carbonizer 104 for further processing. The plasma heated carbonizer
102 may be operative with a controlled heated column 104 for
refining and recovery of by-products from carbonizer hot gases as
detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,801,904. Hot gases (arrow A2) generated
by and in the carbonizer 102 are feed to the controlled heated
column(s) 104 for hydro-carbon re-cycling (cracking). Temperature
cut points (zones) within the controlled heated column 104 are
signified by outputs 106A-106D that supply distillates represented
by arrows A3, A4, and A5. Remaining hot gases or solids (arrow A6)
that do not distill out as a useable by-product may either be
further scrubbed and safely disposed of, or recirculated (arrow A7)
into the carbonizer 102 for further processing.
[0037] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process 200 for treating waste
with a plasma arc carbonizer. The process 200 starts by adjusting
the parameters of the plasma arc carbonizer based on waste feed
stock to be inputted (Step 202). Carbonizer parameters may
illustratively include temperature, conveyor speed, dwell times,
and atmosphere. In some inventive embodiments, once the carbonizer
is at the required temperature, waste feedstock is loaded into the
carbonizer (Step 204). Subsequently, useable byproducts obtained
from the carbonizer are collected, and non-useable outputs are
either safely disposed of or reintroduced into the carbonizer (Step
206).
[0038] As a person skilled in the art will recognize from the
previous detailed description and from the figures and claims,
modifications and changes can be made to the preferred embodiments
of the invention without departing from the scope of this invention
defined in the following claims.
* * * * *