Development of unit for plasma treatment of town refuse, with production of synthesis gas

• Grant number: 04/08938-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: May 01, 2005
• End date: April 30, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Principal Investigator: Maria Antonia dos Santos
• Grantee: Maria Antonia dos Santos
• Company: Multivácuo Aeroespacial Ltda
• City: São José dos Campos

Abstract

Taking as its premise the growing need to develop safe processes for the final destination of different types of refuse, the present project’s main objective is to propose an innovative concept of a factory for the treatment of those materials. This entails a development that will permit a final destination for refuse of diverse origin, in a safe, efficient and competitive way. To do this, thermic plasma will be used as a means of very high temperature treatment, conceived for the production of synthesis gas (SG) and integrated with a gas turbine, under development in the company making this proposal, for the co-generation of energy. Based on developing and developed technologies, on the technical expertise and the accumulated experience of the project partners – Institute of Aeronautical Technology (ITA), Institute for Technological Research (IPT) and Multivácuo – it is proposed in this phase to build an thermic plasma experimental factory with capacity to destroy up to 100 kg/h of solid dry material. The plasma reactor will be redesigned on the basis of an oven already used in earlier research on the treatment of waste from the galvanoplastics industry. Inside it will use already developed plasma torches of the transferred and non-transferred arc type. Accessory systems already existing in IPT will be recovered and used, amongst them power sources for plasma, a system for demineralization and ionization of water for plasma torch and source. The materials to be used for the initial trials will be specially prepared so as to simulate waste products known as RDF (refuse derived fuel), with special care not to introduce organochlorated matter which during pyrolysis can produce extremely dangerous compounds, such as dioxins and furans. (AU)