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Plasma Turns Garbage into Gas

Posted November 03, 2008 8:47 AM

From Scientific American:

Every year 130 million tons of America's trash ends up in landfills. Together the dumps emit more of the greenhouse gas methane than any other human-related source. But thanks to plasma technology, one city's rotting rubbish will soon release far less methane—and provide power for 50,000 homes—because of an innovation in plasma technology backed by Atlanta-based Geoplasma. Engineers have developed an efficient torch for blasting garbage with a stream of superheated gas, known as plasma. When trash is dropped into a chamber and heated to 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, its organic components—food, fluids, paper—vaporize into a hot, pressurized gas, which turns a turbine to generate electricity. Steam, a by-product, can generate more. Inorganic refuse such as metals condense at the bottom and can be used in roadbeds and heavy construction.

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Guru
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#1

Re: Plasma Turns Garbage into Gas

11/04/2008 12:47 AM

Apart from the plasma, there are many locations in New Zealand and elsewhere, where gas released from managed landfills runs gas-turbine generators which feed into the local power supply network, and have done that for 30+ years.

They intend using the metals in "roadbeds and heavy construction" - what a waste, why not recover those metals for re-use as metals, not just as cheap fill.

Kind Regards....

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#2

Re: Plasma Turns Garbage into Gas

11/04/2008 2:04 PM

The plant is scheduled to go online by 2011; it will process 1,500 tons of garbage a day, sending 60 megawatts of electricity to the power grid (after using some to power itself).

Power prices are projected to be on par with electricity from natural gas

Looks like they have made some great strides since last I looked at this technology a few years ago (certainly in energy generation and cost). I will need to have a closer look when I can find some time to see if it really is a viable plant option for down here (or if it is just a bunch of marketing over-exaggeration and rubbish).

Clean waste incineration that is cheap AND produces power on par with standard techniques.

What mad dream is this.

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