While
doing some research on waste management practices, I came across an interesting
technique for managing waste called Plasma Gasification. Essentially, plasma
gasification plants produce electrified gas, called syngas, by burning organic
waste at extremely high temperatures. This is a very new technique and has only
been around for a few decades. The first plant was built in Japan in the late
1990s and it has had so much success, and there are now other plants in China,
Taiwan, Canada, and India, with other plants in the works.
The plants
work with very complicated methods of producing syngas, but I will try my best
to explain! The plants gather carbon containing materials including food and garden
waste, hazardous waste, medical waste, and many other wastes from chemical
processes. The waste is placed in a large tank that allows air inside. The waste
settles down to the bottom of the tank towards the plasma torches. The plasma
torches create an electrical arc that is over 3000˚F which breaks apart the
chemical bonds in the organic material and converts it into synthetic gas, or syngas.
This syngas is mostly made up of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. This gas can be
used for multiple different uses. It can be converted to fertilizer,
transportation gas, or it can even be used as a source of energy to turn
turbines and produce electricity through a generator. The only byproduct of the
gasification is the small portions of inorganic materials that are included and
burned with the organic material. This inorganic waste is transformed into
slag, which is a non-hazardous glass like substance which can be used in road
construction or housing materials.
Considering
that this technology is so new, there is definitely some more research needed
to ensure that there are not more disadvantages to plasma gasification. Though
the disadvantages are small, there are lots of advantages:
·
Huge amounts of energy are produced that can be
used for many services
·
Provides an outlet for hazardous waste
·
No methane or fly ash is produced like in
incineration
·
Reduces the need for non-renewable fuel sources
·
Decreased waste in landfills
The
known disadvantages of plasma gasification are mostly focused on the high costs
of building and maintaining these facilities. Frequent maintenance is also
required to keep the plant running smoothly. As of now, there are no known negative
environmental impacts associated with plasma gasification (which is the most
important aspect for me!).
Plasma
gasification is a big step in the right direction for a new era of waste
management. Even though this technique may not be perfect, more research could
make this technique an important way of waste management. If you would like to
learn more about plasma gasification, go to the following link: https://waste-management-world.com/a/plasma-gasification-clean-renewable-fuel-through-vaporization-of-waste to learn all you need to know and more about the
technique!
Stay Sustainable,
Shelby
Sources:
http://www.gasification-syngas.org/technology/plasma-gasification/
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