Waste to energy system and process for solid waste feedstock

An apparatus for plasma-based conversion of solid waste feedstock into hydrocarbon gaseous products using closed-loop control, the apparatus comprising:

• a reactor vessel defining a reactor chamber including an inlet, at least one plasma forming device for generating a plasma arc within the reactor chamber and an outlet conduit for expelling at least one gaseous product from the reactor chamber;
• a continuous feed-in unit positioned for feeding a supply of solid waste feedstock to the inlet of the reactor chamber;
• a feedstock analysis system being positioned to collect and analyze a sample from the supply of solid waste feedstock fed along the continuous feed-in unit, the feedstock analysis system including at least one physicochemical sensor for detecting at least one physicochemical characteristic of the sample of solid waste feedstock, and at least one spectral sensor for detecting at least one spectral characteristic of the sample of solid waste feedstock;
• and
• a control system being connected to the feedstock analysis system and to the at least one plasma forming device of the reactor vessel, and including at least one processor programmed with computer executable instructions to:
• characterize a composition of hydrocarbon-containing materials in the sample of solid waste feedstock based at least on the at least one physicochemical characteristic and at least one spectral characteristic detected by the feedstock analysis system;
• and
• control the at least one plasma forming device, based at least on the composition of hydrocarbon-containing materials in the sample of solid waste feedstock, to apply heat at a target temperature profile, for a target time interval, to the supply of solid-waste feedstock to form the at least one gaseous product.

An apparatus for plasma-based conversion of solid waste feedstock into hydrocarbon gaseous products, the apparatus comprising:

• a reactor vessel defining a reactor chamber including:
• an inlet;
• at least one plasma forming device for generating a plasma arc therewithin;
• and
• an outlet conduit for expelling at least one gaseous product therefrom;
• a continuous feed-in unit positioned for feeding a supply of solid waste feedstock to the inlet of the reactor chamber, the supply of solid waste feedstock including a first feedstock portion and a second feedstock portion;
• a feedstock analysis system positioned to collect and analyze respective first and second samples from the first and second feedstock portions, the feedstock analysis system including at least one physicochemical sensor element for detecting at least one physicochemical characteristic of the first and second samples, and at least one spectral sensor element for detecting at least one spectral characteristic of the first and second samples;
• and
• a control system being connected to the feedstock analysis system and the at least one plasma forming device, and including at least one processor programmed with computer executable instructions to:
• characterize a composition of hydrocarbon-containing materials in the first sample of solid waste feedstock based on the at least one physicochemical characteristic and at least one spectral characteristic of the first sample of solid waste feedstock;
• control the at least one plasma forming device, based at least on the composition of hydrocarbon-containing materials in the first sample of solid waste feedstock, to apply heat at a target temperature profile, for a target time interval, to the supply of solid-waste feedstock to form a first one of the at least one gaseous product;
• characterize a composition of hydrocarbon-containing materials in the second sample of solid waste feedstock based on the at least one physicochemical characteristic and at least one spectral characteristic of the second sample of solid waste feedstock;
• and
• adjust the at least one plasma forming device, based at least on the composition of hydrocarbon-containing materials in the second sample of solid waste feedstock, to apply heat at a second temperature profile, for a second time interval, to the supply of solid-waste feedstock to form a second one of the at least one gaseous product, at least one of the second temperature profile and second time interval being different, respectively, from the first temperature profile or the first time interval.