US 4,644,877 A · Plasma pyrolysis waste destruction

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for the pyrolytic destruction of toxic or hazardous waste materials using equipment that is compact and transportable. The waste materials are fed into a plasma arc burner where they are atomized and ionized, and then discharged into a reaction chamber to be cooled and recombine into product gas and particulate matter. The recombined products are quenched using a spray ring attached to the reaction vessel. An alkaline atomized spray produced by the spray ring neutralizes the recombined products and wets the particulate matter. The product gas is then extracted from the recombining products using a scrubber, and the product gas is then burned or used for fuel. Monitoring devices are used to check the recombined products and automatically shut down the apparatus if hazardous constituents are encountered therein.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A method for the pyrolytic destruction of waste material, comprising the steps of:

(a) fedding waste material through a feed line to a plasma burner having hollow electrodes defining a co-linear electrode space;
(b) introducing the waste material directly into a plasma arc having a temperature in excess of 5,000.degree. C., in said colinear electrode space under substantially pyrolytic conditions to atomize and ionize the waste material, said plasma arc being generated by a plasma burner, said plasma burner receiving power input from a power supply;
(c) cooling the atomized and ionized waste material in a reaction chamber to form recombined products including product gas and particulate matter;
(d) quenching the recombined products with an alkaline atomized spray to neutralize the recombined products and wet the particulate matter;
(e) extracting the product gas from the recombined products;
and
(f) burning the extracted product gas.

4 more elements

Apparatus for the pyrolytic destruction of waste materials, the apparatus comprising:

a plasma burner including at least two co-linear hollow electrodes defining a co-linear electrode space and means for stabilizing a plasma arc having a temperature in excess of 5,000.degree. C. therebetween;
a power supply connected to the electrodes to produce said plasma arc, and cooling means for coolinc said electrodes;
a reaction vessel connected to the plasma burner and having a refractory lined reaction chamber for receiving said plasma arc;
means for inserting waste material directly into said plasma arc in said co-linear electrode space to be atomized and ionized under substantially pyrolytic conditions and then recombined into recombined products in the reaction chamber;
the reaction vessel including an outlet for removing said recombined products therefrom;
a spray ring communicating with the reaction vessel outlet;
a pressurized supply of alkaline fluid connected to and communicating with the spray ring for quenching and neutralizing said recombined products;
a scrubber communicating with the output of the spray ring for separating product gas from liquid particulate matter in the recombined products;
and
means coupled to the scrubber for removing said liquid particulate matter and product gas therefrom.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Plasma pyrolysis waste destruction

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Plasma pyrolysis waste destruction

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31