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US 6,551,563 B1Granted
Methods and systems for safely processing hazardous waste
AssigneeVanguard Research, Inc.
InventorsYuji Kado, John F. Kantak, Jay Ramamurthi, Mark E. Vetter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The safe operation of pyrolytic-based, hazardous waste processing systems is accomplished by rapidly controlling an oxygen to product gas ratio and pressures within such systems.
Claims23
A pyrolytic waste processing system comprising:
- a waste processing vessel including at least one plasma arc torch for pyrolizing waste in said processing vessel, the pyrolizing of waste generating product gases;
- a feed chamber for receiving waste and feeding the waste into said waste processing vessel;
- a scrubber in communication with said waste processing vessel for receiving, cooling and cleaning product gases generated within said waste processing vessel;
- a thermal oxidizer in communication with said scrubber for receiving and burning off product gases generated within said waste processing vessel;
- a gas supply unit for supplying gas to said plasma arc torch;
- a gas composition sensor for detecting a ratio of oxygen to product gases within said system;
- and
- a gas supply control unit coupled to said composition sensor and to said gas supply unit for causing said gas supply unit to switch the gas supplied to the plasma arc torch from air to an inert gas in response to signals received from the gas composition sensor indicating that the ratio of oxygen to product gases within said system is above a predetermined threshold.
5 more elements
A pyrolytic waste processing system comprising:
- a waste processing vessel including at least one plasma arc torch for pyrolizing waste within said waste processing vessel, the pyrolizing of waste generating product gases;
- a feed chamber in communication through a feed conduit with said waste processing vessel for feeding waste to be pyrolized into said waste processing vessel;
- a gas supply unit in communication with at least said plasma arc torch for delivering gas to said torch and, through said torch, to said waste processing vessel;
- a gas composition sensor for sensing a ratio of oxygen to product gases in said system;
- an exhaust conduit for directing gases away from said waste processing vessel;
- a scrubber in communication with said exhaust conduit for cooling and cleaning product gases generated within said waste processing vessel;
- a gas supply control unit coupled to said composition sensor and to said gas supply unit for causing said gas supply unit to supply an inert gas at least to said plasma arc torch in response to signals received from said gas composition sensor indicating that the ratio of oxygen to product gases in said system is in excess of a predetermined threshold, thereby maintaining a safe ratio of oxygen to product gases in said system.
4 more elements
A pyrolytic waste processing system comprising:
- a waste processing vessel including at least one plasma arc torch for pyrolizing waste within said waste processing vessel, the pyrolizing of waste producing product gases;
- a feed chamber coupled to said waste processing vessel through a feed conduit for delivering waste to said waste processing vessel;
- an exhaust conduit communicating with said waste processing vessel for directing product gases generated within said waste processing vessel away from said waste processing vessel;
- a scrubber communicating with said exhaust conduit for cleaning and cooling product gas generated within said waste processing vessel;
- a thermal oxidizer communicating with said exhaust conduit downstream of said scrubber for receiving and burning off product gases generated within waste processing vessel;
- a gas composition sensor for detecting a ratio of oxygen to product gases in said system;
- and
- a waste feed control unit coupled to said gas composition sensor and to said feed chamber for varying the rate at which waste is fed to said waste processing vessel in response to signals from said gas composition sensor to maintain a preselected ratio of oxygen to product gases in said system.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.