PAGMaW

1. PAGMaW Plasma Arc Gasification of Municipal Solid Waste Thesis Presentation April 2, 2014 Celerick Stephens Masters Management (Marketing) Masters Engineering Science (Sustainability)

2. Agenda PAGMaW • Plasma gasification process overview • Benefits of plasma gasification of waste • Application and benefits of technology • Modeling the process • Next steps

3. Overview What is plasma • Fourth state of matter • Ionized gas in which the number of free electrons nearly equals the number of free ions • Electric arcs • Neon bulbs • Lightning

4. Overview What is Plasma Gasification • Gasification is the process of changing one state of matter into a useful gas • Plasma gasification is applying high-energy gas (plasma) to gasify any solid • Plasma gasification • Severs molecular bonds of solids • Releases elemental gases and solids • Vitrifies precipitate solids • Allows for high temperature recombination of gases

5. Benefits of Waste Gasification Plasma Gasification of Waste • Reduces/eliminates need for solid waste disposal • Vitrified waste is reduced (>90%) • Produces low-heating value “natural” gas (syngas) useful for power/heat production • Reduces carbon footprint • Reduces release of harmful products • Dioxins nearly eliminated • Vitrified wastes make harmful agents inert

6. Application of Technology Plasma Process In Real-World Usage • 13 commissioned sites worldwide • Europe • Japan • United States • Hawaii* • Proven energy production exceeds energy requirements

7. Application of Technology Scaling the Technology • Unique application of technology on a smaller scale From 250 tons/day to 7 tons/day (or smaller) • Community Waste Disposal • Reduces waste transport energy • Reduces electrical transmission waste • Reduces cost of operation • Reduces electrical consumption • Supplements community heating Fast Facts • Americans generate 4 lbstrash/day • 60% of MSW is landfilled (145 million tons) • We can bury Rhode Island each year • We use 1.5 billion gallons of fuel/yr to haul trash (1.4 million average daily drivers) • 10% of the power produced is wasted in delivery (400 million MW-hrs/year) • US Line loss can power • NYC for 35 yrsor • France for 1 year (10th largest consumer of electrical power in the world)

8. Application of Technology The Future Need • Economists show the United States as the Middle Class Model • Trends indicate unsustainable nature in energy consumption • Power cannot be created fast enough to match demand • Waste cannot be disposed fast enough to match demand

9. Modeling the Process Scaled Plasma Gasification of Community Waste Functional Basis • Waste stream • Plasma process • Power process • Heat recovery

10. Thermochemical Analysis Gasification Process Chemical equilibrium evaluation • Molecular decomposition of the waste stream • Proximate analysis • Ultimate analysis • Mass Balance • Molecular balance of constituents • Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, • Soot (metals/glass) • Water (moisture content) • Heat Balance • Heat capacities • Heats of formation • HHV refuse derived fuel • Products of equilibrium is syngas • CO, CO2, H20, H2, CH4

11. Gasification Modeling Results • Process independent of gasification temperature • Process scalable to waste stream input • Optimized waste recycling content apparent

12. Gasification Modeling Results

13. Facility Modeling Scaled-Distributed Plasma Gasification of Community Waste • Waste stream • Plasma process • Power process • Heat recovery

14. Completing the Analysis Next Steps • Complete energy cycle analysis • H2 Fuel Cell Integration • Waste stream size to support facility (net zero) • Waste stream size to support community (net zero) • Document challenges • Facility complexity • Noise • Location • Maintenance • Complexity of byproduct recycling • High temperature materials discharge • Waste gas reuse • Sour gas elimination