Plasma Turns Garbage into Gas

Plasma Turns Garbage into Gas

www.sciam.com

Every year 130 million tons of America’s trash ends up in landfills. Together the dumps emit more of the greenhouse gas methane than any other human-related source. But thanks to plasma technology, one city’s rotting rubbish will soon release far less methane—and provide power for 50,000 homes—because of an innovation in plasma technology backed by Atlanta-based Geoplasma.

Engineers have developed an efficient torch for blasting garbage with a stream of
superheated gas, known as plasma. When trash is dropped into a chamber and heated
to 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, its organic components—food, fluids, paper—vaporize into a hot, pressurized gas, which turns a turbine to generate electricity. Steam, a by-product, can generate more. Inorganic refuse such as metals condense at the bottom and can be used in roadbeds and heavy construction.

Several small plasma plants exist around the world for industrial processes, but Geoplasma is constructing the first U.S. plasma refuse plant in St. Lucie County, Florida. The plant is scheduled to go online by 2011; it will process 1,500 tons of garbage a day, sending 60 megawatts of electricity to the power grid (after using some to power itself).

Emissions are far lower than in standard incineration, and the process reduces landfill volume and methane release. Power prices are projected to be on par with electricity from natural gas. The difference, says Ron Roberts, St. Lucie County’s assistant director of solid waste, is that “you’re getting rid of a problem and making it a positive.”

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 3-11-2008 by grover]

Now personally I turn a lot of things into gas every night but this way is far more effective.

There are so many ways, so many alternative fuel solutions that we can use if we put our minds to it and tell the oil lobbyists to shove it and rotate.

But it won't change under the current administration, whose time has past anyway.

But the next one can promote these technologies and make a difference.

Of course we should have started 30 years ago.

www.sciam.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Thats awesome.

the only problem is that the '130 million tons' of trash only accounts for what people actually DISPOSE OF PROPERLY. and that figure only accounts for 1/3rd of all the yearly "garbage" in the states

i say states need to create more jobs by hyping up their roadside cleaning and beautification efforts.

landfills are a nice way to earn money. when constructed properly they can eventually be made in to golf courses and other recreational facilities once they are filled and capped. NY and NJ want to buy landfill space in NC, so ill get on the horn with my state representatives to see if we cant get a facility in the works over here.

I think Plasma will show us some awesome new tech in the next 50 years.

Hmmmm, let's see...

Pros:

• Reduces garbage in landfills
  
• Provides electricity
  
• Is cost-efficient (producing more electricity than it requires)
  
• Does not depend on foreign energy sources

Cons:

• Requires people to actually dispose of their garbage reasonably
  
• Wastes some metals and heavier non-organic materials, relegating them to roadbeds and such
  
• Could produce some amount of air pollution from gases off non-organic compounds (which is downplayed so far and may or may not be a problem at all)
  
• Makes no money for Exxon-Mobil, BP, or Chevron

I think I like this idea!

Good catch grover.

TheRedneck

Thanks. We can do this ya know.... unless our lawmakers get blindsided by big oil but hey cheney the dick is on his way out so we might be able to do something.

Originally posted by grover
Thanks. We can do this ya know.... unless our lawmakers get blindsided by big oil but hey cheney the dick is on his way out so we might be able to do something.

Starred and flagged.

Yep, I thought this looked good enough when I first saw it that I even bought stock in one of the companies (Startech) that is developing the technology.

Yes plasmagasification is quite extraordinary! Soon they will also be able to use up to 95 percent of Nuclear fuel rods as well instead of the current 2 percent. Which means all of our nuclear waste will be considered VERY potent fuel.