Plasma arc carbonizer

Abstract

A system and method for plasma arc anaerobic thermal conversion processing is provided to convert waste into bio-gas; bio-oil; carbonized materials; non-organic ash, and varied further co-products. The system and process supports a variety of processes, including to make, without limitation, carbon, carbon-based inks and dyes, activated carbon, aerogels, bio-coke, and bio-char, as well as generate electricity, produce adjuncts for natural gas, and/or various aromatic oils, phenols, and other liquids, all depending upon the input materials and the parameters selected to process the waste, including real time economic and other market parameters which can result in the automatic re-configuration of the system to adjust its output co-products to reflect changing market conditions. Plasma arc carbonizer off-gases produced during carbonization are supplied to a controlled heated column for refining and recovery of the carbonizer hot gases into distillates.

1 . A system for treating waste, the system comprising:
 at least one plasma arc unit;   a carbonizer heated by said at least one plasma arc units and adapted to convert the waste to a useable product and resultant hot gases; and   a thermal oxidizer in gaseous communication with said carbonizer to receive the resultant hot gases.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the waste includes at least one of municipal solid waste, infectious medical waste, or bitumen that optionally contains non-reactive inorganics. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said carbonizer employs anaerobic thermal conversion processing to treat the waste. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said carbonizer comprises a thermo-chemical reactor that is one of a drag-chain reactor, batch reactor, continuous-stirred-tank reactor, rotating drum, thermal oxidizers, or plug-in reactor. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said carbonizer operates under a reduced pressure of a partial or complete vacuum. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one plasma unit operates with a nitrogen based atmosphere. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the useable products converted from the waste is one or more of carbon black, carbon-based inks and dyes, activated carbon, aerogels, bio-coke, bio-char, combustion feedstock to generate electricity, adjuncts for natural gas, aromatic oils, or phenols. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a sealed enclosure; and 
 a piston driver for pushing one or more containers of waste into a plasma heating zone of said sealed enclosure. 
 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  further comprising:
 an airlock in mechanical communication with the sealed enclosure, where the airlock introduces the one or more containers of waste into the sealed enclosure to prevent gases from escaping and to maintain the atmospheric conditions within the sealed enclosure. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a drop slot in said sealed enclosure; and 
 a collection bin adapted to move remaining solids and carbon by-products that result from the treated waste with said piston driver to said drop slot for collection in the collection bin. 
 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a controlled heated column adapted for refining and recovery of the resultant hot gases into distillates. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the distillates comprise one or more of C2-C36 compounds of alkanes, alkenes, ethers, esters, phenols, aromatics, lignins, polycyclics; and substituted versions thereof where the substituent in place of a hydrogen atom is for example, a hydroxyl, an amine, a sulfonyl, a carboxyl, a halogen, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . A method of using the system of  claim 1  for treating waste with said plasma arc carbonizer, the method comprising:
 adjusting a set of parameters of said carbonizer based on waste feed stock to be inputted; 
 loading waste feedstock into said carbonizer; and 
 collecting useable byproducts obtained from the carbonizer. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the adjustable set of parameters for said carbonizer include one or more of temperature, conveyor speed, dwell times, or atmosphere. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising safely disposing of non-useable outputs from said carbonizer or reintroducing the non-useable outputs into said carbonizer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising supplying the resultant hot gases to a controlled heated column for distilling and refining and recovery into distillates. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the distillates include one or more of C2-C36 compounds of alkanes, alkenes, ethers, esters, phenols, aromatics, lignins, polycyclics; or substituted versions thereof where the substituent in place of a hydrogen atom is a hydroxyl, an amine, a sulfonyl, a carboxyl, a halogen, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein any hot gases or solids that do not distill out as a useable by-product are either to be further scrubbed and safely disposed of, or recirculated into the carbonizer for reprocessing.