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MUNICIPAL
WASTE
WASTE
COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS?
A number of web sites advertise municipal waste treatment systems. Startech has an
elaborate flow diagram and a prototype system. However, the plasma arcs employed
operate at around 6,000 degrees C. This is too low a temperature to break apart many
compounds, and the edges of the arc are relatively cool and can generate chemicals that
could raise environmental issues. We would appreciate any solid data on the use of such
plasmas on municipal waste that the reader might have.
A number of web sites advertise municipal waste treatment systems. Startech has an
elaborate flow diagram and a prototype system. However, the plasma arcs employed
operate at around 6,000 degrees C. This is too low a temperature to break apart many
compounds, and the edges of the arc are relatively cool and can generate chemicals that
could raise environmental issues. We would appreciate any solid data on the use of such
plasmas on municipal waste that the reader might have.
LVPP AS A MUNICIPAL WASTE PROCESSOR?
The LVPP plasma could efficiently separate municipal waste into saleable commodities such as carbon,
oxygen, iron etc. The cost would be high, but possibly competitive when land usage and other factors
associated with the true cost of municipal waste are taken into account.
The LVPP plasma could efficiently separate municipal waste into saleable commodities such as carbon,
oxygen, iron etc. The cost would be high, but possibly competitive when land usage and other factors
associated with the true cost of municipal waste are taken into account.
The charts on the right indicate the potential
thruput and electricity cost of a 2 MW LVPP
as a function of the atomic number, A, of the
thruput material as a function of the plasma
number density in the processor. An average
atomic number of 10 is on the low end of
average municipal waste content. The
numbers are comparable to present costs for
electricity in the production of aluminum.
thruput and electricity cost of a 2 MW LVPP
as a function of the atomic number, A, of the
thruput material as a function of the plasma
number density in the processor. An average
atomic number of 10 is on the low end of
average municipal waste content. The
numbers are comparable to present costs for
electricity in the production of aluminum.