Microwave Plasma Gasification for the Restoration of Urban Rivers and Lakes, and the Elimination of Oceanic Garbage Patches
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Proceedings of the ASME 2016 10th International Conference on Energy Sustainability ES2016 June 26-30, 2016, Charlotte, North Carolina ES2016-59632 MICROWAVE PLASMA GASIFICATION FOR THE RESTORATION OF URBAN RIVERS AND LAKES, AND THE ELIMINATION OF OCEANIC GARBAGE PATCHES Philip K. Panicker Amani Magid New York University in Abu Dhabi New York University in Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates the most widest range of waste materials, while consuming only ABSTRACT about a quarter of the energy released from the feedstock. MIPG systems can be scaled in size, power rating and waste- This review paper describes techniques proposed for treatment capacity to match financial needs and waste applying microwave-induced plasma gasification (MIPG) for processing requirements. MIPG systems can be set up in urban cleaning rivers, lakes and oceans of synthetic and organic waste locations and on the shores of the waterbody, to filter and pollutants by converting the waste materials into energy and remove debris and contaminants and clean the water, while useful raw materials. generating electric power to feed into the grid, and fuel or raw Rivers close to urban centers tend to get filled with man- materials for industrial use. made waste materials, such as plastics and paper, gradually For eliminating the pelagic debris fields, the proposed forming floating masses that further trap biological materials design is to have ships fitted with waste collector and filtration and animals. In addition, sewage from residences and systems that feeds the collected waste materials into a MIPG industries, as well as rainwater runoff pour into rivers and lakes reactor, which converts the carbonaceous materials into syngas carrying solid wastes into the water bodies. As a result, the (H2 + CO). Some of the syngas made will be used to produce water surfaces get covered with a stagnant, thick layer of the electric power needed for running the plasma generator and synthetic and biological refuse which kill the fish, harm animals onboard systems, while the remainder can be converted into and birds, and breed disease-carrying vectors. Such destruction methanol and other useful products through the Fischer-Tropsch of water bodies is especially common in developing countries process. This paper qualitatively describes the implementation which lack the technology or the means to clean up the rivers. schemes for the above processes, wherein MIPG technology A terrible consequence of plastic and synthetic waste being will be used to clean up major waste problems affecting the dumped irresponsibly into the oceans is the presence of several earth’s water bodies and to convert the waste into energy and large floating masses of garbage in the worlds’ oceans, formed raw materials in a sustainable and environmentally friendly by the action of gyres, or circulating ocean currents. In the manner, while reducing the dependence on fossil fuels and the Pacific Ocean, there are numerous debris fields that have been release of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. labeled the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. These patches contain whole plastic litters as well as smaller pieces of plastic, called NOMENCLATURE microplastics, which are tiny fragments that were broken down by the action of waves. These waste products are ingested by AC Alternating current animals, birds and fishes, causing death or harm. Some of the CVD Carbon vapor deposition waste get washed ashore on beaches along with dead marine life. DC Direct current The best solution for eliminating all of the above waste DDT dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane management problems is by the application of MIPG systems to EDC Endocrine disrupting chemicals convert solid waste materials and contaminated water into HDPE High density polyethylene syngas, organic fuels and raw materials. MIPG is the most efficient form of plasma gasification, which is able to process HHV Higher heating value 1 Copyright © 2016 by ASME IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics streams, lakes and other water bodies in or near cities. Such Engineers dwellings frequently lack proper sanitation and waste-disposal LDMOS Laterally-diffused metal oxide systems and the communities are not provided with waste semiconductor field effect transistor management services due to the absence of proper planning LDPE Low density polyethylene from the city administration. As a result, people discard their MIPG Microwave-Induced Plasma household wastes and empty the discharge from their toilets, Gasification bathrooms and kitchens into the water bodies, keeping with the maxim, “out of sight, out of mind”. The slums are an economic MSW Municipal Solid Waste necessity for the city, providing shelter to low-income workers, PAH Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons who provide the workforce for the industries in the cities. PCB Polychlorinated biphenyls Before long, traders providing services, sales, food production PET Polyethylene terephthalate and sales outlets, and even manufacturing start up and take root PP Polypropylene within the slums. All of these entities send ever larger amounts of waste into the water bodies. PS Polystyrene The accumulation of the waste in the water bodies causes PVC Polyvinyl chloride an overgrowth of algae, block up the flow, contaminate the RF Radio frequency ground water, breed vectors that cause and spread diseases, and WTE Waste to energy severely affect the environment and wildlife. There is often a noticeable and unpleasant stench that develops near the tpa Tonnes per annum contaminated rivers and lakes. As a result, the waterbodies turn tpd Tonnes per day into toxic waste pools. During rainy seasons, the precipitation carries more waste from the streets and surfaces into the rivers which eventually INTRODUCTION flow into the seas and oceans. However, waves and tides cause This paper is a review of existing literature on the topics of the waste to get deposited along the shores and beaches, waste accumulation in water bodies such as rivers, lakes, and creating another ecological crisis. Natural disasters, such as oceans; waste-to-energy (WTE) conversion; and gasification earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc. also cause wastes to enter technologies. The qualitative information gathered is then used the water bodies including the rivers, lakes and oceans from the to propose a viable solution to two major environmental land. problems affecting many countries today. The information Since the waste-filled waterbodies are very repulsive, presented here will be used to support a subsequent techno- people avoid dealing with them, and gradually the waste builds economic modeling study of the same subjects. up. But, if the cleaning up of the water bodies is delayed, the Firstly, in many developing countries, the rivers, streams, problems continue to grow until an environmental crisis occurs. lakes and other water bodies close to densely populated areas The main obstacle for the cleanup is a lack of money with the become filled with waste, turning them into dead or sewage city authorities. Therefore, the solution to this problem has to be streams [1,2]. Secondly, the waste on land gets carried away by economically viable and provide sufficient returns to the precipitation into the rivers and lakes, and much of it flows into stakeholders. the seas and oceans, further leading to the creation of large In order to provide a proper engineering solution to the garbage patches in the oceans. In this paper, microwave- problem, it is important to look at the composition of the waste. induced plasma gasification (MIPG) will be shown to be the Since the definitions are broad and tend to vary, waste items best candidate technology for converting all the wastes in the may be classified as below for the ease of practice [3]. water bodies mentioned above into energy through gasification, 1. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW): Commonly called while also providing an environmentally safe and sustainable garbage (US), rubbish (UK) or trash, this includes source of energy, fuels and raw materials. residential and commercial wastes generated in a community or municipality. It includes food and WASTE ACCUMULATION IN URBAN RIVERS, kitchen wastes, consumer items, containers and STREAMS, LAKES AND WATERBODIES wrapping made of paper, cardboard, wood, textiles, In many developing countries, the cities are experiencing a glass, plastics, metals, etc. MSW may also include rapid growth in populations as people migrate from the hazardous materials such as batteries, light bulbs, countryside, leaving their farms and villages, and move to the pesticides, cleaning chemicals, etc. Paper constitutes cities in search of jobs. This growth in urban populations about 15% by mass, while plastics which are non- creates a significant pressure on land and housing availability, biodegradable can be as high as 70%. Paper and leading to the formation of highly dense communities and plastics have significant carbon and hydrogen content. slums. Often these communities are located alongside rivers, 2 Copyright © 2016 by ASME 2. Biomedical wastes: this may constitute medicines, TABLE 1 MASS FRACTIONS OF THE CONSTITUENT chemical waste from clinics, used medical wastes such ELEMENTS OF VARIOUS MSW SUBSTANCES AND THEIR as syringes, gloves, sanitary napkins, etc. The CALORIFIC VALUE IN HHV. [4,5] Volatile Fixed pharmaceuticals pose an under-recognized ecological Ash CHONS Cl HHV problem. Medicines that people consume that are not matter carbon (%mass) (%mass) (%mass) (%mass) (%mass) (%mass) (%mass) (%mass) (%mass) (MJ/kg) absorbed by the body get passed out through excretion. These pharmaceutical chemicals cannot be fully Newspaper 88.5 10.5 1 52.1 5.9 41.86 0.11 0.03 n.a. 19.3 removed by sewage treatment plants and contaminate Cardboard 84.7 6.9 8.4 48.6 6.2 44.96 0.11 0.13 n.a. 16.9 water reservoirs, rivers, lakes and underground water, Recycled 73.6 6.2 20.2 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. 13.6 and also affect wildlife. paper 3. Biological wastes: This constitutes human wastes, Glossy 67.3 4.7 28 45.6 4.8 49.41 0.14 0.05 n.a.