Municipal Solid Waste Gasification for Alcohols and Biochar

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Solution Overview

Problem

Landfills produce significant amounts of greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide, which contribute to climate change and soil and groundwater contamination, necessitating a method to reduce landfill emissions and utilize municipal solid waste more effectively.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for diverting municipal solid waste from landfills through gasification, producing syngas and biochar, converting syngas into mixed alcohols or hydrocarbon products, and generating carbon credits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thereby creating economically valuable products and offsetting emissions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If municipal solid waste is disposed of in landfills, then waste removal is achieved, but greenhouse gas emissions increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewaste removalVSAvoidgreenhouse gas emissions

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful anaerobic digestion process that generates greenhouse gases into a beneficial gasification process. By controlling the gasification conditions, the harmful methane and carbon dioxide emissions are transformed into useful synthesis gas (syngas) that can be converted into valuable products such as mixed alcohols and hydrocarbons, thereby eliminating the harmful emissions while creating economic value.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters of waste processing from uncontrolled anaerobic decomposition in landfills to controlled gasification conditions. By adjusting temperature, pressure, and oxygen availability parameters during gasification, the process transforms waste into syngas and biochar, fundamentally altering the chemical pathways to prevent harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If municipal solid waste is sent to landfills, then disposal is simplified, but valuable land is removed from other uses

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisposal simplicityVSAvoidland availability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the waste material from the landfill environment and processes it through gasification. By taking the waste out of the traditional disposal system and converting it into valuable products (syngas, mixed alcohols, hydrocarbons, and biochar), the system eliminates the need for permanent landfill storage, thereby preserving land for other productive uses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If landfill gas is produced through anaerobic digestion, then waste breakdown occurs, but soil and groundwater contamination is caused

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewaste breakdown rateVSAvoidsoil and groundwater contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the biological anaerobic digestion system with a thermochemical gasification system. Instead of relying on microbial breakdown that causes contamination, the process uses controlled thermal decomposition and chemical reactions to break down waste. This substitution of the breakdown mechanism eliminates the harmful byproducts while maintaining efficient waste decomposition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system effectively reduces greenhouse gas emissions, generates valuable products like biochar and alcohols, and produces carbon credits, offering an economically beneficial solution to landfill gas issues while promoting sustainable waste management.

Implementation Method 1

gasifying the quantity of MSW in a gasification unit to yield a syngas stream and biochar stream

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGasification: Pyrolysis

Implementation Method 2

converting at least a portion of the syngas to mixed alcohols in an alcohol synthesis unit

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectChemical conversion: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentUS10221115B2Methods and system for decreasing gas emissions from landfills

Publication Date: 2019.03.05 FLUOR TECH CORP

AI summary

A method of diverting municipal solid waste (MSW) from a landfill that includes receiving, at a MSW processing system, a quantity of MSW, gasifying the quantity of MSW in a gasification unit to yield a syngas stream and biochar stream, converting at least a portion of the syngas to mixed alcohols in an alcohol synthesis unit, separating the mixed alcohols into one or more alcohol products, and determining a carbon offset for diverting the MSW from the landfill to the MSW processing system.