Low-Temperature Plasma Waste Processing Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional waste treatment processes, such as incineration, produce highly toxic ash and flue gases that require costly and environmentally hazardous disposal, and emit harmful chemicals like dioxins, furans, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides, posing health and environmental risks.
Innovation Solution
A waste processing device utilizing an ion generator to convert atmospheric air into ionized gas, a furnace chamber to thermally decay waste with low-temperature plasma, a heat exchanger to cool and purify gases, and a pollution control system to remove heavy metals and pollutants, including a wet scrubber and fixed bed coke system, to minimize harmful emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional incineration is used to treat waste, then waste can be converted into ash and flue gas, but highly toxic ash and harmful flue gases (dioxins, furans, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides) are produced requiring costly and hazardous disposal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal processing parameters by introducing low-temperature plasma (non-thermal plasma) with electron temperatures of 10,000-100,000K while maintaining gas temperature below 500°C. This parameter change allows complete waste decomposition without forming dioxins, furans, or other harmful emissions, eliminating toxic ash and enabling direct atmospheric discharge of treated gases
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional high-temperature thermal incineration with plasma chemical decomposition. Instead of using mechanical/thermal combustion systems that produce harmful byproducts, the invention uses plasma fields (electromagnetic energy) to directly decompose waste molecules into harmless components at low temperatures, substituting thermal-mechanical processes with plasma-chemical processes
2Reliability
If high-temperature incineration is used to destroy organic waste, then waste decomposition is achieved, but formation of dioxins, furans, and other harmful chemicals occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter regime by using low-temperature plasma where electron temperature reaches 10,000-100,000K for molecular decomposition while gas temperature remains below 500°C. This prevents the formation temperature range of doxins and furans (typically 200-500°C) while maintaining complete organic waste decomposition through plasma chemical reactions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of high temperature (which causes harmful chemical formation) into a benefit by using plasma's unique property where high electron temperature enables molecular decomposition without high gas temperature. The plasma process transforms the thermal problem into a beneficial plasma-chemical decomposition process that eliminates harmful emissions
3Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional flue gas cleaning systems are used, then some pollutants are removed, but the systems are complex and require multiple treatment stages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by completely decomposing organic waste and preventing harmful chemical formation at the source through low-temperature plasma treatment. Since dioxins, furans, and other harmful substances are never formed in the plasma process, no subsequent complex pollution control systems are needed, and treated gases can be directly discharged into the atmosphere
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 device effectively inhibits the formation of dioxins, furans, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides at a molecular level, removes heavy metals and acid gases, and purifies flue gases, resulting in cleaner emissions and reduced environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
an ion generator that converts atmospheric air into an ionized gas
Implementation Method 2
a furnace chamber that thermally decays the waste by combining the waste with a product of an interaction of the ionized gas and heat generated by the furnace chamber
Implementation Method 3
the product comprises a low temperature plasma that inhibits the formation of one or more of a doxin, a furan, a nitrogen oxide, and a sulfur oxide
Implementation Method 4
The heat exchanger cools the excess gas and transfers the cooled excess gas to the pollution control system
Implementation Method 5
a wet scrubber system that removes one or more of heavy metals and acid gases from the cooled excess gas
Implementation Method 6
a fixed bed coke system that detoxifies the scrubbed excess gas by converting carbon monoxide, water, and steam in the scrubbed excess gas to carbon dioxide and hydrogen
Data Source
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Figure 3A
AI summary
A device for processing waste is described herein that comprises an ion generator, a furnace chamber, a heat exchanger, a pollution control system, and a chimney. The ion generator converts atmospheric air into an ionized gas and the furnace chamber thermally decays the waste by combining the waste with a product of an interaction of the ionized gas and heat generated by the furnace chamber. The heat exchanger cools the excess gas. A wet scrubber system removes heavy metals and/or acid gases from the cooled excess gas to generate scrubbed excess gas, and a fixed bed coke system detoxifies the scrubbed excess gas by converting carbon monoxide, water, and steam in the scrubbed excess gas to carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and removing remaining acid gas, a remaining heavy metal, and/or a remaining dioxin from the scrubbed excess gas. The chimney transfers remaining scrubbed excess gas out of the device.