Our planet is being poisoned by toxic waste, while waste is not being put to useful work:
1. Carbon Dioxide emissions from combustion engines, (used in power stations etc.) and rotting waste are creating global warming gasses. This could contribute to destroying the planet as we know it. The process may soon be irreversible.
2. Toxic waste from industrial processes and landfills is finding its way into our ground water supply.
3. Medical waste and dangerous bacteria need to be completely destroyed.
4. Landfills release methane into the atmosphere. Methane is 23 times more effective over a 100 year period at trapping heat as carbon dioxide.
5. Landfills and other waste streams are not being utilized as a resource.
The need to address these problems is urgent and compelling.
It is known that photosynthesis of algae creates carbohydrates by combining carbon dioxide with water. Plasma Syngas Gasifiers break down substances to their basic elements by exposing them to the very high temperatures of an electric arc in ionized gas. Syn-gas engines release energy for useful work with steam and carbon dioxide as the exhaust gas.
This invention is a system which uses these processes and heat recovery techniques to form an efficient and practical way of cleaning up toxic waste and other refuse. It also provides oil rich algae for bio-fuels or other uses, and generates electricity without carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions. By using landfills and other waste streams as a recoverable energy source, we reduce our dependency on petroleum oil.
Building blocks for this system as shown in
1. Algae Bioreactors use fast growing Algae, which in the presence of sunlight in a warm environment, feed on carbon dioxide, to become a valuable source of oil rich carbohydrate. Carbon Dioxide is thus converted from a global warming pollutant into useful fuel feedstock rich in hydrogen and vegetable oil.
i.e.
Carbon Dioxide+Water+Plus sunlight→Glucose+Water+Oxygen
6CO2+12H2O+Plus sunlight→C6H12O6+6H2O+6O2
In general terms the transformation is as follows:
Whereas hydrocarbons are typically defined as: CnH2n+2. They lack Oxygen.
2. Plasma Syngas Gasifiers can achieve temperatures hotter than the sun's surface, by striking an electric arc through ionized gas, in much the same way as a lightning bolt. At these elevated temperatures, with an oxygen depleted atmosphere, molecules within compounds are transformed into their basic elements.
Hydro Carbons and carbohydrates are split into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Base metals and silica form part of a molten discharge. These can be drained off to solidify on cooling. The non-precious slag can be used as a building material and for other industrial products.
i.e.
Hydro Carbon and Carbohydrate Feedstock+Heat Absorption→Syngas
3. Syn-gas Engines ignite the hydrogen and carbon monoxide gasses in the engine combustion chamber and can be used to drive an electric generator or other devices. The exhaust “gasses” from this process are steam, inert gasses and carbon dioxide, which can be fed back to the Algae Bioreactor after recovering heat energy for useful work, i.e.
Syn-gas+Oxygen+Heat Release→Carbon dioxide+Steam
4. To achieve optimum system efficiency, it is necessary that waste heat be captured and put to useful work. By recovering heat from the Plasma Syngas Gasifier and Syngas Engine, and using it to power an electric generator, the system can be self-sustaining.
1. To generate electricity without releasing carbon dioxide greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere
2. To provide a closed recirculating Carbon Flow Loop method and system, as a means of gathering, transporting and harvesting hydrogen.
3. To produce heat energy and/or electricity from landfill sewage and other feedstock, while harvesting oil rich algae. This can be used to produce ethanol, other alcohols, bio-diesel and solid biomass etc. It can also be used as a high energy feedstock, for the Plasma Syngas Gasifier.
4. To provide a self sustaining power generation system which uses landfill, sewage and other waste as feedstock.
5. To provide alternative system configurations, with overnight operating capability.
The system is based on two carbon loops, the inner loop and the outer loop reference
In the inner loop, the carbon dioxide not digested by the algae in the Bioreactor, plus the oxygen released during photosynthesis, are fed via the Carbon Dioxide Sensor to the Syn-gas Engine. During engine combustion, oxygen combines with the syn-gas to form carbon dioxide and steam, while the carbon dioxide passes through as an inert gas. The gasses then become part of the Outer Loop. This provides an overall means of gathering, transporting and harvesting hydrogen without emitting carbon dioxide greenhouse gas to atmosphere.
The Bioreactor algae field is sized to match the system output during specified minimum climatic conditions, light intensity, temperature, photo period, etc. Sufficient algae mass for carbon digestion is also an important variable.
Within this system configuration variations in the Bioreactor output can be adjusted such that the amount of carbon dioxide being supplied to the Bioreactor corresponds with the amount of carbon dioxide the algae can digest.
By measuring the carbon dioxide flow rate in the inner loop and referencing the amount to a targeted value, continuously governed control of the Flow Control Valve (Item 17) is accomplished. A standard (proportional, derivative, differential or similar device) electric governor would be suitable for this closed loop feedback system, which senses the error from the target and continuously corrects the carbon dioxide delivered by Flow Control Valve (Item 17)
To regulate the amount of carbon dioxide in Storage Tank (Item 18), a variable storage level may need to be established. This would occur if there is a need to store nighttime generated carbon dioxide when photosynthesis in the Bioreactor is not taking place. To accommodate this, the dawn level of carbon dioxide will be at the high point and the dusk level at the low point.
With the targeted contents of the tank defined in this way, the level of carbon dioxide in the tank can be monitored and referenced to the targeted values throughout the day, i.e. if the Storage Tank level is too high then the Plasma Reactor output will need to be reduced. This will be accomplished by reducing the electric current flow to the Plasma Syngas Gasifier.
The Algae Bioreactor carbon balance is as follows:
In a hypothetical steady state system flow ref
For the Plasma Syngas Gasifier to supply syn-gas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen), the supply of oxygen needs to be carefully controlled. Oxygen in the form of air, steam or water in the Plasma Syngas Gasifier initially increases the formation of carbon monoxide, and then transforms this into carbon dioxide. In the case where excess moisture (H2O) in the feedstock, creates the need to reduce the oxygen level in the Plasma Syngas Gasifier, this could be done by adding dry hydrocarbon (i.e. dry used tires) to the feedstock. The input rate being adjusted (by modulating the electric current feed to the plasma torch) to meet the system syn-gas output requirement.
With this sensitivity, the dryness of the feedstock can be seen to be critical, and needs good process control. Tornado dryers and/or other moisture evaporation equipment may need to be employed to control this. Carbohydrate feedstocks are more sensitive to this problem since their makeup includes oxygen atoms.
For nighttime operation two additional open loop operating modes could be used, although these are listed individually, they are not mutually exclusive and each may be used as needed:
The syn-gas produced by the Plasma Syngas Gasifier can be used as a feedstock for the Fischer Tropes type process to produce synthetic fuels, fertilizer, plastics and other products.
By storing hydrogen during daylight operation, a reserve fuel supply can be maintained, for use when the Algae Bioreactor is shut down. The Hydrogen Fuelled Generator or fuel cell operated from a reserve hydrogen fuel supply would allow electrical power to be generated without emitting carbon dioxide greenhouse gasses. Combustion of hydrogen and oxygen produces steam. As a backup to this, other energy storage devices could be used. Battery storage or other chemical, potential energy, and kinetic energy devices are available.
Heat Recovery item 15, from the Plasma Syngas Gasifier item 2, the Gasifier molten discharge item 8, the Catalyst. item 11, and the Syn-gas Engine (Item 14
Two options are offered for consideration. These are shown on
In
In
Item 1. Algae Bioreactors
Item 2. Plasma Syngas Gasifiers ref
Item 4, Hydrogen Generator Engine ref.
Item 7, Municipal Solid Waste ref
Item 8. Metal. Silica Other solids, ref.
Item 11, Catalytic Converter. Ref
Item 12, Hydrogen Separator, ref
Item 13, Boiler Electric Generator, ref
Item 14, Syngas Engine Electric Generator, ref.
Item 15, Heat Recovery Fluid ref
Item 17, Flow Control Valve ref
Item 18, Storage Tank And Water Separator, ref
Item 19, Outer Flow Loop, ref
Item 20, Inner Flow Loop ref
Item 21, CO2 Sensor ref
Item 22, Oil Rich Carbohydrate Feedstock, ref
Item 23, Air Intake ref
Item 24, Plasma Torch, ref.
As shown on
As shown on the embodiment in
As shown on
It will be apparent to a person with ordinary skill in the art, that various modifications and variations can be made to the system for operating the generating system, without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. It will also be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, that various modifications and variations can be made to the size and capacity of the items in the range 1 through 24 shown on
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 11620018 | Jan 2007 | US |
Child | 11680704 | US | |
Parent | 11621801 | Jan 2007 | US |
Child | 11620018 | US | |
Parent | 11624240 | Jan 2007 | US |
Child | 11621801 | US | |
Parent | 11627403 | Jan 2007 | US |
Child | 11624240 | US |