Abstract:
A system for incinerating waste using Magnegas either in the primary burn process to achieve higher waste burning temperatures, in a secondary after-burn process to reduce pollutants, or in both the primary burn process and after-burn process. The use of Magnegas results in increased efficiency, reduced emissions, and additional heat. Heat produced is optionally used to generate electricity. In some embodiments, Magnegas is combined with another fuel such as oil or natural gas for desired burn characteristics or for economic reasons.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application no. 61/982,568 filed on Jan. 18, 2008, and European application no. 08150277.5 filed on Apr. 22, 2014, the disclosure of which are incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates to the field of waste incineration and more particularly to a system, method and apparatus for using a gas here within referred to as Magnegas in the process. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Garbage and waste incineration is a widely accepted alternative to landfill for many reasons, including the amount of space taken by a land fill, transportation to the land fill, soil and water table pollution from leaching of toxins into the soil and aquifer beneath the land fill, various aromas, wild life attracted by a land fill (e.g. rats, birds), release of methane gas, and the overall unsightliness of a land fill. Furthermore, even well lined landfills run the risk of soil and water contamination due to earth shifting or sink holes. An incinerator is a system that burns waste material, typically including organic substances. The incinerator converts the waste material into ash, flue gas and heat and the heat is often used to generate power. Most incinerators require systems to clean the flue gas of the ash and other pollutants. 
         [0004]    Incinerators have a bad reputation and municipalities are reluctant to provide permits for incinerators due to the high levels of emissions which typically require scrubbers in an attempt to clean the exhausts of combustion. For this reason, there is a lower level of usage of incinerators, leading to many of the above mentioned problems related to landfill. 
         [0005]    For most waste that includes organic materials, flue gases need to reach a minimum temperature to ensure proper breakdown of toxic organic substances and must sustain that temperature for a period of time, usually a few seconds. For example, European standards require that the flue gases achieve a temperature of at least 1,560 F. for at least 2 seconds. To assure such temperatures, the incinerators require forced air convection systems and, for some waste, injection of auxiliary fuels such as oil or natural gas, etc. 
         [0006]    One particularly bothersome pollutant from incineration is dioxin. Dioxin is believed to be a serious health hazard. To breakdown dioxin, the molecular ring of dioxin must be exposed to a sufficiently high temperature so as to trigger a thermal breakdown of the molecular bond. This is one reason why European standards require achieving of a flue temperature of 1,560 F. for at least 2 seconds, often requiring injection of additional fuel into the burning process. 
         [0007]    What is needed is an incineration system that uses Magnegas to facilitate proper combustion and/or secondary combustion to limit pollutants that are emitted into the atmosphere. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    A system for incinerating waste using Magnegas either in the primary burn process to achieve higher flue temperatures, in a secondary after-burn process to reduce pollutants, or in both the primary burn process and after-burn process. In some embodiments, Magnegas is combined with another fuel such as oil or natural gas for the desired burn characteristics or for economic reasons. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic view of an exemplary system for incinerating waste. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in the figure. 
         [0012]    Throughout this description, the apparatus is described as a system for incinerating waste, in which, the term “waste” is meant to be the most generic interpretation as possible, in which, the material being incinerated may include any type of materials often found in municipal waste, including, but not limited to, plastics, cardboard, unused foods, metals, wood, vegetation, baby diapers, etc. 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary system for the production of a combustible gas, herein called Magnegas, which is used herein in combustion related to incineration. This is but an example of one system for the production of Magnegas, as other such systems are also anticipated. Examples of fully operational systems for the production of Magnegas can be found in U.S. Pats. No. 7,780,924 issued Aug. 24, 2010, U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,604 issued Feb. 6, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,966 issued Apr. 1, 2003, U.S. Pat. No. 6,972,118 issued Dec. 6, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 6,673,322 issued Jan. 6, 2004, U.S. Pat. No. 6,663,752 issued Dec. 16, 2003, U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,872 issued Aug. 9, 2005, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,236,150 issued Aug. 7, 2012, all of which are incorporated by reference. The production of such a gas (e.g. Magnegas) is performed within the plasma  18  of a submerged electric arc. 
         [0014]    A feedstock  22  is circulated within a tank  12  and is exposed to the plasma  18  of an electric arc between two electrodes  14 / 16 , causing the feedstock  22  to react and release gas. The arc is powered by a source of electric power  10 . 
         [0015]    One exemplary feedstock  22  is oil, and more particularly, used vegetable or animal oil such as that from deep-fat fryers, etc. Of course, any oil is anticipated, including unused vegetable oil, oil from animal fat, used hydrocarbon-based oil, unused hydrocarbon-based oil, etc. 
         [0016]    Any feedstock  22  is anticipated either in fluid form or fluid mixed with solids, preferably fine-grain solids such as carbon dust, etc. 
         [0017]    In one example, the feedstock  22  is vegetable oil and the electrodes  14 / 16  are carbon, the oil molecules separate within the plasma  18  of the electric arc into a gas  24  referred to here-within as Magnegas  24 , typically including hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) atoms, which separated from the feedstock  22  for collection (e.g. extracted through a collection pipe  26 . This gas  24  (e.g. Magnegas) is similar to synthetic natural gas or syngas, but the gas produced though this process behaves differently and produces a higher burn temperature. In embodiments in which at least one of the electrodes  14 / 16  that form the arc  18  is made from carbon, the electrode(s)  14 / 16  and serves as a source of charged carbon particles (e.g., carbon nanoparticles) that become suspended within the gas  24  and are collected along with the gas  24 , thereby changing the burning properties of the resulting gas  24 . 
         [0018]    In examples in which the feedstock  22  is a petroleum-based liquid, the exposure of this petroleum-based feedstock  22  to the arc (as above) results in a gas that includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which, in some embodiments, are quasi-nanoparticles that are not stable and, therefore, some of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons will form/join to become nanoparticles or a liquid. Therefore, some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as some carbon particles/nanoparticles are present in the resulting gas  24 . In some embodiments, some of the carbon particles or nanoparticles are trapped or enclosed in poly cyclic bonds. Analysis of the produced gas  24  typically includes polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that range from C6 to C14. The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as carbon particles or nanoparticles contributes to the unique burn properties of the resulting gas  24 . This leads to higher burning temperatures. 
         [0019]    In another example, when the feedstock  22  is petroleum based (e.g. used motor oil) and at least one of the electrodes  14 / 16  are carbon, the petroleum molecules separate within the plasma of the electric arc  18  into a gas  24  that includes hydrogen (H 2 ) and aromatic hydrocarbons, which percolate to the surface of the petroleum liquid  22  for collection (e.g. extracted through a collection pipe  26 . In some embodiments, the gas  24  (Magnegas) produced though this process includes suspended carbon particles since at least one of the electrodes of the arc  18  is made from carbon and serves as the source for the charged carbon particles or nanoparticles that travel with the manufactured hydrogen and aromatic hydrocarbon gas  24  and are collected along with, for example, the hydrogen and aromatic hydrocarbon molecules, thereby changing the burning properties of the resulting gas  24 , leading to a hotter flame. In this example, if the feedstock  22  is oil (e.g. used oil) and the fluid/gas  24  collected includes any or all of the following: hydrogen, ethylene, ethane, methane, acetylene, and other combustible gases to a lesser extent, plus suspended charged carbon particles or nanoparticles that travel with these gases. 
         [0020]    The resulting gas is fed into either one or both burning operations as shown in  FIG. 1 . The gas  24  produced by the above operation, referred to as Magnegas  24 , is introduced to the incineration process at any or all of three steps. 
         [0021]    In the exemplary incineration system shown in  FIG. 1 , waste  132  is staged before entry into the system in, for example, a hopper  130 . Some amount of the waste  132  is fed into a primary incinerator or kiln  140  through a feed mechanism  134 , for example, through a feed screw  134 . Within the kiln  140 , a high temperature is generated in order to decompose and decontaminate the waste  132 . In some embodiments, the high temperature is generated through burning of the waste  132  by injecting air from an air injection system  92 . In some embodiments, the combustion is generated through burning of combination of the gas  24  and a fuel  90  such as oil or natural gas. Such combustion produces relatively high temperatures, but for some waste  132 , higher temperatures are needed than those achieved using fuel oil or natural gas alone. For such, the introduction of the Magnegas  24  into the primary incineration chamber  140  through a feed line  180 , either separate, or in conjunction with another fuel such as oil or natural gas, produces a significantly higher temperature, providing better decontamination of such waste  132 , in particular, improved breakdown of pollutants such as dioxins. Either Magnegas  24  alone or a combination of Magnegas  24  and other fuels  90  (or ohmic heating) produces the high temperatures needed to decontaminate the waste  132 . In some embodiments, an agitator  142  agitates or rotates the kiln  140  to expose more of the waste  132  to the high temperatures and effectively/thoroughly decontaminate all of the waste  132  within the kiln. 
         [0022]    For brevity purposes, the exit for solids from the waste  132  is not shown, but it is anticipated that a dumping action or another screw device will remove residual solids (not shown) from the kiln  140 , which, is later sorted and mined for metals, etc. 
         [0023]    In some embodiments, exhaust gases from the kiln are directed into a secondary burn chamber  150  through an exhaust mechanism  145 . In some embodiments, the exhaust mechanism  145  is a simple length of insulated or uninsulated pipe, transferring exhaust gases into the secondary burn chamber. In some embodiments, the exhaust mechanism  145  treats and/or scrubs the exhaust gases by, for example, cooling the exhaust gases or filtering the exhaust gases. 
         [0024]    In some embodiments, the exhaust gases are optionally cooled by a chiller  143  and then mixed with the gas  24  (Magnegas) from a gas  24  feed line  182  before entering the secondary burn chamber  150  where the exhaust gases and the Magnegas  24  are combusted. 
         [0025]    In some embodiments, the exhaust gases are mixed with Magnegas  24  from another gas feed line  184  within the secondary burn chamber  150 . A secondary burn takes place in the secondary chamber  150 . The secondary burn further combusts and cleans the exhaust gases to reduce pollutants, in particular, reducing dioxin by breaking down the molecular bonds of dioxin. By using Magnegas  24  in the secondary burn process, the resulting exhaust which travels out of the system through an exhaust device/chimney  152  is cleaner than if the exhausts from the initial burn we allowed into the atmosphere. 
         [0026]    Note that, since the burning of the waste  132 , along with other fuels (e.g., oil, gas, and/or Magnegas  24 ) generates significant heat  141 / 151 . It is fully anticipated that, in some embodiments, the excess heat is used to generate power  192  (e.g. electrical power  192 ) using, for example, a steam turbine  190  or fuel cell  190 . 
         [0027]    In summary, the gas  24  produced within the arc  18  is used in any or all of the following incineration steps: the gas  24  is used in the primary burning chamber  140  to increase the temperature at which the waste  132  is burned; the gas  24  is mixed with flue gases from the primary incineration and, the mixed flue gases and Magnegas  24  is burned; and the gas  24  is used in the secondary burning chamber  50  to completely burn all exhaust fumes from the primary burning process. In all cases, it is anticipated that Magnegas is either used as a sole fuel to facilitate combustion, or Magnegas is used in conjunction with another fuel including, but not limited to, oil, propane, natural gas, synthetic natural gas, diesel, gasoline, etc., depending upon temperatures required and economic factors. 
         [0028]    In some embodiments, the primary burn process in the primary burn chamber  140 , after initiation, continues through combustion of the materials being incinerated in the primary burn chamber  140 , without further injection of other fuels. In such, in some embodiments, the gas  24  is mixed with these flue gases from the primary incineration and, the mixed flue gases and Magnegas  24  is burned; and/or the gas  24  is injected into the secondary burning chamber  50  to completely burn all exhaust fumes from the primary burning process. 
         [0029]    Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result. 
         [0030]    It is believed that the system and method as described and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.