Abstract:
A system for the production of fuel gas from solid or liquid organic feedstock uses a reentrant structure and a high pressure electric discharge to distinctly separate regions of slow and fast pyrolysis. Efficient re-use of discharge energy sustains the evolution of tar gas, through slow pyrolysis, which forms the feed gas for the discharge without introduction of air. Output is the result of fast pyrolysis and can be optimized to yield a high fraction of hydrogen and low fraction of carbon monoxide.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the production of fuel gas from various kinds of organic material. More specifically, the invention relates to the field of devices utilizing a high pressure electric arc to produce fuel gases through pyrolysis of solid or liquid organic material. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     The production of fuel gas from biomass or municipal waste has a very long history. Fuel gas can be produced by pyrolysis whereby organic material is heated in an environment with insufficient oxygen to allow complete combustion. The pyrolysis usually proceeds in two stages. In the first stage, known as “slow pyrolysis”, the temperature of the input material is raised to 400-900 C, at which point some organic compounds are volatilized. These volatile hydrocarbons are then brought to a higher temperature region to undergo “fast pyrolysis” in which they are broken into much smaller compounds such as hydrogen gas (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO). Both of these are useful fuel gases and can be taken as the product of the process. However, often steps are taken to further refine the fuel gas, usually in order to remove carbon and its compounds from the product. 
     Traditionally, combustion is used to drive the entire pyrolysis process. A relatively small bed of fuel is provided with sufficient air to sustain combustion. This bed is ignited and forms a well-controlled zone of very high temperature. The amount of oxygen present is maintained well below the point at which complete combustion of all the carbon present in the fuel would be consumed. In this manner, a hot bed of incandescent char (&gt;900 C) is present. The residual heat from this high temperature zone serves to heat the incoming air and, more importantly, to heat, via radiation and conduction, a quantity of solid fuel feedstock in a surrounding hopper. The temperature reached in this well-insulated hopper is less than in the localized incandescent char, but sufficient to release volatile components from the fuel (400-900 C). The volatile components, consist of hydrocarbons which are gaseous above 400 C, but of sufficient molecular weight that they would condense into tars at lower temperatures and hence are often referred to as “tar gases”. This release of tar gases at a relatively low temperature, with insufficient air for their combustion, comprises the slow pyrolysis process. Most gasification systems, for example Smith U.S. Pat. No. 1,865,341, run these tar gases through the hotter incandescent region in order to decompose them into simpler molecules such as H 2  and CO. The higher temperature region thus sustains fast pyrolysis, and often further utilizes the presence of incandescent char in order to chemically reduce CO 2  (carbon dioxide) to CO. 
     In general, the higher temperature fast pyrolysis process decomposes the tar gases into monatomic species and simple ions which subsequently, upon cooling, are most likely to recombine into simple CO and H 2  molecules. Formation of binary molecules, such as H 2  and CO, require the collision of only three bodies in the gas phase, with little or no activation energy. Higher complexity compounds would require a more unlikely combination of 4 or more reactants in a collision. Similarly, formation of molecules on a solid surface (such as a duct wall) require only two bodies to form a binary molecule, and hence is more likely than formation of larger molecules. Furthermore, subsequent combinations of higher weight compounds from the stable H 2  and CO are unlikely if their temperature is lowered sufficiently quickly, due to the activation energies required. Thus, fast pyrolysis followed by rapid cooling provides a means for generating clean fuel which is gaseous at room temperature. 
     Often, additional refinements are made to the gas composition. For example, water vapor is sometimes added in order to generate CO and H 2  via the reaction C+H 2 O           CO+H 2 . Further refinement is possible through the water-gas shift reaction: CO+H 2 0         CO 2 +H 2 . CO 2  can subsequently be removed through a scrubbing process, yielding a gas rich in H 2 .
     Pyrolysis by combustion has been practiced for many years. Despite its simplicity and convenience, combustion based pyrolysis has several shortcomings. Chief among these is the need to maintain a smoldering fire by introducing a controlled flow of air. This incoming air brings more oxygen into the product gas than would otherwise exist in the feedstock. This oxygen combines with carbon to form CO and CO 2  as combustion products which then must be converted and/or scrubbed from the product gas in order to increase its quality, especially if the product gas is to be rich in H 2 . Introduction of air into the combustion process also brings with it nitrogen, which tends to form undesirable compounds, particularly oxides, in the product gas. Another shortcoming is the inefficiency created by the temperature limitations of the combustion process. The speed and quality of the fast pyrolysis is limited by the temperature attainable by the oxygen-poor combustion. Furthermore, the rate of heat transfer to the surrounding bulk feedstock, which drives slow pyrolysis, is constrained by that same temperature of combustion. 
     More advanced combustion-based systems have been developed. Bishop (U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,149) describes a continuous combustion-based system for converting organic materials to fuel gas and char. Heat is provided by two burners and an oxygen lance. Fuel and oxygen feeds are needed for the burners, while the oxygen lance is described as being water cooled. The reactor chamber is rotated in order to achieve heat transfer throughout the bed of material being processed. The reactor contains a zone for drying and volatilizing, and a zone for reformation. These two zones are separated only by a retaining weir, and correspond to slow and fast pyrolysis, respectively. The system must contend with the introduction of oxygen in the combustion products of the burners, as well as from the oxygen lance, and makes little effort to recover heat produced by the reformation process. Furthermore, a fuel and oxygen supply is needed in order to operate this system. 
     The possibility of utilizing a high pressure electric arc for fast pyrolysis has been explored extensively as a means to circumvent the aforementioned shortcomings of combustion. For example, Crusco (U.S. Pat. No. 3,622,493) describes a method for synthesis of acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) from various hydrocarbon liquids or gases. The temperatures in a high pressure arc easily reach above 4000K, and temperatures as high as 10,000K are not uncommon. This is substantially higher than the temperatures of 1000-2000K available through combustion and result in a much more thorough decomposition and, in fact, ionization of the atomic species which comprise the feedstock. In the afterglow, directly downstream of the arc itself, rapid quenching and various purification steps result in the production of the desired compounds which are usually simple molecules. 
     In a related field, an electric arc is utilized for the purpose of treating toxic or municipal waste. In this field there is an additional need for higher temperatures because the feedstock contains non-volatile materials, such as metals and silicates, which can be melted by the arc into a pool of “slag” and which is easily removed after solidification. In this manner, various toxic components, such as heavy metals, can be safely bound into the solid form where they will resist leaching into the ground water. Capote, Menon, Rosin, and Zhou (U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,323) describe such a system and even suggest that the solidified slag be used for various commercial applications such as road construction and building materials (col 9 lines 40-46). 
     Camacho (U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,000) describes arc-based pyrolysis of refuse which is intended to generate fuel gas. The high temperature attainable with the arc is utilized to both melt inorganic material, as well as to cause fast pyrolysis of the organic components. Camacho further makes use of the residual heat of the arc to pre-heat the bulk of the feedstock, accelerate the pyrolysis process, and improve efficiency. The arc is described as either transferred or non-transferred, but only a non-transferred arc is depicted and with an unspecified feed gas supply. In fact, the kinetic energy of the stream from the gas-fed plasma arc torch is used to impart a mixing action to the molten pool of slag, suggesting that a non-transferred arc is preferred. Injection of steam is described for the further conversion of carbon to useful fuel gas. 
     Although Camacho teaches that the residual arc heat can be captured by the insulated furnace walls to effect slow pyrolysis in the bulk, the regions of fast and slow pyrolysis are not well defined or demarcated, nor is mechanism disclosed for forcing the volatilized products of slow pyrolysis to subsequently undergo fast pyrolysis. Rather, the gases emanating from the bulk are taken as fuel gas after pyrolysis at a relatively low temperature. Furthermore, the recommendation of a gas-fed plasma torch leaves open the possibility that the feed gas may introduce undesirable species into the product gas. 
     Titus, Cohn, and Surma (U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,891) describe a combination of plasma and Joule heating for treatment of waste and recovery of fuel gas. The addition of H 2  is recommended for the conversion of carbon to fuel products. The plasma as described is generated by a transferred arc, so there is no introduction of a torch gas. The arc is described as contributing to fast pyrolysis, in order to generate a high purity fuel gas. 
     As Titus et al are concerned with the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW), much of their focus is on treatment of slag containing glass and metals. In fact, their use of Joule heating is primarily to keep this pool of slag molten. The arc is present primarily for feed rate enhancement, by pre-heating the incoming feed, while the Joule heating is used to ensure complete dissolution and mixing of the mixture (col 13 lines 15-45). This is due to the fact that one object of the invention is to convert MSW into useful materials by stabilizing toxic components. The use of a different feedstock which did not form a well-behaved melt would not be appropriate for this system. Furthermore, although the arc is described as contributing to fast pyrolysis, it is not arranged so as to force volatile components to pass through it in any consistent manner. There is no well-defined boundary between the arc and the feedstock, nor is the heat of the product gas recovered in any useful manner. 
     Comiskey (U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,169) describes a very sophisticated system for conversion of waste into useful materials and fuel gas. In this system, both a starved air burner as well as several nitrogen-fed non-transferred plasma torches are utilized. A rotary kiln is outfitted with both a burner and plasma gun so as to cause slow pyrolysis in a hopper of feed stock. Volatilized gases from the hopper then pass through a chamber containing a second plasma arc generator which accomplishes fast pyrolysis. H 2 O is added in order to control the conversion of carbon to CO while minimizing the production of CO 2 . A control loop monitors the amount of CO 2  in the output and adjusts the upstream injection of H 2 O accordingly. Heat exchangers are used to cool the gas and allow recombination into simple molecules. The gas is then processed in order to improve its quality. A sulfur recovery stage is described, followed by means to remove CO 2  and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S). The gas is then passed through a set of molecular sieves to separate the inert gas, H 2 , and CO. 
     One disadvantage of the system of Comiskey is the use of a starved-air burner. This will introduce unwanted O 2  and N 2  into the system. Likewise, the non-transferred arc torches require injection of N 2 . Much of the downstream processing is based on the removal of these unwanted gases. Furthermore, although heat exchangers are utilized for the rapid quenching of the gas stream, there is no disclosure of any means for utilizing the heat so recovered in order to enhance the remainder of the process. 
     Flannery and Kujawa (U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,158) teach the use of an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) for the purpose of incinerating and oxidizing effluents from a waste treatment apparatus. The system introduces oxygen into the stream as it enters an afterburner in which an ICP is maintained. The extremely high temperatures within this arc cause fast pyrolysis and subsequent oxidation of the waste products. As the goal is oxidation, the production of fuel gas is not disclosed. By the use of an ICP, no mass is added to the stream beyond what is introduced by the oxygen source. In this manner, energy is added directly to the effluent, without an intermediate combustion process and an undesirable introduction of combustion products into the stream (col 4 lines 44-48). A cooling mechanism is disclosed, but with no use being made of the residual heat lost thereto. In fact, no energy recovery of any type is disclosed. Furthermore, this system is intended to completely oxidize its products (Col 4 lines 18-20). 
     Robert (U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,002) discloses an arc-based system for waste processing and recovery of metals. The primary purpose of this system is to process powder, liquid, slurry, or gaseous waste of the type which emanates from an electric arc furnace during the production of steel. Recovery of H 2 , carbon black, hydrochloric acid (HCl), and various metals for industrial use are disclosed as objectives. An electric arc is formed in a stream of injected primary gas, which is then mixed with a carrier gas containing the waste in a fluidized form. After this high temperature mixing, a third gas is injected for either oxidation of reduction of the stream depending on the desired products. Robert teaches that thermal efficiency can be gained by not cooling the arc electrodes. Robert also teaches that the primary and carrier gases can be H 2  or a hydrocarbon gas, and that the heat of the output gas can be recovered for preheating the injected gases. 
     Although Robert teaches fuel gas production as well as residual heat recovery, the primary concern is with recovery of industrial materials. The injected gases are taught to possibly be various fuel gases themselves, such as natural gas (primarily methane, CH 4 ) or H 2 . No indication is given that there could be a net energy gain from the system, nor would it be expected since the feed stocks considered are limited to industrial effluents or toxic wastes. 
     Wald (U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,153) describes an incineration method using a pulsed plasma. The system is intended for incineration of fluid or fluidizable materials. The plasma is created in an injector which forms a high velocity jet which is designed to create fluid instabilities in the feedstock fluid. This strong mixing, as well as the higher temperatures attainable with the pulsed plasma, allow the dominant heat transfer method to be radiative. Wald teaches that the plasma is to be cooled by ablation of the walls of the chamber surrounding the plasma jet, which can also comprise the feedstock. This ablation also serves to increase the heated mass of the jet and to so increase its ability to transfer heat to the fluidized feedstock. Wald further teaches that water cooling can be applied to reduce the temperature of the plasma injector, with no disclosure of a means for recovering the residual heat. Although H 2  is cited as one of the product gases, no indication is made that the system is optimized for fuel gas production or energy efficiency. In fact, the stated purposes is the decomposition of hazardous chemicals. The only example given is for a liquid feedstock consisting of 1,2 dichloroethane which is presumably introduced under pressure. Furthermore, the use of a pulsed plasma is specifically taught for the enhancement of radiation at wavelengths sufficiently short to be effective at breaking halogen-carbon bonds as are found in many toxic materials. Thus, the dissociation mechanism is taught to be preferably radiative and not thermal. 
     Surma (U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,113) describes a system for the treatment of waste which can optionally produce fuel gas and which, with the addition of auxiliary fuel, can be self-powered. The system uses a combination of Joule heating and transferred arcs. Surma further teaches the use of a secondary arc positioned in the stream of effluent gases of a primary furnace for the specific purpose of causing fast pyrolysis in that stream. Although the efficiency gain from locating this secondary arc proximal to the furnace is taught, there is no disclosure of a means for extracting the residual heat from this secondary arc-based fast pyrolysis stage for use back in the slow pyrolysis stage. 
     Systems for fuel gas production based on combustion demonstrate that sufficient chemical energy is available in the feedstock for a gasification system to be self-sustaining. Although advantageous for their simplicity, the shortcoming of combustion-based systems is the low quality of product gases, due to the limited temperatures available for fast pyrolysis. Prior art includes the use of the electric arc to raise the temperature, but these arcs are generally of the free burning type, for which the processing of feed gas is inconsistent as the gas is not forced to travel through the arc core. As such, the prior art neglects to fully separate fast from slow pyrolysis, nor does it describe any means to substantially recover residual heat from the arc in order to sustain slow pyrolysis and the corresponding generation of tar gases. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention accomplishes efficient conversion of organic material to fuel gases by the use of a high pressure electric arc in which the feed gas comprises primarily the tar gases generated by slow pyrolysis. The arc thus enables extremely fast pyrolysis to occur without introduction of unwanted feed gas components. It is a further feature of this invention to utilize the heat generated by the high pressure arc, both sensible and reactive, through the use of a heat exchanger, in order to drive the slow pyrolysis which, in turn, generates the tar gases which feed the arc. Electric current to supply the arc can be taken from an electric generator powered by the product gas. Excess available energy can be either stored in the form of product gas, or utilized from the generator output along with the arc power. 
     By careful control of the admission of feedstock through air-tight rotary valves or a helical feeder, sufficient pressure can be built up in the feedstock chamber to drive gases through the entire process. The arc will add thermal energy which can be converted to directed energy by constraining the flow. The increase in speed so obtained can be used to control the residence time of the arc effluent in the heat exchanger so as to mitigate the formation of undesirable tri-atomic and larger species. In addition, at a sufficiently high arc current, the Lorentz force can be used to further enhance the flow. 
     Chemical refinement of the product gas can be accomplished by the addition of steam, generated from input water heated by the arc output. Traditional CO 2  scrubbing can be performed on the product gas at the system&#39;s output. 
     Other embodiments can be formed in order to further enhance thermal efficiency. For example, in order to shorten path lengths between the arc and the feedstock chamber, multiple arcs and chambers can be configured in a looped cascade arrangement in which each arc takes its feed from a previous feedstock chamber, and delivers its heat output to the next. The arcs are thus distributed throughout the feedstock so as to more uniformly and directly draw their feed gas and transfer their heat energy. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows an example of a high pressure electric discharge module  130 , with electric arc,  133 , driven by electric power source  117 , and sustained in a constricted nozzle formed in electrode  109 . Insulating layer  107  separates electrode  109  from hollow electrode  108 . Feed gas supply is shown at inlet  131 , and arc effluent is shown at exit  132 . 
         FIG. 2  shows a representative system for fuel gas production according to the present invention with input feedstock  201 , rotary valves  202  and  204 , feedstock chamber  203 , high pressure arc module  230 , heat exchanger  211 , and char byproduct  205 . 
         FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of the present invention in which high pressure arc module  330  is embedded in feedstock chamber  303 , along with heat exchanger  311 . 
         FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b    show an alternate embodiment in which high pressure arc module  430  is located adjacent to feedstock chamber  403 , and thermally coupled thereto by heat transfer coils  419  and  420 , driven by recirculating pump  418 . 
         FIG. 5  shows an embodiment in which two feedstock chambers  503  are cross-connected with two high pressure arc modules  530  so as to shorten the path lengths for both arc feed gas and arc effluent gas. 
         FIG. 6  shows an alternate embodiment of discharge module  630  in which annular electrode  609  is fitted to diverging nozzle  637 . Flow becomes supersonic downstream of electrode  609  at  632 , and subsequently becomes subsonic at  634  after shock  636 . 
         FIG. 7  shows an alternate embodiment of a system according to the invention in which supersonic flow in diverging nozzle  737  is utilized to transfer energy from discharge module  730  to feedstock chamber  703 . Internal combustion engine  738  drives electric generator  739  which produces power for discharge module  730  through the use of power converter  740 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention achieves efficiency by careful management of both the feed gas flow through an electric arc, as well as the heat generated by the arc. In particular, a reentrant chamber in which the electric arc is thermally connected to a mass of feed stock allows radiation and conduction from the extremely high temperature arc to be utilized directly for fast pyrolysis, and indirectly for slow pyrolysis and the formation of tar gases. The generated tar gases are then used as the feed gas for the arc. The discharge module is arranged so that substantially all feed gas passes through the hottest part of the arc, called the “arc column”. At its exit, the arc effluent consists primarily of monatomic species and simple ions which can transfer their sensible heat to the walls of tubing comprising a heat exchanger which is thermally connected to the same mass of feed stock. Additionally, the formation of the desirable diatomic fuel products in the gas phase of the arc effluent will also deliver excess reactive energy to the walls of the same heat exchanger. 
       FIG. 1  shows a cross-sectional diagram of high pressure non-transferred discharge module,  130 , as employed in one embodiment of the present invention. High pressure electric arc  133  is struck between hollow electrode  108  and the conductive walls of electrode  109 . Electrode  109  is formed into a constricted nozzle. Electrical power is delivered by source  117 . Electric arc  133  in this configuration is commonly known as a wall-stabilized arc, a plasma arc torch, or an arc plasmatron. Other examples of geometries for arc plasmatrons are given in “Gas Discharge Physics” by Yuri P. Raizer, Springer-Verlag 1991 p. 315 and in “Physics and Technology of Low-Temperature Plasmas”, ed. by S. Dresvin, Iowa State University Press, 1977, pp. 241, 250, 266. 
     Electrodes  108  and  109  are shown as anode and cathode, respectively, but may in fact exchange roles. Furthermore, electric power source  117  may preferably be a source of alternating current at a suitable frequency. These choices of polarity and frequency would be made in order to minimize electrode erosion under normal operating conditions. Insulator  107  is needed in order to maintain nozzle flow while insulating the electrodes from each other. 
     In practice, electrodes  109  and  108  will be subjected to extremely high temperatures and current densities. Refractory conductors, such as Tungsten and graphite, would be chosen for these components. 
     Inlet gas, at  131 , is passed through hollow electrode  108  and forms the parent gas for high pressure electric arc  133 . Due to the constriction in the downstream electrode  109 , substantially all feed gas passes through or very near to the arc column. The arc column is where the electrical current actually flows and, hence, dissipates its energy directly to the highly ionized gas. As a result, the arc column is the hottest and most luminous part of the discharge. Ideally, all feed gas will pass within or sufficiently close to the column that complete dissociation of the tar gas will result. Arc effluent, at  132  will then preferably be comprised of atomic and ionic species, as well as free electrons, from the afterglow of arc  133 . 
     As is well known in the art of gas dynamics, the thermal energy added by the high pressure arc will be converted to directed momentum to the arc effluent at  132 , provided that a pressure difference is maintained between inlet flow  131  and outlet flow at  132 . Since the temperature increases as gas passes through the column, and since complete dissociation is preferably achieved, the gas density at the arc exit  123  will be substantially lower than at its inlet  131 . Thus, in order to conserve mass flow rate, the gas velocity must substantially increase. This added momentum, further enhanced by the Lorentz force of the arc, results in a high velocity gas of relatively low density at nozzle exit  132 . 
     The high velocity afterglow not only has a high temperature from having been generated in a high pressure electric arc, but also contains significant chemical potential. Thus, both sensible heat as well as chemical energy are sent from discharge module  130  with significant velocity. Recovery of that heat can occur at some distance from discharge module  130  as interaction with duct walls takes place. The reduced density of the exit gas serves to prolong that heat recovery by reducing the rates of the exothermic reactions which form molecules. 
     Discharge module  130  could also be implemented so as to incorporate an inductively coupled plasma, in place of arc  133 , as the high pressure discharge. As is well known in the art (see, for example, “Gas Discharge Physics” by Yuri P. Raizer, Springer-Verlag 1991 pp. 316-317 and “Physics and Technology of Low-Temperature Plasmas”, ed. S. Dresvin, Iowa State University Press, 1977, pp. 230, 234, 236), elements  108  and  109  would not need to be electrically conductive, and a suitable induction coil would be needed to surround the nozzle formed in element  109 , along with an initiation mechanism. Electric power source  117  would be replaced by a suitable source of high frequency current, and would be connected to the induction coil. This alternate embodiment would have the advantage of eliminating electrode erosion, at the cost of added complexity and reduced electrical efficiency. The functionality of module  130  in the present invention would remain unchanged with this choice. 
     Electrode  109  will be subjected to intense radiation, as well as sensible heat via conduction, from arc  133  and so will attain an elevated temperature with respect to its surroundings. Thus, module  130  serves not only as a means for projecting energy downstream of exit  132 , but can also serve as a heat source, itself. Recovery and utilization of all of these forms of energy is an essential feature of a system according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  shows an embodiment of a system for production of fuel gas according to the present invention. Organic feedstock  201  enters chamber  203  rotary valve  202 . As is well known in the art of materials processing, rotary valve  202  serves to admit small quantities of feedstock into chamber  203  without forming a direct path to atmospheric air. Chamber  203  contains heat exchanger  211  which is connected through duct  210  to the exit port of discharge module  230 . Inlet port  208  of discharge module  230  is connected via duct  206  to feedstock chamber  203 . Insulating layer  213  surrounds both chamber  203  and discharge module  230 . 
     Heat exchanger  211  allows for the free flow of hot gas from duct  210 , throughout its interior passages, and on to duct  212  which forms the output of the system. Walls of heat exchanger  211  are substantially impermeable to mass transfer, while allowing for substantial thermal communication with its surroundings. 
     In operation, discharge module  230  is energized by electric power source  217  to form arc  233 . Feed gas for arc  233  is driven or drawn through duct  206  from feedstock chamber  203 . In chamber  203 , slow pyrolysis of the feedstock material contained therein proceeds as its temperature is raised by both direct contact with discharge module  230  as well as from the heat projected from its effluent, as described above, via heat exchanger  211 . Preferably, the temperature maintained in chamber  203  is between 400 C and 900 C. 
     Tar gas from slow pyrolysis of feedstock material in chamber  203  comprises the feed gas of arc  233 , substantially without unwanted introduction of atmospheric components. Evolution of tar gas from slow pyrolysis in chamber  203  creates a positive pressure which drives the gas out duct  206  and toward arc inlet  208 . As described above with regard to  FIG. 1 , arc  233  not only heats and accelerates the tar gas, but also decomposes it, through fast pyrolysis, into monatomic species, neutral and ionized, along with free electrons. Residence time in discharge module  230  can be very short yet still achieve complete dissociation due to the extremely high temperatures attainable by the arc. The arc temperature is typically 10,000K, which easily exceeds that attainable by combustion but without the need for introduction of air and its undesirable components, N 2  and O 2 . The monatomic species and simple ions so created will recombine most favorably into diatomic gases while cooling in heat exchanger  211 , since gas entering heat exchanger  211  at duct  210  will be substantially cooled to the temperature of chamber  203  by the time it leaves the system at duct  212 . 
     The reentrant structure formed by chamber  203 , duct  206 , discharge module  230 , duct  210 , and heat exchanger  211 , allows for constructive re-use of the energy delivered to arc  233  from electric power source  217 . As the arc effluent is cooled in heat exchanger  211 , so the feedstock is heated. Both sensible heat and reactive energy contribute to this transfer of energy to the feedstock. Insulation layer  213  serves to further energy re-use by reducing unwanted losses to the ambient. 
     As the slow pyrolysis proceeds in chamber  203 , feedstock material loses its volatile components and is gradually converted to char. Char, being substantially carbon, becomes a waste product after a sufficient residence time in chamber  203 . Shown diagrammatically as having proceeded to the bottom of chamber  203 , char is removed from the system by rotary valve  204 . As a byproduct of fuel gas production, char can be used for various industrial or agricultural applications, or used as fuel in a conventional combustion process. 
     Preferably, the intensity of arc  233  is controlled by adjustment of electric current from source  217  so as to match the requirements for slow pyrolysis in chamber  203 . The relative size of chamber  203  in comparison to the size of discharge module  230  is chosen to allow efficient re-use of energy from the arc effluent. Using a silica-based high temperature insulating material, such as Refractory Specialties, Inc.&#39;s “Microcell”, for insulating layer  213 , thermal conductivities of the order of 0.1 W/M/C can be obtained. Maintenance of a chamber temperature of 900 C over an ambient of 0 C with a thickness of layer  213  of 20 cm yields a loss of approximately 450 W/M 2 . A 2 kW arc of 40V at 50 A would be able to sustain a drum-shaped feedstock chamber at 900 C with a diameter and height of about 1M. 
     Also shown in  FIG. 2  are water reservoir  216 , valve  215 , and injection pipe  214 . Although shown to be connected at duct  210 , alternate entry points may be found to be preferable. Controlled introduction of water, via modulation of valve  215 , serves to enhance the composition of exit gas at duct  212  by use of the water-gas shift reaction in which carbon and CO are converted to H 2  and CO 2 . Thus, the composition of exit gas may be adjusted to eliminate carbon monoxide and soot. 
     Further processing and scrubbing of exit gas downstream of duct  212  may be performed by means well known in the art. Amine solutions, for example, can be used to remove CO 2 . The resulting fuel gas can then be used for various purposes, including generation of electricity. A portion of electricity so generated can be used to implement electric power source  217  so that the system is self-sustaining. 
       FIG. 3  shows an alternate embodiment for which energy re-use is further enhanced. In this embodiment, discharge module  330  is embedded within feedstock chamber  303 . This arrangement serves to completely capture heat dissipated by discharge module  330 , by virtue of its location, and also manages to shorten the paths of both feed gas and effluent from discharge module  330 . Hotter exit gas will better deposit its energy into the central portion of feedstock in chamber  303 , while tar gas feeding into hollow electrode  308  will be hotter and thus more decomposed than if the inlet and exit ducts were longer. Similar to the system shown in  FIG. 2 , water injected from reservoir  316  is pre-heated by the extension of pipe  314  into chamber  303 . 
     The placement of discharge module  330  in  FIG. 3  is thermally advantageous, but inconvenient should access be required for maintenance operations, such as electrode replacement.  FIG. 4 a    shows an alternate embodiment in which access to discharge module  430  is facilitated, while the path of arc effluent in exit duct  432  is kept very short. In this embodiment, a recirculating heat transfer fluid is driven through coil  419 , coil  420 , return pipe  424  via pump  418 . The heat transfer fluid may be of the molten salt variety, such as MS-1 from Dynalene, Inc. Alternately, in order to better accommodate the expected temperatures, a substantially inert gas, such as nitrogen, may be used if operated at sufficient density and flow rate. This subsystem increases the thermal coupling between discharge module  430  and feedstock chamber  403  to compensate for their adjacent placement. Inlet duct  406  to discharge module  430  passes inside of insulating layer  413  so as to maintain a suitable temperature to prevent condensation of the tar gas within. 
     Also shown in  FIG. 4 a    is an auxiliary path for heat exchange fluid via pipe  422 , valve  421 , heat exchange coil  425 , and pipe  423 . This path pre-heats water in reservoir  416  for its application via valve  415  into the output stream of arc module  430  for adjustment of its chemical composition as described earlier. 
       FIG. 4 b    shows a pictorial representation of the system shown in  FIG. 4 a   , with insulating layer  413  has been removed for clarity.  FIG. 4 b    shows that reservoir  416  may also take the form of a supply pipe. 
     In order to shorten the critical inlet and exit paths while providing accessibility to discharge modules, the alternate embodiment of  FIG. 5  can be used. In this embodiment, two feedstock chambers  503  are cross-connected with two discharge modules  530  so that tar gas and arc effluent each travel only a short distance to and from a discharge module. Heat exchange fluid recirculating in coils  519 , coils  520 , and pipes  524  via pumps  518  further the thermal connection between arc modules  530  and feedstock chambers  503 . Similarly, several chambers can be arranged sequentially with more discharge modules to make a ring arrangement with each module taking feed gas from a previous chamber, while delivering its effluent to the next. 
     An alternate embodiment of a discharge module is shown in  FIG. 6 . In this embodiment, feed gas  631  passes through feed tube  635  and enters a chamber formed by insulating walls  607  between electrodes  608  and  609 . Electrode  609  is annular, and shaped with a converging-diverging profile. Electrode  609  is attached to diverging nozzle  637 . In operation, feed gas  631  is heated by electric arc  633  and forced through the throat of electrode  609  after which it expands in nozzle  637 . Annular electrode  609  and diverging nozzle  637  together form a converging-diverging, or de Laval nozzle. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art of gas dynamics, with sufficient flow rate of feed gas supplied at  631 , a de Laval nozzle arranged with sufficient thermal energy added by arc  633  will lead to supersonic flow at point  632 , downstream of the throat of electrode  609 . 
     In this configuration, discharge module  630  resembles an arcjet thruster of a type used in some spaceflight applications. Unlike the arcjet, impulse or thrust are not the objective. Rather, the purpose of the configuration of  FIG. 6  is to efficiently transfer arc energy downstream. In operation, flow at  632 , being supersonic, has a very high speed, but a reduced temperature and density when compared to its subsonic counterpart at  132  in  FIG. 1 . Thus, its energy loss rate will be lower as the flow travels to where its energy is to be deposited. In this supersonic region, reactions rates are low since concentration, temperature and residence time are low. Thus, little energy is lost in the expansion region  632 . 
     Farther downstream, at  634 , pressure is such that a shock will form at  636 . As the arc effluent passes through the shock, temperature and density rise, while speed decreases. Thus, conditions after the shock are much more favorable for both the exothermic recombination reactions and conductive transfer. As long as the pressure differential across the discharge module can be maintained at a level sufficient to generate supersonic effluent speeds, the subsequent transition to subsonic flow, farther downstream in the form of a shock, will serve to efficiently transfer both sensible heat and reactive energy far from the discharge module. After that point, formation of the desirable fuel gases proceeds as in the other embodiments. 
       FIG. 7  shows utilization of the embodiment of  FIG. 6 . Supersonic discharge module  730  is connected to heat exchanger  711  through diverging nozzle  737 . In this embodiment, feed screw  702  admits feedstock  701  to feedstock chamber  703 , while feed screw  704  removes char  705 . Tar gas is carried through duct  706  to discharge module  730 . Duct  706  is maintained at proper temperature to prevent condensation of tar gas by taking hot product gas with duct  743  and running it over duct  706 . Product gas is taken out at  712  and  712 ′ for use or storage. 
     In addition to storage, some fraction of product gas is used to run internal combustion engine  738 . Electric generator  739  is driven by internal combustion engine  738  to produce electric current in lines  741 . Power converter  740  takes input power from lines  741  and produces proper voltage and current control for operation of discharge module  730 . Electrical connection between power converter  740  and discharge module  730  is made through lines  742 . The system is thus self-sustaining, and any surplus fuel or electrical power can be used for other purposes. 
     It should be understood that numerous changes in details of construction and the combination and arrangement of elements and materials may be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.