Offers energy recovery-methane gas. Excellent mobility to locate at existing waste stockpiles. At 850 o C or higher, hydrogen combines with organic compounds in a very efficient reduction reaction to form smaller, lighter hydrocarbons- primarily methane. For chlorinated organic compounds such as PCB's, the reduction products include methane and hydrogen chloride. This reaction is enhanced by the presence of water, which can act as a reducing agent and a hydrogen source.
Liquid waste is pumped from a feed tank and enters the reactor through atomising nozzles.
The mixture of gases and vaporised liquids swirls downwards past electric heating elements that make up the ceramic-coated steel tube of the reactor. The reactions come to completion before the gases reach the scrubber. At this stage carbon dioxide, Hydrogen chloride and water are removed. The pH of the scrubber water is maintained between 6 and 9 by the addition of caustic scrubbing agent. The temperature of the exit gas is 35 o C and is maintained near this temperature by cooling the scrubber water using a plate-plate heat exchanger and cold water from an evaporative cooler.