Patent ID: 8685121

Claim:
A gasification/vitrification system comprising: a downdraft gasification unit configured to receive a mixture including organic and inorganic materials, the gasification unit configured to generate an effluent from at least a portion of the organic materials, wherein the effluent comprises at least a gas portion and a solid portion, wherein the solid portion comprises an incompletely gasified portion of the organic materials; and a vitrification unit configured to receive at least a portion of the inorganic materials and at least some of the gas portion and solid portion of the effluent from the downdraft gasification unit, and wherein the vitrification unit includes: first electrodes configured to generate a plasma within the vitrification unit; and second electrodes configured to provide joule heating to the vitrification unit; wherein the vitrification unit is configured to produce hydrogen-rich gas and glass from the inorganic materials and the incompletely gasified portion; and wherein the downdraft gasification unit is positioned above the vitrification unit for feeding the incompletely gasified portion directly from the downdraft gasification unit into the vitrification unit.