Patent ID: 7098421

Claim:
A non-transferred plasma arc torch for use in a fuel gas generator system for generating electricity from waste, wherein fuel gas generator system comprising a vessel comprising a front, a back, a bottom, a first side, a second side, a third side, and a feed ramp; a moveable non-transferred plasma torch disposed in at least one side of the vessel for contacting the waste and creating molten material; a moveable transferred plasma torch disposed in at least one side of the vessel for contacting the molten material; at least one steam injector disposed in at least one side of the vessel; at least one molten material outlet disposed in the back of the vessel; a dry scrubber connected to the vessel for receiving gas from the vessel and forming treated gas; a wet scrubber connected to the dry scrubber for scrubbing the treated gas; a steam boiler connected to the wet scrubber for receiving the scrubbed treated gas and burning the gas creating steam; and a steam turbine connected to the steam boiler for creating electricity, and wherein the non-transferred plasma arc torch comprises: a. a torch housing; b. a rear electrode mounted within the housing and comprising a tubular metal member having a closed inner end and an open outer end; c. a front electrode comprising a tubular metal member having a bore therethrough, the front electrode being mounted within the housing and in coaxial alignment with the rear electrode and having an inner end adjacent the open outer end of the rear electrode and an opposite outer end, and with the bore including an inner cylindrical end portion and an outer end portion which is cup-shaped in cross section to define an outwardly facing radial shoulder, and with the inner cylindrical end portion having a substantial axial length; d a tubular sleeve member mounted to the housing and coaxially surrounding the front electrode in a spaced apart arrangement so as to define an annular passageway between the front electrode and the sleeve that extends along substantially the entire axial length of the front electrode; e. a coolant flow path that extends through the housing and communicates with the annular passageway such that a fluid coolant circulates through the annular passageway to remove heat from the front electrode during operation of the torch; f. a vortex mechanism that generates a vortical flow of a gas at a location intermediate the rear and outer electrodes and that is in coaxial alignment with the rear and front electrodes; and g. a power supply means connected to the rear and front electrodes that generates an arc that is adapted to extend axially from the rear electrode through the vortical flow of gas and to an attachment located on the bore of the front electrode.