Too good to be true? 2

[KENAT]

Howdy all, there have been numerous threads on alternative energy sources etc.

I saw this article in the magazine earlier this year and it the time thought it almost sounded too good to be true so, what says the eng-tips community.

Can we get massive amounts of 'clean' energy from our rubbish/trash without some unforseen unpleasent side effect?

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/873aae7bf86c0110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

http://www.geoplasma.com/

Try and keep it vaguely on topic, although I realize it will almost certainly descend into "global warmings real/no it's not/there's no link to human activity..."

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[DonPhillips]

Columbus, OH had a trash burner back in the early 80s. Many problems later, the plant closed, and was recently (in the last few years) bought for redelopment. In addition to problems with the composition of the trash, the emissions seemed to not meet the every tightening EPA requirements. I never read that is came close to breaking even.


Don Phillips

http://worthingtonengineering.com

 

[KENAT]

They had the issue in my home town in the late 90s/early 2000s (UK).

The trash incinerator needed to be replaced, it didn't meat new regulations or something and I think was pretty old anyway.

Since the old incinerator had been built a large housing estate had been developed in the area. Basically the people moved there even though there was an incinerator.

They tried to replace the old incinerator with a new, much cleaner, energy from waste one.

A lot of locals complained about the pollution etc, even though it was going to be a lot less than the current incinerator that was/had just stopped operating.

Idiots.

Jstephen, as I understand it there is no ash or emissions at the point of plasmarizing or whatever the term is. The solid waste is glass like (though may have issues) and the syngas is collected. Now what they do with it later may cause issues but...



KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...