Plasma Arc Waste Destruction System Off-Gas Refinement

The Plasma Arc Waste Destruction system (PAWDS) uses a plasma torch to quickly, safely and efficiently gasify solid waste. This compact, single deck, waste destruction system is designed to be used on board ships but can also be employed as a mobile landbased unit. This novel system has been developed by PyroGenesis Canada Inc (PGC) with the support of the US Navy and is MARPOL certified for both Type II Solid waste and Sludge oil. The first commercial unit was installed aboard a cruise ship in 2003 and the first military unit is currently under construction at PyroGenesis Canada Inc’s (PGC) facility for the US Navy’s next generation aircraft carrier. PAWDS is capable of treating 6800 lbs/day of solid waste containing paper, cardboard, various types of plastics, textiles and wood. A sixty-day (60-day) endurance test was successfully completed in 2007, where the system was operated and maintained by US Navy sailors. Specific areas of improvements were identified during this testing period to further improve the system operational availability with a particular focus on upgrading the off-gas treatment system. To assess the impact of the various modifications made to the off-gas treatment subsystem a thirty-day (30-day) non-continuous test was conducted using the US Navy PAWDS prototype located at PGC’s facility in Montreal in the fall of 2009. This testing has demonstrated that the changes made to PAWDS off-gas sub-system had an important impact on the overall system’s performance, reliability and operational availability. LESS