Abstract: A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash and additional feed material to a gasification/vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash and additional feed material in the gasification/vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the gasification/vitrification reactor and solidify outside the gasification/vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; combusting syngas generated in the gasification/vitrification reactor in a secondary combustion zone in the gasification/vitrification reactor; and supplying products of the syngas combustion to the incinerator to augment the thermal environments of the incinerator. An apparatus used to practice the method is also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a reactor vessel containing a carbonaceous bed and having means for establishing an elevated temperature within the carbonaceous bed; and the reactor vessel also having one or more feed material inlets above the carbonaceous bed for depositing process material from outside the vessel onto the carbonaceous bed, one or more gas exhaust ports above the bed for exit of gaseous products from the vessel, and one or more slag ports at the bottom of the carbonaceous bed for exit of molten and vitreous material from the vessel; wherein the carbonaceous bed comprises bricks that contain carbon and are of varied size and shape of which at least 25% of the total carbon content of the bed comprises spent pot liner material from aluminum processing, and wherein the bricks further comprise at least one of: Portland cement, potassium silicate cement, or aluminum silicate cement.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a tuyere, a plasma torch positioned to inject hot gas into the tuyere, and a plurality of nozzles configured to inject a combustible material into the tuyere for combustion of the combustible material within the tuyere. The apparatus can be used to practice a method including: injecting a combustible material into a plurality of tuyeres in a wall of a reactor vessel, using a plasma torch to inject hot gas into the tuyeres to ignite the combustible material, and directing heat from combustion of the combustible material into the reactor vessel to preheat the reactor vessel.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a tuyere including a tubular chamber having an internal wall defined by a mandrel; a plasma torch assembly including a torch positioned to inject hot gas into the tuyere and having a tubular structure that extends along an axis of the chamber; the plasma torch assembly further including a shroud head configured to inject shroud gas between the internal wall of the chamber and the tubular structure of the torch; a pipe positioned around at least a portion of the mandrel forming a plenum at least partially encircling the mandrel; and a plurality of nozzles in the chamber internal wall configured to inject a combustible material from the plenum to a space between the internal wall of the chamber and the tubular structure of the torch.

Abstract: A process for gasification of solid feed material to produce a syngas includes: providing a plasma heated carbonaceous bed in a bottom section of a reactor vessel; forming a bed of deposited feed material on top of the carbonaceous bed; reacting the feed material with hot gases rising from the bottom section; forming, in a middle section of the reactor vessel, a syngas mixture containing a varying quantity of unreacted particles of the feed material; allowing the syngas mixture to rise into a top section of the reactor vessel; and at least partially quenching, by injecting a quench fluid including water, steam, or a mixture thereof, in a second, upper part of the top section, at least some of the unreacted particles sufficiently to reduce the number of unreacted particles exiting the reactor vessel that are likely to be deposited on walls of external ductwork.

Abstract: A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash to a vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash in the vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the vitrification reactor and solidify outside the vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; and routing flue gas generated in the vitrification reactor to a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is connected to a heat recovery steam generator that receives exhaust from the incinerator.

Abstract: A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash and additional feed material to a gasification/vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash and additional feed material in the gasification/vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the gasification/vitrification reactor and solidify outside the gasification/vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; and using syngas generated in the gasification/vitrification reactor to augment the thermal environments of the incinerator.

Abstract: A process for forming a carbonaceous article for use among particles in a carbonaceous bed of a thermal reactor, includes forming bricks having a material composition including carbon containing particles other than coke, and at least one of Portland cement, potassium silicate cement, and aluminum silicate cement, in an approximate weight % other than water of: 40 to 95 parts of the carbon containing particles, 0 to 20 parts of the Portland cement, 0 to 20 parts of the potassium silicate cement, and 0 to 20 parts of the aluminum silicate cement.

Abstract: A process for forming and maintaining a carbonaceous bed with coke replacement units suitable for use in pyrolytic processes includes the steps of: forming a plurality of non-coke units that are either or both irregularly shaped natural wood blocks and bricks including carbon-containing fines and one or more binders; forming an initial carbonaceous bed by a quantity of particles of coke in which at least about 25% of the carbon content of the initial bed is provided by said quantity of non-coke units and up to about 75% of the carbon content of the initial bed is provided by said quantity of particles of coke; and performing a pyrolytic process with the carbonaceous bed including reacting carbon in the bed with other added process material at an elevated temperature in the bed and supplementing carbon material during the pyrolytic process by adding additional carbon material of which at least 25% of the additional carbon material is not coke.

Abstract: A plasma gasification reactor vessel having a top section with a conical wall extending up from a bottom section, containing a carbonaceous bed into which plasma is injected by plasma torches, to a roof of the vessel is arranged in ways that can contribute to characteristics of gas flow and solids residence time that are favorable for thoroughness of reactions and yield of useful reactions products. In some cases, such a conical wall is combined in arrangements with other features such as one or more feed ports arranged to give more uniform distribution including examples with a feed port that has a distributive feed mechanism. The roof of the vessel, in some examples, has vertical outlet ports that include intrusions into the interior volume of the reactor proximate the conical wall of the top section. The configurations of outlet ports with intrusions and the configurations of feed ports for more uniform distribution of feed material are also applicable to reactor vessels with other geometries.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a reactor vessel containing a carbonaceous bed and having means for establishing an elevated temperature within the carbonaceous bed; and the reactor vessel also having one or more feed material inlets above the carbonaceous bed for depositing process material from outside the vessel onto the carbonaceous bed, one or more gas exhaust ports above the bed for exit of gaseous products from the vessel, and one or more slag ports at the bottom of the carbonaceous bed for exit of molten and vitreous material from the vessel; wherein the carbonaceous bed comprises bricks that contain carbon and are of varied size and shape of which at least 25% of the total carbon content of the bed comprises spent pot liner material from aluminum processing, and wherein the bricks further comprise at least one of: Portland cement, potassium silicate cement, or aluminum silicate cement.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a tuyere chamber, a plasma torch configured to produce a superheated gas and to direct the superheated gas into the tuyere chamber in an axial direction, and a shroud gas inlet assembly configured to direct a shroud gas into the tuyere chamber wherein one part of the shroud gas is injected coaxially with the super heated gas and a second part of the shroud gas is injected as a swirl shielding the tuyere walls.

Abstract: A process for gasification of solid feed material to produce a syngas includes: providing a plasma heated carbonaceous bed in a bottom section of a reactor vessel; forming a bed of deposited feed material on top of the carbonaceous bed; reacting the feed material with hot gases rising from the bottom section; forming, in a middle section of the reactor vessel, a syngas mixture containing a varying quantity of unreacted particles of the feed material; allowing the syngas mixture to rise into a top section of the reactor vessel; and at least partially quenching, by injecting a quench fluid including water, steam, or a mixture thereof, in a second, upper part of the top section, at least some of the unreacted particles sufficiently to reduce the number of unreacted particles exiting the reactor vessel that are likely to be deposited on walls of external ductwork.

Abstract: A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash to a vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash in the vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the vitrification reactor and solidify outside the vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; and routing flue gas generated in the vitrification reactor to a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is connected to a heat recovery steam generator that receives exhaust from the incinerator.

Abstract: A method for treatment of ash from incineration plants includes: collecting ash from an incinerator; feeding the collected ash and additional feed material to a gasification/vitrification reactor; vitrifying the ash and additional feed material in the gasification/vitrification reactor, to form a slag of molten material; allowing the slag to flow from the gasification/vitrification reactor and solidify outside the gasification/vitrification reactor; gasifying volatile components in the ash and the additional feed material; combusting syngas generated in the gasification/vitrification reactor in a secondary combustion zone in the gasification/vitrification reactor; and supplying products of the syngas combustion to the incinerator to augment the thermal environments of the incinerator. An apparatus used to practice the method is also provided.

Abstract: A plasma gasification reactor, and process for its operation, with one or both of, first, a quench zone within an upper part of a top section of the reactor and, second, feed ports through a lateral wall of a middle section of the reactor for supplying feed material to a feed bed within the middle section and the feed ports located proximate the feed bed. The quench zone is provided with nozzles for introducing a fluid to reduce the temperature of molten solid bits sufficiently to minimize their sticking within external ductwork. The middle section feed port arrangement assists in more thorough reaction of light particles in the feed material that may otherwise exit with gaseous products.

Abstract: A syngas stream composition comprising on a dry basis up to about 50,000 mg/Nm3 particulates; 5-39 vol % H2; 5-39 vol % CO; 15-50 vol % CO2; 8-30 vol % N2, 0-2 vol % Argon; and 15-50 vol % moisture on a wet basis. The stream includes a H2/CO ratio that is about 0.3-2 and at least 15 wt % of particulates have an aerodynamic particle diameter of less than or equal to 1 micron. A gasified waste stream and a method for forming a gasified waste stream are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a tuyere chamber, a plasma torch configured to produce a superheated gas and to direct the superheated gas into the tuyere chamber in an axial direction, and a shroud gas inlet assembly configured to direct a shroud gas into the tuyere chamber wherein one part of the shroud gas is injected coaxially with the super heated gas and a second part of the shroud gas is injected as a swirl shielding the tuyere walls.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a tuyere, a plasma torch positioned to inject hot gas into the tuyere, and a plurality of nozzles configured to inject a combustible material into the tuyere for combustion of the combustible material within the tuyere. The apparatus can be used to practice a method including: injecting a combustible material into a plurality of tuyeres in a wall of a reactor vessel, using a plasma torch to inject hot gas into the tuyeres to ignite the combustible material, and directing heat from combustion of the combustible material into the reactor vessel to preheat the reactor vessel.

Abstract: A syngas stream composition comprising on a dry basis up to about 50,000 mg/Nm3 particulates; 5-39 vol % H2; 5-39 vol % CO; 15-50 vol % CO2; 8-30 vol % N2; 0-2 vol % Argon; and 15-50 vol % moisture on a wet basis. The stream includes a H2/CO ratio that is about 0.3-2 and at least 15 wt % of particulates have an aerodynamic particle diameter of less than or equal to 1 micron. A gasified waste stream and a method for forming a gasified waste stream are also disclosed.