• Definitions

Definitions

Activated Carbon Screen
Activated carbon is a porous, highly adsorptive form of carbon used to sequester heavy metals and other contaminants from the syngas.

Carbon Recovery Vessel
This vessel recovers the fixed carbon from solid residue resulting in the conversion chamber. This carbon recovery further increases the efficiency of the conversion process and increases the heating value of the syngas so more electricity can be generated from each tonne of waste. The CRV is also equipped with a plasma torch that is used to stabilize the inert solids through a vitrification process which creates molten slag.

Combined Cycle Generation
Combined-cycle generation is a configuration using both gas turbines or engines and steam generators. A gas turbine or engine generates electricity and the waste heat is used to make steam to generate additional electricity via a steam turbine. This increases the overall efficiency of electricity generetation of the facility.

Conversion Chamber
In the Conversion Chamber the MSW is converted into a raw, unrefined syngas. The energy required for the conversion comes from recycled heat.

Conversion Efficiencies
Energy conversion efficiency is the ratio between the useful output of an energy conversion system and the input (energy in waste). The useful output may be electric power, mechanical work, or heat.

Fixed Carbon
The remaining organic matter after the volatile matter and moisture have been released at lower temperatures. It is composed primarily of carbon with lesser amounts of hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur.

Gas Engines
An internal combustion engine that uses gas for fuel. Examples are coal gas, landfill gas, natural gas or syngas. Typical applications are baseload or high-hour generation of electricity.

Gasification
Gasification is a method for extracting energy by converting any material containing carbon into synthetic gas (syngas). The syngas can be used to produce electricity or further processed to manufacture chemicals, fertilizers, liquid fuels, substitute natural gas or hydrogen.

Greenhouse Gas
Greenhouse gases are chemical compounds in the atmosphere that allow sunlight (solar radiation) to enter the atmosphere where it warms the Earth’s surface and is re-radiated back into the atmosphere as heat. Greenhouse gases absorb this heat and ‘trap’ it in the lower atmosphere.

Heat Recovery Steam Generation
The Heat Recovery Steam Generator cools the syngas to a temperature acceptable to downstream equipment. The heat from the gas will be used to create additional electricity through a steam turbine.

Heavy Metals
Metals with high molecular weights that are of concern because they are toxic to animal life and human health if naturally occurring concentrations are exceeded. Examples include: arsenic, chromium, lead and mercury.

Inert
Not readily reactive with other chemical elements; forming few or no chemical compounds

Internal Combustion Engines
Any engine that operates by burning its fuel inside the engine. In contrast, a steam engine burns its fuel outside the engine. The most common internal combustion engine type is gasoline powered – like those found in vehicles.

Leach
To drain or seep through a porous material filter

Local Utility
A company that provides a basic service like electricity, water or gas.

Municipal Solid Waste
Mixed solid waste derived primarily from residential sources.

Plasma
Plasma is the 4th state of matter. It is a high energy electrically charged mixture of ions and electrons. Examples of plasma are lightning bolts, the sun, auroras and arc-welding torches.

Plasma Arc Technology
A plasma arc operates on principles similar to an arc-welding torch, where an electrical arc is struck between two electrodes and air is blown over the arc. As the gas passes through the plasma, the long-chain molecules are “cracked” into their elemental components. Hydrogen, carbon monoxide and other simple molecules are formed. It is the H2 and CO which give the gas its fuel value.

Plasma Torch
Technology invented to generate a directed flow of plasma.

Post-Recycled MSW
Waste that is left over after extraction of reusable or recyclable materials.

Refinement Chamber
In the Refining Chamber, the raw syngas is ‘cracked’ and results in the quality and consistency required by downstream applications. It is here that Plasco takes advantage of the benefits of plasma: intense, controllable heat and the catalytic affect of the ionic plasma plume.

Synthetic Gas or Syngas
Synthetic gas or syngas is the name given to a gas mixture that contains varying amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. It is fuel that is artificially made as opposed to natural gas, which is formed in nature.

Thermal Technology
Processes that utilize heat to convert a feedstock into useful energy.

Tipping Fees
The charge levied upon a given quantity of waste received at a waste processing facility.

Transmission Line Losses
The difference between what is produced and what is consumed constitute transmission and distribution losses.

Vitrified
Vitrification is the transformation of a substance into a glass-like inert solid.

Volatile Compounds
Chemical compounds that transition to gas at low temperatures and can adversly affect the environment and human health.