Use of low-temperature plasma for stabilizing a combustion process under the utilization of waste products with high moisture content

Abstract

Thermal recycling and disinfection of waste products in different physical states represent a comprehensive solution to the problem of waste utilization. The utilization of waste materials with high moisture content (more 70…75%) is associated with a need to evaporate a significant volume of water and causes, as a consequence, substantial additional expenses on an energy source. To cut costs related to the utilization of wastes with a high amount of water it is suggested using a coal cleaning product – a coal-water slurry fuel. The direct combustion of incompletely mechanically dehydrated (to 70-75%) wastes with high water content (cake) is an economically efficient process. However, it poses a severe problem of combustion stabilizing. The paper presents outcomes of the research into the stabilization of thermal recycling waste materials with a high level of moisture by means of low-temperature plasma in the adiabatic vortex combustion chamber. To control a burning process in the technology adapter low-temperature plasma is supplied into the base of flame. An output of a plasma generator (power supply source) is estimated as 1 kW power input per 13 kg/h suspension fuel. A dynamic range of heat output for a coal-water slurry fuel and wastes is determined to be 70-100% when generating thermal energy and utilizing wastes with high moisture content by means of low-temperature plasma as a stabilizer of a combustion process. Experimental studies carried out on a machine simulator have proven the efficiency of low-temperature plasma for utilization and disinfection of waste products in commercial farming.