SBIR Phase I: Advanced Scalable and Sustainable Waste Disposal System

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是以可持续的方式改善城市固体废物（MSW）的管理。 拟议的系统可以在不产生有毒气体排放的情况下管理城市固体废物，与垃圾填埋场和焚烧相比，减少了98%的温室气体排放。另一个好处是，废物不需要分离，从而促进玻璃和金属的回收，因为它们未经处理。 此外，该技术预计将是负担得起的，易于部署，以实现现场处理，节省运输成本和相关影响。最后，该系统具有利用余热发电和有效利用副产品的潜力。该系统促进了循环经济，并支持对环境的多重效益。本项目推进了应用气体等离子体来产生MSW热降解的新系统的开发。 第一阶段的目标是研究、设计、构造和测试原型，并定义工业规模的设计。任务包括使用各种废物原料和操作参数测试功能和排放质量，并进行生命周期分析。此外，该项目将探索联合发电和有益的再利用灰的副产品。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准的支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to improve management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in a sustainable fashion. The proposed system can manage MSW without generating toxic air emissions, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 98% compared to landfills and incineration. An additional benefit is that waste does not need to be separated, thereby promoting recycling of glass and metal, as they are left untreated. In addition, the technology is envisioned to be affordable and easily deployed to enable on-site treatment, saving transportation costs and associated impact. Finally, the system has the potential to use excess heat to generate electricity and use the by-product effectively. This system promotes a circular economy and supports multiple benefits to the environment.This project advances development of a novel system of applying gas plasma to create thermal degradation of MSW. Phase I objectives are to research, design, construct, and test a prototype and define an industrial-scale design. Tasks include testing functionality and emissions quality with a variety of waste feedstock and operational parameters, and conducting a life cycle analysis. Furthermore, the project will explore the co-generation of electricity and beneficial reuse of the ash by-product.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.