SBIR Phase I: Advanced Scalable and Sustainable Waste Disposal System

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一期项目的广泛影响/商业潜力，是要以可持续的方式改善都市固体废物的管理。拟议的系统可以在不产生有毒气体排放的情况下处理都市固体废物，与堆填区和焚化相比，减少98%的温室气体排放。另一个好处是，废物不需要分开，从而促进玻璃和金属的回收利用，因为它们未经处理。此外，该技术预计价格合理，易于部署，可以进行现场处理，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。该项目推进了一种应用气体等离子体对城市生活垃圾进行热降解的新系统的开发。第一阶段的目标是研究、设计、构建和测试原型，并定义工业规模的设计。任务包括测试各种废物原料和操作参数的功能和排放质量，并进行生命周期分析。此外，该项目将探索热电联产和灰烬副产品的有益再利用。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.