One Man's Trash Is The Whole World's Energy

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  Waste to Energy: Plasma gasification

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  turning waste into synthesised gas

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  turning synthesised gas into energy

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  step 1: waste goes into the plasma gasifier

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  step 2 waste is turned into synthesis gas using hot plasma torches

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  step 3: unvaporized waste is called slag which is an important material that can be reused in construction

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  step 4: heat is removed from the syngas in the form of steam

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  step 5: cooled syngas is moved to the baghouse

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  step 6: The particles are removed

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  Step 7: The syngas is cooled even more

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  Step 8: The pollutants are removed

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  Step 9: The syngas is compressed

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  Step 10: The syngas spins a generator generating electricity

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  Step 11: The heat that comes of the generator makes steam and is used with previous steam to spin another generator to produce more energy

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  Products: two different generators producing energy and materials that can be reused in construction

Inspiration

When I was younger I lived near a trash incinerator and everyday the sunny sky would be overshadowed with dark smoke and foul smelling air. My neighbors were never able to go outside because their son had asthma and couldn’t stand the air. When this competition started I started doing research on better ways to dispose of waste when me and my team had the idea to turn trash into energy. We started some research and stumbled upon an idea for a project that was never widely implemented. We researched each step of the process of how to use plasma to change waste into energy and overcame some problems but decided to try our luck and use a new and improved version of a plasma gasifier plant in this competition.

What it does

A plasma gasifier will break down the molecular structure of organic trash and turn it to a gaseous form while the inorganic parts of trash are turned into slag which is a construction material. The gas is then cleaned and processed before finally spinning a generator to make energy.

How we built it

We used tinkercad, a 3d model site, as well as several informational articles to make a design of a compacted plant for a plasma gasifier. We researched each step of how syngas, the gas that is made by plasma gasification of trash, is cleaned and represented that in our 3d model. Finally we added a way to turn gas into energy by using a standard generator that is used in many other scenarios.

Challenges we ran into

Our main challenge was finding something we could improve in the design as well as how to fund it and make it a reality. First we determined that one main factor of why it can’t be used is the size of the plant. So we created a compressed model of it by using the same items just in a format that uses up less space while also being operational. Second for funding we came up with the idea of selling the slag, which is the inorganic product that is used in construction, to major construction companies which will generate a profit aside from selling the electricity. This profit will eventually overcome the initial cost it takes to build the plant while also helping the world with clean energy.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Our idea produces over a hundred well paying jobs per plant so we are also combating unemployment.

What we learned

We learned about plasma usage and the synthesis gas production process as well as marketing strategies and how trash incineration is affecting global warming.

What's next for One Man's Trash Is The Whole World's Energy

We plan to find more ways to perfect this method of waste disposal before advancing the concept in a business perspective.

Built With

• tinkercad