DPS Global has recently revealed a new compact energy from waste solution, which enables manufacturing and engineering companies to turn their hazardous and troublesome waste streams – from contaminated plastics to aircraft and automotive interiors – into heat
The new technology, named ST Series, involves staged and separated pyrolysis and gasification of industrial and hazardous wastes to produce small amounts of ash and heat. This enables industrial plants to utilise their waste as a substitute for fossil fuels, thereby reducing CO2 emissions and heating bills by as much as £100,000 per annum, dependent on feed volumes.
The technology also reduces the cost of waste disposal by diverting it from landfill or incineration and through its capability to be positioned close to the source of waste. Destroying waste through incineration can cost between £300-£400 per tonne for contaminated waste. Comparatively the ST series technology treatment cost is much lower – around £150-250 per tonne for all wastes.
The technology
Pyrolysis, which involves the thermal decomposition of organic material by the action of heat alone, separates the energy rich carbon and hydrogen from the waste. This is achieved by feeding the waste through a tube which is externally heated using exhaust gases from the later stages of the process. The heat decomposes the waste to form a synthetic gas (syngas), similar to the natural gas used by a domestic boiler. Additional syngas can be produced from some of the carbon left in the waste (known as char) after pyrolysis. This is achieved through gasification, using a small amount of air and steam to release the carbon from the waste.
Finally, the syngas can be combusted with a controlled amount of air reaching a temperature of 1,100°C, as hot as flowing volcanic lava. This ensures that any small pollutant particles, which make their way down the process, are destroyed. Carbon monoxide emissions, which can lead to smoke and soot, are extremely low.
Neil Young, managing director at DPS Global, said, “Most wastes have a high carbon and hydrogen content, which is exactly what fossil fuels contain. It is the reaction of the carbon and hydrogen with oxygen which releases the energy which can be used in industrial operations.
“However, waste can contain other pollutants which can be released into the atmosphere when processed in a traditional incinerator. However, our new pioneering technology is the first economically viable small scale unit to separate the carbon and hydrogen from the rest of the waste, extracting the fuel we need while leaving the pollutants in the ash from the process. The resulting ash is typically just five to ten percent of the original waste.
“Deployment of the technology will help the industrial sector enhance its environmental credentials by providing a real alternative to incineration or landfill for the treatment of their hazardous and troublesome wastes.
“In short the ST series has been designed to offer a viable, low emissions alternative – treating waste at source and recovering the energy for use on-site. This turns waste into a fuel source. It provides significant payback in terms of savings on energy and waste disposal costs at a time when both are rising and hitting the bottom line in the industrial sector.”
Capabilities
DPS Global’s compact model is capable of processing up to 250kg per hour and generating heat output of up to 700kWth, which can be reclaimed for use in manufacturing processes or heating buildings. It accepts around 85% of the European waste catalogue of materials with no pre-treatment required and can also be easily integrated into existing industrial infrastructure to provide energy for heating and hot water in these premises.
Accommodating the model within industrial areas close to the source of the waste and demand for heat is made easier by the compact size of the model. This, in turn, helps to minimise transport movements and maximises the potential of the heat output from the process as it is appropriately matched to satisfy the needs of the end user. The compact nature of the system also ensures investment risk can be managed through a lower capital outlay, variable feedstock capability and higher location flexibility.
DPS Global
T: 01275 841 300
