Relationship to Other Application

This application claims the benefit of the filing date of United States Provisional Patent Application Serial Number 61/199,828, filed on November 19, 2008, Confirmation No. 2446 (Foreign Filing License granted). The disclosure in the identified provisional patent application is incorporated herein by reference. Background of the Invention FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to methods and systems for converting greenhouse gasses, and more particularly, to a system for converting greenhouse gasses into useful products on a large scale. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART In the current energy environment there is continuing pressure to produce more products and energy in a cost effective and clean way. Fuel prices continue to climb, and emission standards continue to tighten. Most of the modern world has attempted to limit the amount of carbon dioxide that is emitted into the atmosphere. It is considered by many that this gas has some responsibility in the climatic changes commonly referred to as global warming.

In state-of-the-art power plants, other large combustion processes, or green house gas generators, there is an ongoing effort to sequester green house gasses such as carbon dioxide. The present invention provides a simple method of reducing green house gasses with or without the use of greenhouse gas sequestering systems. A central feature of the invention is the use of a plasma melter that performs a "Plasma Water Gas Shift" type of reaction in its ultra high temperature plasma chamber.

In addition to the foregoing, the present invention relates to an energy efficient and modern system and method of producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, both of which are needed to produce ethylene, ammonia, and other useful products. The process of the present invention uses renewable materials, and energy, primarily made up of waste, such as municipal waste, municipal solid waste, or a specifically grown biomass, as its feed stock.

Plasma melters are now becoming a reliable technology that is used to destroy waste. At this time there are few operational plasma melter installations but the technology is gaining acceptance. It is a characteristic of plasma melters that they produce a low BTU syngas consisting of several component elements. If the plasma melters are operated in a pyrolysis mode of operation, they will generate large amounts of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The Syngas byproduct typically is used to run stationary power generators. The resulting electric power is then sold to the power grid. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a system for consuming greenhouse gasses. It is another object of this invention to provide a system for consuming carbon dioxide on a large scale and that does not require large electrical generation resources.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a system for consuming carbon dioxide that does not require consumption of natural resources.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method and system of destroying carbon dioxide inexpensively.

It is additionally an object of this invention to provide an inexpensive method of reducing significantly the emission of greenhouse gasses by large scale waste disposal processes.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide an inexpensive method of using a plasma melter to consume and utilize carbon dioxide that otherwise would be emitted into the environment.

It is also another object of this invention to provide a method of generating useful products from waste on a large scale wherein waste carbon dioxide that is obtained from a renewable energy source and therefore does not constitute an addition to the green house gas carbon base. Summary of the Invention

The foregoing and other objects are achieved by this invention which provides a method of reducing emission of greenhouse gasses in a large scale waste disposal process. The method of the invention includes, but is not limited to, the steps of: supplying a fuel material to a plasma melter; supplying electrical energy to the plasma melter; supplying steam to the plasma melter; extracting a syngas from the plasma melter; providing the syngas to a heat-related process, whereby the heat-related process exhausts a greenhouse gas; and recirculating the greenhouse gas exhausted by the heat-related process to the plasma melter.

In one embodiment of the invention the fuel material is municipal waste.

In other embodiments, the fuel material is solid municipal waste. In still further embodiments of the invention the fuel material is a biomass. In some embodiments where the fuel material is a biomass, the biomass is grown specifically for the purpose of being supplied to a plasma melter.

In other advantageous embodiments of the invention other waste materials or fuels are employed, including for example, fossil fuels. In other embodiments, the fossil fuels are combined to form a fossil fuel cocktail that includes, for example, a mixture of a biomass material, municipal solid waste, and coal. In still other embodiments, the fossil fuels may be of a low quality, such as brown coal, tar sand, and shale oil.

In a specific illustrative embodiment of the invention, prior to performing the step of providing the syngas to the heat-related process there is provided the further step of subjecting the syngas to a pretreatment process. The syngas is cooled, cleaned, and separated in the pretreatment process. Further in accordance with the invention, there is provided the step of extracting thermal energy generated by the pretreatment process. In one embodiment, there is provided the further step of delivering the extracted thermal energy generated by the pretreatment process to the plasma melter. The extracted thermal energy generated by the pretreatment process is, in some embodiments, provided to the plasma melter is in the form of steam.

The method aspect of the invention includes, in certain embodiments, the further step of extracting a slag from the plasma melter. As indicated hereinabove, the slag can be converted into building products and sold.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the plasma melter is operated in a pyrolysis mode.

In a specific illustrative embodiment of the invention, the heat-related process is a power plant. In some embodiments, conventional fuel is delivered to the power plant. The power plant produces a corresponding power product.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, prior to performing the step of recirculating JLhe greenhouse gas exhausted by the heat-related process to the plasma melter, there is provided the further step of subjecting the greenhouse gas to a sequestration process. The greenhouse gas is, in certain embodiments of the invention, carbon dioxide. Brief Description of the Drawing Comprehension of the invention is facilitated by reading the following detailed description, in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which Rg. 1 is a simplified function block and schematic representation of a specific illustrative embodiment of the invention. Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a simplified function block and schematic representation of a specific illustrative embodiment of the invention. As shown in this figure, a municipal waste disposal system 100 receives municipal waste, municipal solid waste, or a specifically grown biomass 110 that is deposited into a plasma melter 112. In the practice of some embodiments of the invention, the process is operated in a pyrolysis mode {i.e., lacking oxygen).

Steam 115 is delivered to plasma melter 112 to facilitate production of hydrogen and plasma. Also, electrical power 116 is delivered to plasma melter 112. A hydrogen rich syngas 118 is produced at an output (not specifically designated) of plasma melter 112, as is a slag 114 that is subsequently removed. In some applications of the invention, slag 114 is sold as building materials, and may take the form of mineral wool, reclaimed metals, and silicates, such as building blocks. In some embodiments of the invention, the BTU content, plasma production, and slag production can also be "sweetened" by the addition of small amounts of coke, fossil fuels, or other additives (not shown). Such additives, which may in some embodiments constitute waste materials or fuels include, for example, fossil fuels. In other embodiments, the fossil fuels are combined to form a fossil fuel cocktail that includes, for example, a biomass material, municipal solid waste, and coal. In still other embodiments, the fossil fuels or additives include selectable ones of low quality fuels, such as brown coal, tar sand, and shale oil. The syngas is cooled and cleaned in a pretreatment step 120. The processed syngas or raw syngas is delivered into a power plant 122. In the practice of some embodiments of the invention, the processed syngas, or raw syngas that has been diverted by operation of a valve 123, is provided to a heat- requiring process, which in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention is a power plant 122. Power plant 122 (or other heat-requiring process) will, by operation of the present invention, advantageously be characterized by significant carbon neutral energy derived from the syngas since the origins of the energy are recycled or renewable. Supplemental energy, in the form of conventional fuel 128, is shown in the figure to be delivered to power plant 122, but is not required in some embodiments of the invention.

A flow control valve 125 is used to divert a portion of the power plant's exhaust to plasma melter 112. The exhaust is injected into the plasma chamber (not specifically designated) of the plasma melter. Thus, a combination of re-processed exhaust and waste feedstock 110 is used as a product for the plasma reduction process of the invention. Waste feedstock 110 is, in some embodiments of the invention, sweetened with small amounts of low grade coke, fossil fuels, or other products that are rich in hydrocarbon. In this mode of operation no green house gas sequestering system is needed. The foregoing notwithstanding, in a second form of operation, a sequestered greenhouse gas stream 132 is obtained from a sequestering unit 130 and injected into the plasma chamber (not specifically designated) of plasma melter 112. In the plasma chamber, the green house gas is broken down in a "Plasma Water Gas Shift" type of reaction and cycled back into a fuel.

Pretreatment step 120 generates heat that in some embodiments of the invention is used to supply steam to the plasma melter 112, or to a turbine generator (not shown), or any other process (not shown) that utilizes heat.

Although the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments and applications, persons skilled in the art may, in light of this teaching, generate additional embodiments without exceeding the scope or departing from the spirit of the invention described herein. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawing and description in this disclosure are proffered to facilitate comprehension of the invention, and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.