[Gasification] [Bioconversion] Conserve -- Run an Arcreformernow!!

[Michael Redler]

Tom wrote: "The internet and internet sources don't have all the answers but discussions like this can point to useful sources of experience and information."

Absolutely!

This entire message puts a lot of what we've been discussing into perspective and the timing couldn't be better!

Thank you!

Mike

Tom Miles wrote:
> Peter,
>
> Some of us are studying, designing, testing, installing or fixing operating
> systems. For me that currently includes melters and plasma systems for
> refuse derived fuel for utility clients, biomass gasifiers and pyrolysis
> systems for industrial heat and power and small scale gasifiers. My opinions
> are usually based on extensive research and direct experience.
>
> Our comedian and journalist Will Rogers often prefaced his remarks by
> saying, "All I know is what I read in the papers." Today many people would
> have to say "all I know is what I read on the Internet." The internet and
> internet sources don't have all the answers but discussions like this can
> point to useful sources of experience and information. One serious problem
> with internet sources, including promotional "white papers," is that they
> are usually placed for public view by advocates for a system or technology
> and have not been tested extensively in industry or subjected to critical
> review. There's a lot of useless and misleading information on the internet.
> (It would help if you and others would carefully review and synthesize
> information rather than simply plastering URLS and news articles all over
> the list.)    
>
> As for plasma for gasification or reforming there are many technical
> challenges to using plasma or arc furnaces for refuse or biomass
> gasification starting with fuel feeding, gasification or pre-gasification,
> separation of gas, solids and condensed vapors, gas cleanup, and catalysts
> for synthesis to liquid fuels. There are no pilot systems in operation today
> that can convince a power generator that plasma is not still in a very early
> phase of development. If you can make a gas the weakest link in the
> synthesis gas to liquid fuels field is the lack of catalysts that can be
> used economically. 
>
> There are people on this list who have much more direct experience with
> melters and arc gasification than I do. They are not likely to comment
> because they cannot. Their systems and technologies are proprietary. Over
> the last 15 years our clients have built melters for special wastes -
> medical, hazardous and electronic parts - which have a high enough disposal
> cost to justify melting them and recovering the energy available in the gas.
> The recovered electricity sometimes amounts to only about 60-80% of the
> energy required to decompose the waste. There is a net energy cost to
> building, owning and operating these systems that must be paid for by
> something besides the electricity revenues. So while they may be fun to talk
> about I don't think we'll see many in operation unless they promise to
> reduce disposal costs.
>
> Keep the faith and don't be so generous with the opinions. We'll all pretty
> saturated with Peter posts. After a while people simply tune out the mass of
> messages. When people stop listening you don't get answers no matter what
> you say. 
>
> Tom
>   
[snip]