Chemical Engineering January 2012 - 14

Waste disposal system for military operations
CHEMENTATOR
(Continued from p. 12)
he Micro Auto Gasification System
(MAGS) is a compact solid-waste disposal
system that is designed for energy-efficient
operation onboard naval vessels, in forwardoperating
military bases and in other isolated
installations.
Developed by the Office of Naval Research
(ONR; Arlington, Va.; www.onr.navy.mil)
and Terragon Environmental Technologies
Inc. (Montreal, Ont.; www.terragon.net), the
MAGS uses a highly controlled pyrolysis
process (diagram) to reduce up to 40 kg of
as-received solid waste into synthesis gas
(syngas) and inert carbonaceous material.
The pyrolysis is carried out at 750°C in the
MAGS' insulated drum. The process sequesters
a significant portion of carbon as char,
preventing the formation of significant portions
of CO2. The syngas produced is used
to sustain the process, and air emissions are
environmentally compliant, the ONR says.
In one day, a single MAGS unit can treat
the waste generated by a community of 500
people. In 2 h, the system reduces 40 kg of
typical solid waste by more than 95%, ONR
remarked. Materials safely destroyed by
T
Waste
Gasifier
Crude
syngas
Gas
cleaning
system
Clean
syngas
Char
Syngas
MultiTherm CEng Ad:Chemical Eng Ad 7/1/11 11:56 AM Page 1
MAGS include paper, wood, plastic, chemicals,
food, cloth, grease and oil, sludge, agricultural
waste and others. Metals and glass
are sanitized and left intact for recycling, and
the inert ash remaining after the gasification
can be landfilled safely, ONR points out.
A MAGS unit is currently under evaluation
by the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific,
at Camp Smith on the Hawaiian island
of Oahu. Additional evaluation sites
are under consideration.
■
Filtered
particulate
matter
powering solid-oxide fuel cells
in auxilliary power units of longhaul
vehicles. The researchers
incorporated rhodium into the
pyrochlore crystal structure
and applied the catalyst to a
monolith support. Compared to
current reforming catalysts, the
pyrochlore structure is said to
withstand poisoning by the high
levels of sulfur and aromatics
present in heavy-carbon fuels,
as well as the intense heat of
the reforming reaction, thus
giving it a much longer life,
says NETL. The new catalyst
technology has been licensed
to Pyrochem Catalyst Co. (Pittsburgh,
Pa.).
Recycling WEEE
Tecnalia Research & Innovation
(Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain;
www.tecnalia.com) has developed
a recycling system for classifying
waste from electrical and
electronic equipment (WEEE)
that cannot be sorted by conventional
methods. The company
won the 2011 EARTO prize. ❏
NEED TECHNICAL SUPPORT
for your Hot Oil System?
TechTeam can Help
Keep Your Hot Oil System Running!
� Heat Transfer Fluids �
� Filter Systems
� Cleaning
� Trouble Shooting
Call Today!
1-800-225-7440
www.MultiTherm.com
Circle 18 on p. 54 or go to adlinks.che.com/40263-18
14 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM JUNUARY 2012
Design
� Training
� Start-Up
� Operations
NON-TOXIC
NON-HAZARDOUS
Heat Transfer Fluid
http://www.onr.navy.mil http://www.terragon.net http://www.tecnalia.com http://www.MultiTherm.com http://adlinks.che.com/40263-18 http://WWW.CHE.COM
Chemical Engineering January 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering January 2012
