1. “Garbage to Gas” Team Bravo Mentor Eleftherios Avtzis David Garcia
Bryan Isles
Zack Labaschin
Alena Nguyen
Mentor
Dan Rusinak
Che Team Bravo

2. Municipal Solid Waste EPA 2008 report on MSW generation
Approximately 250 million tons of MSW generated by Americans in 2008
~33.2% is recycled and composited (83 million tons)
Approximately 4.5 pounds of MSW generated per person per day
1.5 pounds of the 4.5 is recycled and composited.
Che Team Bravo

3. Municipal Solid Waste
Che Team Bravo

4. Why MSW? Renewable Energy Source Helps the Environment (CH4 emissions)
Cost effective
Transportation Reduction
Located near cities and existing infrastructure
Che Team Bravo

5. Disadvantages of MSW Preparation of feedstock
A lower heating value than conventional feedstocks
Higher Ash content than conventional feedstocks
Che Team Bravo

6. Design Basis Commercial Scale Production
2500 metric tonnes per day MSW 
1800 metric tonnes per day Syngas
Landfill choice
Location
Proximity to City
Water Sources
Size and expansion

7. Design Basis River Bend Prairie Landfill 88 Acres
20 Acres of expansion
Access to MSW of Chicago
Rail and River access
Residential
Limited Expansion

8. Design Basis Newton County Landfill 265 Acres Room for expansion
Access to MSW of South Chicago
Transportation
No river access

9. Design Basis Environmental Review Positives
Removal of MSW from local landfill (75% of 2500 metric tonnes per day low end value enter gasification processing)
Gasification by-products are captured and properly stored (no venting into atmospheres)
Negatives
400 million lbs of hazardous waste per year (mostly ash)
100,000 lbs will need relocation (cannot be further utilized)

10. Design Basis Industrial Standard Review
Clean Syngas produced in 2.05 ratio H2/CO for use by chemical production
Clear Statement of Feedstock
MSW from landfills
Return to landfill includes: glass, appliances, paints or oils
Metal will be recycled

11. BFD
Che Team Bravo

12. MSW to RDF MSW – municipal solid waste in
Sorting – removal of recycle metals and other rejects
Screening procedures
Shredding and drying
RDF – Refuse Derived Fuel out

13. Gasification Reactions
C is a carbon containing compound
C + ½ O2  CO :: MJ/kmol
Char reacts with CO2 and steam
C + H2O  CO + H2 :: MJ/kmol
CO + ½ O2  CO2 :: MJ/kmol
H2 + ½ O2  H2O :: MJ/kmol
Che Team Bravo

14. Water-Gas Shift Reaction
CO + H2O  CO2 + H2 :: - 41 MJ/kmol
Slightly exothermic
Required to achieve syngas ratio of 2.05
Great opportunity for heat recovery
Che Team Bravo

15. TBE Gasification Process

16. Disadvantages of Other Processes
High pressure/Energy intensive
Lower quality raw syngas
Air or oxygen requirements
Poor scale up
Unproven technology

17. Advantages of TBE Process
Low pressure
Relatively low temperature
Efficient ash removal
Indirect gasification
Residence time less than one second

18. References
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to Liquid Fuels Synthesis, Volume 1: Availability of Feedstock and Technology (PNNL-18144)
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to Liquid Fuels Synthesis, Volume 2: A Techno-economic Evaluation of the Production of Mixed Alcohols (PNNL-18482)
- TBE
- Rentech
Municipal Solid waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2008 – EPA
Higman, Christopher and van der Burgt, Maarten. Gasification 2nd Edition. Gulf Professional Publishing. Oxford, 2008.