MXPA97005905A

MXPA97005905A - System of vitrification plasma of electric arc-boiler of fusion, integrated, self-maintained, adjustable for the treatment of disposal and recovery of recur

Info

Publication number: MXPA97005905A
Application number: MXPA/A/1997/005905A
Authority: MX
Inventors: H Titus Charles; Jeffrey E Surma; R Cohn Daniel
Original assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
Priority date: 1995-02-02
Filing date: 1997-08-01
Publication date: 1998-11-09

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrated electric arc plasma-fusion melting unit integrated by the Joule effect, characterized in that it comprises: a means for generating an electric arc plasma in the upper part or inside the material tank melt, in the unit, and a means for providing volumetric heating by Joule effect in the molten material reservoir, the means for generating the electric arc plasma and means for providing volumetric heating by Joule effect configured such that each is controlled from separately and independently during simultaneous operation in response to a process parameter, determines

Description

PLASMA ELECTRIC ARC VITRIFICATION SYSTEM- FUSING BOILER, INTEGRATED, SELF-MAINTENANCE, ADJUSTABLE FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISPOSAL AND RECOVERY OF MEANS TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates in general to systems for the conversion of waste, and more particularly to combinations of melting boiler heated by Joule-electric arc plasma effect, independently controllable, as integrated systems to provide public waste treatment services and energy production, adjustable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The elimination of municipal solid waste (MSW) and other wastes has become a major problem for some decades past due to space limitations for landfills and the problems associated with the establishment of new incinerators . In addition, environmental awareness REF: 25284 augmented has resulted in increased interest from many large metropolitan areas and the country as a whole to ensure that the disposal of solid waste is properly managed. See, for example USA EPA, The Solid Waste Dilemma: An Agenda for Action, EPA / 530-SW-89-019, Washington, D.S. (1989). Attempts have been made to reduce the volume and recover the energy content of the MSW through incineration and cogeneration. The normal waste to energy incinerator will process the solid fuel fraction from the waste stream, produce steam to drive a steam turbine, and as a result of the combustion process will produce a waste ash material. Typically, the ash is buried in a municipal landfill. Current trends and recent decisions, however, may require that this material be shipped or shipped to landfills allowed for hazardous waste - this will substantially increase the cost of removing the ashes. In addition, there is a growing public interest in gaseous emissions from landfills and the possibility of groundwater contamination. Another disadvantage associated with incinerator systems is the production of large quantities of gaseous emissions that result in the need for costly air pollution control systems in an attempt to lower the emission levels to meet the requirements imposed by the agencies. regulators. In order to overcome the disadvantages associated with the incinerator systems, attempts have been made in the prior art to utilize electric arc plasma torches to destroy toxic waste. The use of electric arc plasma torches provides an advantage over incinerator or combustion processes, traditional under certain operating conditions because the volume of gaseous products formed by the electric arc plasma torch can be significantly lower than the Volume produced during typical incineration or combustion, plus few toxic materials are in the gaseous product, and under some circumstances the waste material can be vitrified. For example, the North American Patent No. ,280,757 to Carter et al., Describes the use of an electric arc plasma torch in a reaction vessel to gasify municipal solid waste. In this way, a product having a medium quality gas and a slag with a lower leaching capacity of toxic elements is produced. U.S. Patent No. 4,644,877 to Hartón et al. Refers to the irolytic destruction of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) using an electric arc plasma torch. The waste materials are atomized and ionized by an electric arc plasma torch and then cooled and recombined into the gas and matter in the form of particles in a reaction chamber. US Patent No. 4,431,612 to Bell et al. Describes a hollow graphite electrode electric arc plasma transfer furnace for the treatment of hazardous waste such as PCB. It is described in US Pat. No. 5, 284,503 Bitler et al. A process to remedy land contaminated with lead and waste battery material. A vitrified slag of the earth forms. The fuel gas and the volatilized lead, which are formed from the waste battery casings, are preferably transferred and used as a fuel for a conventional melting furnace.

The systems proposed by Barton collaborators, Bell et al., Carter et al. And Bitler et al. Have significant disadvantages. For example, these disadvantages include insufficient heating, mixing and resistance time to ensure high quality, production of glass that can not be leached for a wide range of waste feeds. Additionally, the size of the chimney and the design of the feeder are significantly limited since the furnace walls can be relatively closed to the electric arc plasma which is the only source of heat. The high thermal stress on the furnace walls frequently occurs as a result of the limitation in the size of the chimney. Prior art electric arc plasma furnaces with metallic electrodes can be further limited by the short lifetime of the electrode when used in high DC currents. Therefore, to achieve superior energy production, the potential of the electric arc must be increased to lengthen the arc. This results in thermal losses by radiation to the side walls of the furnace and leads to inefficiency of the metal electrode (blowtorch). In addition, there are frequently difficulties associated with the transfer arc plasma of the prior art at the beginning and restart of these arc plasma systems when cold, electrically non-conductive material is being processed. In this way, while these prior art attempts have been useful, there still remains a need in the art for a strong, easy to operate, waste conversion system that minimizes hazardous gaseous emissions and maximizes the conversion of a large range of solid waste into useful energy and produce a flow of product that is in a safe, stable form for commercial use or that does not require hazardous waste considerations, special for disposal. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a user friendly and highly flexible method and apparatus, strong for processing and converting a wide range of waste materials into useful energy and stable products while minimizing hazardous gaseous emissions, thereby overcoming the drawbacks associated with the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the increased conversion of solid waste materials such as municipal and industrial waste to useful energy with greatly reduced air pollution. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for converting a wide range of waste materials to commercially useful products to a safe, stable product that is suitable for disposal. It is another object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for converting waste materials using a combination of an independently controllable electric arc plasma and a melting boiler heated by Joule effect as an integrated system. It is still another object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for converting waste materials using an electric arc plasma that provides heated material to a melting boiler heated by Joule effect in a directly coupled integrated system.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for converting waste materials using a fully integrated electric arc plasma arc and melting boiler with Joule effect. It is still a further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for converting waste materials in which a melting boiler heated by Joule effect and an electric arc plasma in a completely integrated system if operating simultaneously with a material tank. fused, common and with control independently of the energy to each one. It is still a further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for vitrifying waste materials using a melting boiler heated by Joule effect and electric arc plasma, in combination, as an integrated system. It is still yet another object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for converting waste materials using rapid pyrolysis, thereby providing a high purity gas suitable for combustion. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for highly effective conversion of waste materials to gaseous fuel capable of generating electricity through a highly efficient, small gas turbine or internal combustion engine. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a waste conversion unit that can be self-powered or can provide a given level of electricity for outdoor use by using an additional fuel, such as natural gas, diesel or some other fuel, in amounts variables in the gas turbine or internal combustion engine. These and other objects of the invention are provided by a system that is capable of processing municipal solid waste (MSW), industrial waste or other forms of waste into a stable, non-leachable product that is suitable for commercial use or that It can be eliminated without risk to the environment. The system also minimizes air emissions and maximizes the production of a gas product useful for the production of electricity. The present invention provides a compact, energy-to-electricity processing system having the advantage of completely or substantially complete conversion of the waste materials into a useful gas and a product flow at a single location. In addition, the product flow can be used in a variety of commercial applications. Alternatively, the product flow, which is in a safe, stable waste form, does not require dangerous, special considerations for disposal. The combination of the electric arc plasma furnace and the fusion boiler heated by Joule effect as an integrated system with gas turbine generation equipment or internal combustion engine provides a public waste treatment and energy production service, autoali entado which is capable of being deployed in relatively small modular units and that can be easily scaled to handle large volumes of municipal solid waste. The primary processing unit preferably includes a DC or AC electrode electric arc plasma to heat the waste material and which also has a Joule heating capacity for depositing the melting material. Preferably, the electric arc or electric arc electrode is an electric arc or electric arcs of CD electrode with electrodes formed of graphite. The use of a DC electric arc in combination with a special electric circuit ensures the independent, simultaneous control of the electric arc plasma and the fusion boiler heated by the Joule effect. The primary mode of operation of the electric arc plasma and the fusion boiler heated by fecto Joule is pyrolysis (private operation of oxygen). In a preferred embodiment, the system is operated such that rapid pyrolysis occurs, thereby producing a gas with higher purity as compared to other pyrolysis methods. One embodiment of the invention uses a combination of an electric arc plasma furnace which provides heated material to a melting boiler heated by Joule effect coupled to the electric arc plasma. Heating coils and / or inductive mixing can be used to provide additional heating and / or mixing in the melt deposit. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electric arc plasma components and the melting boiler heated by Joule effect are completely integrated with a deposit of molten material, common such that the system is capable of simultaneous operation, independently controllable, that is, adjustable, of these co-participants. The electric arc plasma occurs between a graphite electrode or electrodes and the molten material. Graphite is the material of electric arc electrode, preferred before metal since graphite electrodes simplify the process and since graphite has a much greater current capacity than a metal electrode in a plasma torch. In addition, graphite electrodes require less maintenance in relation to frequent replacements of electrode arc plasma torch tips for metal electrodes. However, it should be appreciated, that other metal elements such as tungsten or the like can be used as the electrode material. The fully integrated, adjustable system employs electrical and mechanical design features to maximize flexibility and efficiency. The benefits of this embodiment of the invention include, but are not limited to, high processing rates for the vitrification of a wide variety of non-lixiviable glass materials, high quality and low volume requirements due to the integrated system. The melting boiler heated by Joule effect provides a deep volumetric heating and is able to maintain a constant temperature throughout the length of the deposit of melting material with characteristics of uniform mixing, thus resulting in a product of high quality glass , homogeneous. The electric arc plasma provides surface heating, radiant, necessary for "the processing of the feed material in a highly efficient way and at significantly higher speeds than other technologies." The independently controllable, simultaneous operation of the electric arc plasma and the boiler Fusion heated by the Joule effect is provided by the predetermined configurations of the electric arc melting boiler and electric circuits.While it is not intended to be limiting, the electric arc plasma is preferably operated by an electric arc of DC and the Melting boiler heated by the Joule effect is operated by AC power.The CD electric arc arrangement and fusion boiler heated by Joule effect powered by AC ensures the ability to independently control and operate each component. of fusion in combination with electric arc plasma co provides a more even heating than the prior techniques.

In addition, the use of deep volumetric heating provided by the glass melting boiler heated by the Joule effect facilitates operational comfort. The constant heat source necessary to maintain sufficient electrical conductivity in the waste material is also provided for the rapid restart of the electric arc plasma using an electrical conduction path through waste material. Traditionally, the fully integrated system allows the furnace walls to be beyond the electric arc plasma since an additional heat source is provided. The increased distance of the walls of the electric arc plasma increases the feeding options and reduces the thermal stress in the furnace lining. The present invention also allows the use of electrodes having a long life and a very wide range of electric arc plasma and Joule heat energy plasma levels. The independent control of the electric arc plasma and the energy of the fusion boiler heated by the Joule effect provides a continuously adjustable mixture of surface and deep volumetric heating, which can be optimized for different phases of operation. For example, additional heating may be required to pour glass or to maintain the temperature of the glass material reservoir while additional surface heating may be necessary during the initiation of feeding. In addition, different mixtures of surface and volume heating are suitable for different waste streams. The ratio of surface to deep volumetric heating may be lower for municipal waste, for example, than for industrial waste containing large amounts of metals and high temperature materials. The high-quality, vitrified products produced in accordance with the present invention can be used in a variety of applications. For example, vitrified productsc can be ground and incorporated into the asphalt for use on roads and the like. Alternatively, the vitrified products can be used to replace the ash in blocks of ash or construction, thus minimizing the absorption of water within the block. Additionally, the vitrified products may be solidified to a final form exhibiting a substantial reduction in volume over the vitrification products of the prior art. The solidified form is suitable for elimination without health risks or risks to the environment. The foregoing has pointed out some of the pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be constructed to be only illustrative of some of the most prominent features of applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be achieved by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner of modifying the invention as will be described. Accordingly, these objects of a more complete understanding of the invention can be had by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 (a) is a schematic view of a flow diagram illustrating the process and apparatus suitable for use in the present invention in which the electric arc plasma provides heated material to the melting boiler in an integrated system, directly coupled; Figure 1 (b) is a schematic view of a flow chart illustrating the process and apparatus suitable for use in an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the combustion chamber and the gas turbine machines shown in the Figure 1 (a) are replaced by a spark injection or internal combustion diesel engine; Figures 2 (a) -2 (e) illustrate an electric arc plasma furnace and fusion boiler heated by Joule effect, directly coupled according to the present invention; Figures 3 (a) and 3 (b) illustrate the arrays of DC energy systems only for the electric arc plasma portion of the electric arc furnace array and heated-up fusion boiler Joule shown in Figures 2 (a) -2 (e); Figure 4 (a) shows an alternative and preferred embodiment of the electric arc plasma furnace and fusion boiler heated by the Joule effect according to the present invention, in which the furnace and the melting boiler are formed as a complete system integrated with a bath of molten material, common; Figure 4 (b) shows a fully integrated electric arc plasma furnace and fusion boiler in which the electrodes of the melting boiler portion are positioned at an angle relative to the vertical portion of the plasma unit electric arc-melting boiler; Figure 4 (c) shows the fully integrated system of Figure 4 (a) with magnetic coils for heating and inductive mixing according to the present invention; Figure 4 (d) illustrates the fully integrated system of Figure 4 (a) having a secondary thermal increase according to an alternative embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 illustrates an electric arc plasma furnace system and fusion boiler heated by Joule effect, fully integrated with power distribution systems, independently controllable; Figures 6 (a) and 6 (b) respectively show an AC power system and a DC power system for use with the fully integrated system shown in Figure 5.

Figures 7 (a) and 7 (b) show two plan views for the configurations and geometries of the electrodes for the fully integrated system shown in Figure 5; Y Figure 8 is a circuit diagram that has the ability to connect a portion of the AC electrodes that will conduct both AC and DC according to the integrated system shown in the Figure . Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the various views of the Figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES.

Referring now to Figure 1 (a), a schematic view of the process and apparatus suitable for use in accordance with the present invention is shown. The system 10 includes a primary processing unit having an electric arc plasma furnace 12 and the melting chamber 32. As shown in greater detail in Figure 2 the electric arc plasma furnace 12 is constructed such that the amount of oxygen present in the furnace can be controlled. The oven 12 includes the upper part 12a, the bottom 12b and the sides 12c and 12d. In addition, the oven 12 preferably includes at least four holes, illustrated in Figure 1 as 14, 16, 18 and 20a. As discussed herein, the opening 14 allows gas formed in the electric arc furnace 12 to be discharged through the opening 14 to the fuel gas line 30 and processed for use as a fuel gas. The gas discharge orifice 14 can be formed of any conventional material that allows controlled discharge of a combustible gas. For example, and while not limiting, the gas discharge from the furnace 12 can be controlled by a flow control valve or the like in the opening 14. It is preferred that the gas discharge orifice 14 be placed in or near the upper part 12a of the furnace 12. Alternatively, the gas discharge orifice 14 can be placed in the chamber 32 as shown in Figure 2. As further shown in Figures 1 (a), l ( b) and 2 (a) -2 (e), the opening 16 allows the slag or glass material formed in the furnace 12 to flow to the melting boiler 32 heated by Joule effect. The flow through the opening or orifice 16 is preferably controlled when constructing the oven 12 so that it has an angled wall 12d such as that shown in Figure 2. In this way, the slag material 36 accumulates in the furnace 12 until a predetermined level is reached, forcing the slag 36 to flow over the wall 12d and towards the melting boiler 32. While it is not meant to be limiting, the wall 12d can be formed at an angle of about 45 ° as shown in Figure 2. The level at which the slag begins to flow on the wall 12d towards the melting boiler 32 is determined based on the desired residence time in the furnace and the feeding speed for the waste material. This construction allows the glass to be continuously removed while simultaneously preventing the entry or exit of gas. The metal discharge opening or hole 18 allows the metal formed and collected in the furnace 12 to be discharged and separated from the gases and slag formed in the furnace 12. The discharge orifice 18 is constructed in any manner that be able to control the discharge of the molten metal material from the furnace 12. For example, a flow control valve or flow control equipment can be used to control the flow through the discharge orifice 18 toward the metal manifold 28. Preferably, the opening 16 is placed on the side 12d of the furnace 12 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the metal discharge 18 is placed on or near the bottom 12b of the furnace 12. While it is not intended to be limiting , the furnace 12 can be designed such that the bottom 12b is angled as shown in Figure 2. The waste material inlet hole 20a is positioned such that the waste material 26 is fed from the waste feed system 20. waste through the orifice 20a towards the furnace 12 in a controlled manner. While not intended to be limiting, the craft 20a may include a flow control valve or the like to inspect the feed rate of the waste material 26. The feed system 20 can be any conventional type of feed system that is capable of feeding municipal solid waste or other waste such as hazardous waste, hospital waste, ash from an incinerator or the like to the furnace 12 while the feed system does not allow air to enter the oven through the feed system. As shown in Figure 1 (a), the furnace 12 may include additional holes such as the gas or air inlet port 12e, shown in Figure 1 (a). The air or gas inlet orifice 12e includes flow control, such as a flow control valve or the like. Preferably, the orifice 12e is positioned to be inserted through the wall of the furnace at a level close to the slag material 36 as shown in Figure 1 (a). In this way, the air 50b (which may contain a predetermined amount of steam 80) is injected into the furnace 12 at a controlled rate and time during the conversion process to control the composition of the gas leaving the furnace. In addition, air and / or steam can be introduced through the opening 12e to ensure that any carbon in the feedstock has been converted to carbon containing gases such as CO, C02, H2, CH4, and the like. This reduces the amount of carbonization during the process that can result when the carbon is not completely converted to gases containing carbon. The refractory product 24 is used to line the furnace 12. The refractory product 24 can be formed of any suitable material capable of handling temperatures in excess of about 3000 ° C. For example, and while not limiting, the furnace 12 and the portions of the refractory product 24 may be formed of ceramic or graphite material. The furnace 12 includes the electrode or electrodes 22, which are preferably formed of graphite. It is preferred to use graphite as the electrode material rather than metal since the graphite electrodes simplify the process and have a much greater current capacity than those used in a metal torch. further, the graphite electrodes require less maintenance in relation to the frequent replacements of the tips of the torch or metal systems. Due to anticipated conditions in the furnace plenum that comprise partial oxidant environments and conditions that promote the water-gas reaction: C + H20? CO + H2 at 600-1000 ° C there may be unacceptable consumption of graphite without special provisions. Therefore, the graphite electrode 22 is preferably coated with zirconium, silicon carbide, boron nitride or other protective coating to minimize the consumption of graphite and prolong the service life. For example, when the furnace 12 of municipal solid waste containing carbonaceous material is fed, a highly endothermic reaction occurs which requires approximately 600 W-hour / ton of municipal solid waste to convert the combustible material to combustible gas and non-combustible material to the human waste. The electrode or electrodes 22 can be operated with either an AC or DC electric arc in the furnace 12. However, it is preferred to use an electric arc of DC in the furnace 12 before an AC electric arc since the use of An electric arc of CD improves the stability of the electric arc and can reduce the consumption of the electrode. The metal, which can accumulate in the bottom of the furnace 12, is capable of being removed through the metal discharge office 18. Furnace 12 may also include one or more electrodes 86a, 86b placed preferably on or near the bottom 12b of the furnace 12.

The melting chamber 32, which includes the upper part 32a, the bottom 32b and the sides 32c and 32d, is heated by Joule effect and is preferably coupled directly to the furnace 12. The melting boiler 32 heated by Joule effect is heated using AC or DC power. In a preferred embodiment, the melting boiler 32 heated by the Joule effect is heated with the AC energy while the electric arc electrode 22 uses DC energy. The energy requirements to keep the slag 36 at the proper temperature are equal to the heat losses of the outer surface of the melting boiler. This has been shown to be very low, ie, approximately 20-30 KW / m2 of the slag or glass surface area for a properly designed melting chamber. An advantage of having the melting boiler 32 coupled closely to the electric arc furnace 12 is that the melting boiler 32 provides additional melting volume, thereby providing a longer residence time in the process and elimination of the metal short circuits. of the electrodes in the bottom of the fusion boiler heated by Joule effect. This results in a more homogeneous slag or glass product that is removed in the system 10 by the slag discharge orifice 82. The refractory product 34 acts as a liner for the melting boiler 32 heated by Joule effect and can be formed of any material capable of withstanding temperatures of about 1600 ° C. For example, the refractory product 34 can be formed of ceramic material or the like. The electrodes 38a, 38b are preferably placed in the melting boiler 32 such that when the slag 36 enters the melting boiler 32, the electrodes 38a and 38b are immersed therein. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, for example, the electrode ja can be placed on one side 32b of the melting boiler 32, while the electrode 38b is placed on the opposite side 32c of the melting boiler 32 such that AC or DC current is able to flow between them. Preferably, the electrodes 38a, 38b are placed on or near the bottom 32d of the melting boiler 32. However, it should be noted that, any arrangement of electrodes 38a, 38b is suitable for use in accordance with the invention, as long as sufficient current is able to pass through the slag 36. It should also be noted that the melting boiler 32 may also include additional electrodes 38c such as those shown in Figures 2 (a) -2 (e). The melting boiler 32 may also include a heater, auxiliary system. As illustrated in Figures 2 (a) -2 (e), the auxiliary heater 90 includes one or more heaters 92, the duct 98 the slag duct 94, the orifice 96 and the slag collector 100. While not intended to be limiting, Figures 2 (a) -2 (e) illustrate various alternative constructions for the placement of the product 98 in the auxiliary heater system 90. The slag 36 flows from the melting boiler 32 through the conduit 98, where it is heated by the heaters 92. The slag 36 then flows through the slag duct 94 towards the orifice 96 and is discharged therefrom to the collector. 100 of slag. The orifice 96 may include a flow control valve or the like to control the discharge of the slag 36 from the heat system 90. The auxiliary heater system 90 is used when it is desirable to increase the viscosity of the slag in order to maintain the level of slag in the melting boiler. The auxiliary heater system also compensates for heat loss as the slag reaches the slag discharge before it falls into the slag container. As illustrated in Figure 2, the slag can therefore be collected in the containers 84 and / or 100. When hazardous wastes are being processed, it may be desirable to have the containers 28, 84 and 100 sealably connected to the holes 18, 84 and 96, respectively, in a way that the air and / or gases do not enter or leave the system through them. The process of the invention will now be described. The waste material 26 is fed from the feed system 20 through the inlet opening 20a to the furnace 12. As mentioned above, the electric arc furnace 12 preferably includes a graphite electrode or electrodes 22 operating with a electric arc of CD. This arrangement is particularly suitable for processing solid waste material into glass or slag and a useful gas. The electric arc 216 in the oven 12 is preferably designed to directly contact the feed material 26. Two types of power supply arrangements are suitable for use in the present invention to convert three base AC power into DC power in order to start and maintain the DC electric arc, stable in the electric arc furnace 12 .

Figure 3 (a) and 3 (b) illustrate the DC power system arrays only for the electric arc plasma portion of the electric arc furnace array and Joule heated fusion boiler shown in Figure 2. The melting boiler portion heated by the Joule effect of this combined system can utilize a conventional AC power system, such as those currently used and available by Pacific Northwest Laboratories or the Department of Energy. As shown in Figure 3 (a), a conventional three-phase bridge thyristor bridge rectifier 200 with a "float" or "hold" iodine 212 is illustrated. A secondary winding 204 of the transformer provides an AC voltage to the thyristors 206a, 206b which rectify the first phase 202a. Similarly, a secondary transformer winding 204 provides an AC voltage to the thyristors 206c, 206d which rectify the second phase 202b while the transformer secondary winding 204 provides an AC voltage to the thyristors 206c, 206f which rectify the third phase 202c. In this manner, a rectified phase designated 208 in Figure 3 (a) is provided through points 210a and 210b.

The "clamping" diode 212 is connected between the outputs (+) 218 and (-) 220 of the bridge rectifier. The injector 214 is connected in series with an output wire connected to ground between iodine 212"clamping" and the electric arc furnace 12. The inductor 214 is used to supply frequently required transcendental voltage to maintain a stable arc 216 during the operation of the electric arc furnace 12. The function of the "clamping" diode 212 is to provide a path for the current from the injector 214 to flow when the voltage of the electric arc 216 of CD exceeds the open circuit voltage of the rectifier. Referring now to FIGS. 3 (b), another conventional circuit 230 is shown for converting three phase AC power to DC power which is suitable for use in the present invention. This type of circuit is suitable for use in sustaining an electric arc 216 of CD in furnace 12 and is frequently used in CD electric arc welding systems. In the circuit shown in Figure 3 (b), saturable reactors (232a, 232b and 232c) are connected in series with each of the three secondary transformer windings, AC and three-phase diode rectifier bridge.

The function of the saturable reactors 232a, 232b and 232c is variable in impedance of the AC current path between the transformer and the AC input to the rectifier of the diode, thereby providing a means to maintain the desired amount of DC current. in electric arc 216 although the electric arc voltage can be varied rather quickly. The transformer secondary winding 204 in the circuit 230 shown in Figure 3 (b) can be either e or delta. If the secondary winding 204 is e, then the primary winding (not shown in Figure 3 (b)) can be delta or it can be e with or without a neutral return. A "clamping" diode is not necessary in the type of circuit shown in Figure 3 (b) because the diodes in the bridge rectifier provide this function. The inductor 214 is used to supply the necessary transcendental electric arc voltage in order to maintain an electric arc 216 of DC, stable in the furnace 12. It is important that any type of thyristor or saturable reactor type of the rectifier have a DC voltage. of current high enough, open to normally exceed the DC electric arc voltage. It is also important that any type of power supply must be able to maintain a pre-set amount of DC current while the electric arc voltage varies from 0 to at least 90% of the open circuit rectifier voltage, normal even if the voltage of electric arc varies rapidly. If the electric arc furnace 12 is powered or driven with AC before using CD power, then the saturable reactor type of the circuit shown in Figure 3 (b) is preferred since it will provide a greater degree of electric arc stability than a conventional type of AC commutating thyristor. The contact with the electric arc and the specific weight of the metals present in the waste material 26 results in the formation of three phases or layers in the furnace 12. A metal layer, a slag layer and a gaseous layer. The electric arc furnace 12 operates in a temperature range of about 1400-2000 ° C, preferably in the range of about 1550-1600 ° C based on the composition of the waste feed. If the electric arc plasma operates in a temperature range of approximately 3500-4500 ° C. The metal layer or phase 88 is accumulated by gravimetric separation at the bottom of the furnace 12a of the furnace until a sufficient amount is placed. Then, the metal 88 is discharged into a separate container through the discharge orifice 18. As mentioned above, the hole 18 can be formed of any suitable material that is capable of handling the metal in a temperature range of about 1400-2000 ° C. The orifice 18 may also include a flow control valve or the like to control the discharge of metal 88 from the furnace 12. The glass or slag 36 produced in the electric arc furnace 12 passes under a landfill in the melting boiler 32 heated by Joule effect which is coupled to the furnace 12. While the operating temperature in boiler 32 heated by Joule effect may vary depending on the composition and properties of the slag, the melting boiler 32 is preferably operated at approximately 1200-1600 ° C . The primary mode of operation in the furnace 12 and the melting boiler 32 is pyrolysis. However, operation in a partial oxidation mode may be required to aid in the processing of large quantities of combustible materials. As further illustrated in Figure 1, the system 10 also includes the turbine 56, the generator 60, and the necessary equipment required to couple the electric arc furnace unit, fusing boiler thereto. For example the system 10 preferably includes the hot gas cleaning equipment 40, the waste heat recovery unit 72, and the air injection 48 and water 68 systems. While not shown in Figure 1 (a ), a feed conditioning process may also be used for the waste material 26 in the feed system 20, before it is fed to the furnace 12. In addition to the units shown in Figure 1 (a), it may be It is desirable to incorporate a gas purification process for the gases leaving the emptying unit 40 or the gas-driven turbine to remove any of the acid gases therefrom. Preferably, the only gas conditioning required for the gases exiting from the electric arc furnace 12 is the gas-solid separation in the hot gas stripping unit 40 to minimize the amount of particles entering the turbine 56. Gases produced in furnace 12 are combustible gases formed as a result of rapid pyrolysis. As discussed herein, rapid pyrolysis generally results in at least 65% conversion of the waste material to a gas useful for combustion. The electric arc furnace 12 used in accordance with the present invention thus provides a gas containing approximately: 2% carbon dioxide, 44% carbon monoxide, 43% hydrogen, 2% methane and the remainder being hydrocarbons light. The gas produced in the furnace 12 is transported through the line 30 to the hot gas emptying unit 40 where the ash 42 is removed and thus separated from the fuel gas 44. The intake air 48 enters the compressor 46 and the air 50 exiting the compressor 46 can be divided into several distribution streams. For example, the air flow 50a is fed to the combustion chamber 52 and the air flow 50a, is fed to the combustion chamber 52 and air flow 50b can be fed to the furnace 12. The combustible gas 44 enters the chamber of combustion 52 and combined with air 50a. The hot gases and steam 54 produced in the combustion chamber 52 drives the turbine 56 and is connected to the generator 60 via 58 such that electricity 64 is generated in this way. The turbine 56 is preferably a gas turbine injected with steam , highly efficient. These turbines are commercially available. To guarantee the self-feeding operation, especially during startup, a variable amount of natural gas or other type of fuel 53 can be fed to the combustion chamber 52 (or internal combustion machine 55 as shown in Fe 1 (b) ). The water 68 enters the system 10 through the pump 66 to the heat recovery steam system 72, i.e., a heat exchanger where heat from the hot turbine exit gas 62 exchanges for the flow 70. The discharge 74 is separated from steam 76 in steam recovery system 72. Steam 76 is preferably recycled as steam 78 to turbine 56 and as vapor 80 to air flow 50b, as shown in Fe 1 (a) respectively. Referring now to Fe 1 (b), a process similar to that shown in Fe 1 (a) is illustrated except that the compressor 46, the combustion chamber 52 and the gas turbine 56 are replaced by an engine 55 of internal combustion. The internal combustion engine or machine 55 can be easy to use and can be more cost-efficient than a compressor gas turbine, especially for adjustable, small, plasma-fusing boiler electroconversion units. The air 50a and the auxiliary fuel 53 can be fed to the internal combustion engine 55 in a predetermined manner based on the composition of the fuel gas 44. Preferably, the efficiency of the engine 55 provides sufficient electricity for all or substantially all of the energy required for the plasma electroconversion unit-fusion boiler, adjustable. While not intended to be limiting, the internal combustion engine 55 is preferably internalized in a very unproductive manner, i.e., a high air to fuel ratio with carbon monoxide-hydrogen gas as fuel. In this way, electricity can be produced from the hydrogen-rich gas. When operating with low equivalence ratios (fuel / air ratio in relation to stoichiometric ratios) in a range of approximately 0.5-0.6, the production of Nox can be greatly reduced, that is, by factors of not more than 100 in relation to to the stoichiometric operation. The emissions of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide must also be very low.

Internal combustion engines with spark ignition are advantageous since these engines or machines are less expensive for very small units and are easier to start and stop than the turbines. To facilitate the production of a desired level of electrical energy, particularly during startup, or startup, an auxiliary energy such as gas rich in hydrogen, propane, natural gas or diesel fuel can be used to drive or feed the internal combustion engine. The amount of auxiliary fuel can vary depending on the composition of the waste stream, that is, the heating value of the incoming waste material and the amount of combustible material in the waste material from the energy requirements for waste processing . A preferred, alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 4-8. In this mode, the electric arc of DC and electric systems heated by the Joule effect of CA are completely integrated and operated simultaneously in a single glass melt, but are electrically isolated from each other through the use of a circuit of energy distribution, special. The electric arc-melting boiler combination illustrated in Figures 4 (a) - (c) and 5 is thus integrated both thermally and electrically, while the electric arc plasma furnaces coupled to the fusion boilers heated by Joule effect illustrated in Figures 1 (a), 1 (b) and 2 are thermally coupled in one direction, ie heat is not used in the melt bath in the melting boiler heated by Joule effect to heat the melt bath that forms the main part of the current path in the electric arc plasma furnace. Fully integrated plasma-boiler fusion systems according to the present invention provide the advantage of having continuously adjustable power ratios between the plasma heating and the heating with the glass melting boiler. For example, the power supply, independently, continuously adjustable is useful when it is desirable to use a portion of the system, for example, the electric arc plasma or the melting boiler. The independent, continuously adjustable power supply provides robustness and facilitates operating comfort under changing conditions. Independently continuously adjustable power supply further improves efficiency and maximizes environmental attractiveness by providing additional control over solid waste products, eg, glass, generation of discharge gases. The independent, continuously adjustable operation of the electric arc plasma and the fusion boiler allows the user to select several types of heating. For example, electric arc plasma (or plasma) provides radiation surface heating. Smaller, but still substantial amounts of plasma energy can be used during continuous feeding. High-temperature heating of surface debris facilitates high-throughput processing as well as rapid pyrolysis to produce high-quality fuel gas. The high surface heating is also necessary for processing where the material is difficult to melt or where the material is highly conductive, thus limiting the efficiency of Joule heating with glass in the absence of electric arc plasma. The heating by Joule effect with the electrodes of the glass melting boiler provides volumetric, deep heating. This type of heating guarantees the production of high quality glass by promoting mixing in the complete deposit of melting material. It also provides conductive material for more stable operation of the electric arc of transfer. The independent use of volumetric heating can also be used to keep waste in a molten state at low energy requirements when there is no power. Volumetric heating for the pouring of glass is also important. The power supply, Independent, continuously adjustable heating plasma and heating melter glass facilitates use extra volumetric heating for purposes of pouring glass or improved glass without increase the adverse effects of solid plasma heating output such as excessive volatilization of the material and thermal stress of the furnace wall. Besides food independent power continuously adjustable during processing of a given waste stream type, the adjustable feature of the plasma unit-melter, integrated can be used to optimize processing of different types of waste streams . For example, flows of municipal waste may require generally minor amounts, relative plasma power than would be with the streams to materials with high melting points and large amounts of metals such as hazardous waste industrial compounds greatly inorganic substances . The use of volumetric heating with a fusion boiler also facilitates a wider range of options for plasma electrode configurations. Because the volumetric heating with melting boiler keeps the material in a substantially molten state and a conductive state, more than can be easily used in a plasma electrode. This is partly true for the molten material that provides the conductive path between the electrodes. In this way, it is easily possible to continuously adjust the operation for the use of one or more plasma electrodes. The increased flexibility can be used to optimize fuel gas production, minimize particle emission and reduce electrode wear. The independently adjustable, continuously adjustable power supply of the plasma heating and fusing boiler systems thus provides a greatly extended amount of temperature control. The temporal spatial control of the temperature that had not previously been available can be used to improve the practicability and environmental attractiveness of the combustion systems of electric arc plasma and fusion boiler. As discussed herein, the complete integration of a fusion boiler heated by Joule effect with the electric arc plasma according to the present invention also facilitates the use of an elongated melting chamber with two electric arc plasma electrodes. The molten material is capable of providing a conductive or current path between the two electric arc plasma electrodes. This configuration significantly increases the flexibility of the waste and casting feed of the slag and increases the life and robustness of the electric arc plasma electrode. The arrangement two plasma electrodes electrically-camera arc elongated is facilitated by the melter joule heated because the heated melter Joule is capable of providing the necessary heat to maintain a conducting path between two electric arc plasma electrodes during the periods of the vacuum furnace and also provides uniform heating in the elongated melting chamber. The embodiments of the invention shown in Figures 4-8 includes a circuit arrangement showing the passage of the required AC power through the melt using submerged electrodes as in boilers heated by fusion, conventional, normal Joule and which also allow the simultaneous operation of a CD electric arc plasma circuit through the melt between the upper movable electrodes, or if desired, between these electrodes and / or a submerged counter electrode. The type of waste and the character of the molten slag will determine the preferred mode of operation. The 300 unit of electric arc plasma-melting boiler, integrated is shown in Figures 4 (a) -4 (d) and includes the reaction vessel 302. It should be noted that the fusion boiler heated by the Joule effect facilitates the production of a high quality pyrolysis gas using the minimum energy input to the process. This situation exists because the energy input to the electric arc does not need to be greater than that required to pyrolyze and melt the material in the electric arc zone. The bath of the melt below the unmelted feed material is maintained at the desired temperature using Joule heating as opposed to using only an electric arc plasma furnace. Air / oxygen and / or a combination of air and steam are added to remove the carbon from the surface of the melt and adjust the state of reduction-oxidation of the glass. The melting boiler heated by the Joule effect provides energy (ie hot glass) near the sides of the bath where the gas / vapor mixture is introduced. The integrated unit 300 may also include the auxiliary heater 320. The reaction vessel 302 includes the top 302a, the bottom 302b and the sides 302c and 302d. The bottom 302b may have a generally V-shaped configuration, as illustrated in Figure 4. The reaction container 302 further includes at least one opening or opening 304a for introducing the waste material 330 into the reaction vessel 302. In a preferred embodiment, the reaction vessel 302 includes a plurality of holes or openings 304a and 304b as shown in Figures 4 (a) -4 (d). Holes 304a and 304b may include a flow control valve or the like to control the flow of waste material 330 into container 302 and to prevent air from entering container 302 through it. It is also preferred that these ports 304a and 304b are capable of being controlled so that one or more or at the same time can be used selectively. The reaction vessel 302 also includes the gas orifice 306 and the hole or opening 310 for pouring metal / slag. As discussed above with reference to Figure 1 (a), the gas exiting from orifice 5 will preferably enter line 30 (as shown in Figures 1 (a) and 1 (b)) and will be sent to a scrubber, turbine or similar for further processing. The orifice 306 is provided with a flow control valve or the like, so that the gas formed in the reaction vessel 302 can be selectively released in the line 30. The metal / slag orifice 310 operates in a manner similar to that of hole 28 shown in Figure 1 (a). in particular, the hole 310 is designed to have a flow control valve or the like, so that the metal and / or slag can be removed and introduced into the metal / slag collector 312 at predetermined periods of time during the process. When hazardous waste is being processed, it may be desirable to have the manifold 312 sealably connected to the orifice 310 in a manner such that air and / or gases do not enter or leave the system therethrough. The chamber 320 operates in a manner similar to the auxiliary heater 90 shown in Figure 2. In particular, due to differences in specific gravity, the metal in the metal / slag layer 332 moves to the bottom 302b in the container 302. slag in the metal / slag layer 332 comes out through the opening or hole 326a to the duct 326. It should be appreciated that the duct 326 can be placed similar to any of the configurations as shown and described with reference to duct 98. in Figures 2 (a) -2 (e). Slag 334 is further heated by chamber 322a and 322b for a sufficient time to provide a homogeneous slag product. The slag 334 then passes through the slag duct 324 and the orifice 328, thereby exiting the chamber 320 to the slag manifold 336. When hazardous waste is being processed, it may be desirable to have the manifold 336 sealably connected to the orifice 328 in a manner such that the air and / or gases do not enter or leave the system therethrough. The reaction vessel 302 also includes a plurality of heating electrodes 308 and 308b by the Joule effect of CA. As further shown in Figure 4 (a), the electrodes 308 and 308b can be placed across both sides 302c and 302d, respectively. In addition, the electrodes 308a-308b are placed to be submerged in the slag mixture 332 when the process is in use. Figure 4 (b) illustrates an alternative arrangement for the placement of electrodes 308a and 308b according to the present invention. The placement of the electrodes 308a and 308b as illustrated in Figure 4 (b) facilitates the replacement of the electrodes. In particular, this type of arrangement allows the replacement of electrodes in the need to drain the furnace chimney. The draining of the furnace chimney is undesirable since it frequently degrades the furnace lining. Accordingly, the placement of the electrodes 308a and 308b at the angles 309a and 309b respectively, while simultaneously preventing the escape or release of the gas facilitates the replacement of the electrodes as necessary. While not being constructed to be limiting, the angles 309a and 309b of the electrodes 308a and 308b relative to the respective inner sides of the furnace are preferably between about 30-45 °. It may also be desirable to use metal electrodes or coated graphite electrodes for the fusion boiler heated by the Joule effect. The electrodes 338 can be placed at any angle while it is placed on the inside face of the chimney. The electrode or electric arc plasma electrodes are preferably formed of graphite. The portion of the length of the electrode just above the bottom of the electrode can be coated to decrease the erosion ratio. As shown further in the Figure 4 (b), the Joule heating electrode 308 (a) and 308 (b), energized are preferably inserted through the sides 302c and 302d of the furnace 302, respectively. As mentioned above, at angles 309a and 309b of the electrodes relative to the respective inner sides of the furnace are preferably between about 30-45 °. The end of the upper part of each electrode preferably extends outside the metal enclosure of the furnace and can be terminated with an electrical connection that will be electrically isolated from the furnace cover electrically connected to ground. The bottom end of each electrode is submerged below the bath of the melt to a desired depth. By selecting the appropriate location of the electrode entry point below the surface of the melt, the portion of the electrode will not be exposed to the arc or DC radiation of this electric arc, thereby increasing the life of this electrode. When it is necessary to replace the electrode 308a and / or 308b, the spent electrode is removed from the melt bath. If a new electrode is inserted into the bath always without preheating the electrode, the cold electrode could cause the viscosity of the melt bath to increase where the electrode makes contact makes contact with the melt bath, thus making it difficult to insert This new electrode in the melt bath. Accordingly, it may be desirable to electrically energize this electrode also by using a special, electrically isolated, limited power supply that will securely provide traditional heat at the junction of the bath and the electrode to allow complete immersion of the new electrode into the electrode. bathroom. In a preferred embodiment, electrical and thermal isolation can also be provided, suitable for each electrode, so that each electrode will be insulated both thermally and electrically from the metal enclosure of the furnace during normal operation.

Figure 4 (c) illustrates another embodiment of the present invention in which the coils 315a and 315b magi. can be used to heat and / or mix inductively. In order to provide the optimum melting rate provided with the particular waste stream that is introduced into the combustion CD-boiler, combined plasma, further stirring or mixing beyond that normally produced by the portion of the The furnace melting furnace and the DC electric arc portion the furnace may be desirable. This can be achieved by the addition of strategically placed magnetic coils such as coils 315a and 315b to create larger forces J x B which in turn cause mixing and / or additional heating in the melt bath. The coils 315a and 315b can be placed inside the metal cover of the furnace, but behind the refractory lining of the molten material tank. Alternatively, if the oven cover is applied of non-magnetic stainless steel such as grade 304L or 316, the coils can be placed on the outside of the cover. The coils 315a and 315b are connected to the AC power supply source. The frequency of the power supply source may vary depending on the material. This improvement of the bath mix is an example of the type of "fit" that can increase the life of the oven electrode and the performance of the waste. The same adjustability characteristics of the surface and volumetric heating mixture that apply for the use of a fusion boiler heated by the Joule effect apply to the use of a fusion boiler inductively heated in conjunction with the plasma. In a preferred embodiment, the inductive heating capabilities are provided with the electric arc plasma-fired boiler system heated by Joule effect as shown in Figure 4 (c). For some types of waste processing, it may be desirable to operate only the electric and inductive arc plasma heating. A system representative of this mode would be the same as that illustrated in Figure 4 (c) without the Joule heating electrodes. It should be appreciated that magnetic coils can also be used for heating and / or inductive mixing in conjunction with the electric arc plasma-boiler plasma combinations illustrated in Figures 1 (a) and 1 (b). In these embodiments, the electric arc plasma furnace and the fusion boiler heated by Joule effect are each provided with coils. In this way, the coils used with the electric arc plasma furnace can be operated and controlled independently of the coils used in conjunction with the fusion boiler heated by Joule effect. Figure 4 (d) illustrates another embodiment of the present invention, in which an alternative configuration of the plasma-fusing boiler process incorporates a secondary, thermal increment system 307. This system can be an electric arc plasma in a chamber to provide the thermal energy necessary to further fractionate the condensable fractions leaving the plasma-melting, primary boiler process. As shown in Figure 4 (d), for example, the secondary, thermal increase system 307 can be placed near or within the hole 306. The conversion of the waste to electrical energy by the plasma-melting boiler process depends from the maximum conversion of solid and liquid waste to gas, gaseous product. In the pyrolysis processes, a portion of the outgoing gas may contain condensibles which are light or medium oils. If the gas leaving the plasma chamber-fusing boiler is allowed to cool, the liquefaction of a portion of the discharge gas may result due to the condensables present at the oven temperatures. The secondary plasma discharge gas chamber ensures that these oils are converted to non-condensable combustible gases resulting in an improved recovery of the energy value of the incoming waste materials. When the plasma, secondary chamber 307 is positioned as shown in Figure 4 (d), the gas leaving the primary furnace chamber does not decrease in its temperature before entering the plasma chamber 307, secondary due to that the two systems are directly coupled. This minimizes the total energy requirements for the fractionation and gasification processes. In addition to the improved energy recovery in the gaseous affluent of the electric arc plasma-fusing boiler process, the plasma discharge chamber 307 further eliminates toxic species that are not destroyed in the primary furnace chamber. This improves the efficiency of the process to destroy all precursor species such as furans and dioxins. Additionally, when volatile and semi-volatile, toxic organic compounds are treated, the secondary plasma chamber can effectively destroy all toxic species. Because all the condensable species that leave the furnace are converted to a combustible gas in the secondary plasma chamber, it minimizes the secondary generation of waste It should be appreciated that the plasma gas discharge chamber can not be required always, but can be controlled independently during the process CD electrodes 314a and 314b are provided inside the reaction vessel as shown in Figure 4 (a) or 4 (b) As shown in Figure 5 , the electrodes 314a and 314b provide the electric arc 344 which makes contact with the feed material 330. One or more additional electrodes 338 can be provided as shown in Figures 4 and 5 such that the positive (+) 340 and negative outputs (-) 342 are formed in this way A configuration of the integrated system 300 comprises the use of the capacitors 356 and a specific arrangement in the energy distribution As shown in Figure 5, an electric arc plasma-melting boiler 302 heated by individual phase Joule effect having an individual pair of electrodes 314 and 338 for an electric arc 314. Preferably, the portion heated by Joule effect of the boiler Fusion 302 uses the AC power supply 346 while the electric arc portion of the fusing boiler 302 uses the DC power supply 348. The preferred embodiment shown in Figure 5 utilizes the combination of DC and AC power systems 346, 348, respectively, supplying power to the electrodes in the individual vessel or tank 302 of the fusion vessel in which the material 330 waste is undergoing treatment by a conversion process, which includes vitrification. A special circuit is necessary because the DC electric arc current 314, 338 will interact with the Joule heating AC electrodes 308a, 308b unless special steps are taken to prevent this interaction with and transformer failure. which provide the energy to the heating electrodes by Joule effect. This circuit allows the control completely independently of the electric arc plasma and the fusion boiler heated by Joule effect. If single-phase, two-phase or three-phase AC electric arc electrodes are used in place of DC electric arc-forming electrodes, there may still be interaction between the AC electric arc circuit and the circuit AC heating by Joule effect. While the CA-CA interaction is completely complex, there are many dependent interactions that can occur, and under these circumstances, it is often difficult to control localized heating and erosion of the electrode. Accordingly, it is preferred to use a DC electric arc circuit in combination with an AC circuit heated by Joule effect. The DC power supply 348 includes the inductor 360, the primary winding 362, the secondary windings 366a, 366b and 366c and the saturable reactors 364a, 364b and 364c. The primary winding 362 is preferably delta. The saturable reactors 364a, 364b and 364c are connected in series respectively with secondary windings 366a, 366b and 366c. If the DC stream 348 passes through the waste material 330 and the deposit 332 of slag / metal melt that has been immersed in the Joule heating AC electrodes 308a, 308b directly connected to the transformer terminals 352 with no means of blocking the flow of the DC current 348 through the transformer windings 352, the core of the transformer 352 is saturated. This results in an increased current in the primary winding 350 of the transformer 352 causing the transformer 352 to fail in a very short period of time. In order to simultaneously operate the electric arc plasma and the melting boiler heated by Joule effect in the vessel 302, it is therefore necessary to continue the passage of the AC stream 346 through the tank 332 of the molten material for heating by Joule effect, while stream 348 of CD current is blocked simultaneously. Capacitor 356 is used to block current 348 from the DC and pass current 346 from AC. The capacitor 356 is preferably connected in series with each secondary winding 354 of the transformer so as to balance the current in each of the phases over a wide range of operating conditions of the furnace. As shown further in Figure 5, the capacitor 356 is connected to the secondary winding 354, which is connected to the saturated reactor 358. Figures 6 (a) and 6 (b) show a circuit arrangement that is suitable for use in the present invention. In particular, the three-phase AC power supply 346 is illustrated in Figure 6 (a) while the power supply 348 of CD is illustrated in Figure 6 (b). The circuit - induces the inductance of each AC current path in the melting vessel or boiler 302 as reflected through the AC power system 346., complete, the non-linear resistance of the current path through the molten material tank or melt bath 332, the electrode blanks, the power supply wires and the secondary windings 372a, 372b and 372c of the transformer 376 and the magnitude of the capacitance of capacitors 370a, 370b and 370c that are connected as a series element in the Joule heating oven circuit. The AC power 346 also includes the primary winding 350, the saturable reactors 374a, 374b and 374c and the electrodes 378a-378f. The saturable reactors 374a-374c are respectively connected to the secondary windings 372a-372c. Because the AC current is rarely sinusoidal in a circuit that has a non-linear resistor in series such as the Joule heated oven circuit, it is possible to excite several harmonic frequencies other than 60 Hertz, which overlap in the of 60 Hertz were supplied by the utility company. In this circuit, it is important to take into account the non-linear resistance and specify the electrical components to achieve adequate absorption of energy and therefore stable operation. It is important that the nominal voltage, current and capacitance capacitor values are such that the series resonance frequency of the entire system inductance at the furnace electrodes is such that the lowest resistance value as seen on these same electrodes when the furnace is examined plus the effective resistance 60 Hertz is equal to or greater than 1.5 and preferably twice as high as (L / C) 1/2 where L is the total inductance of the power system and C is the capacitance of the capacitors 370a, 370b and 370c. The total effective R resistance must be twice (L / C) 1/2, but the resonant increase in current is negligible if this is 1.5 times (L / C) 1/2. As shown in Figure 6 (b), the electrical system 348 of CD can have an energy transformer with a secondary winding 384a-384c e or delta. The primary winding 382 is preferably delta. As also shown in Figure 6 (b), the power rectifier is preferably a rectifier of a full three phase. The rectifier can be a thyristor rectifier, controlled, current, as shown in Figure 3 (a), that is, a silicon-controlled rectifier in which the anode-cathode current is controlled by a signal applied to the third electrode . Alternatively, the rectifier may be a three-phase full-wave diode rectifier with control of the DC current to maintain the desired DC current, that illustrated in Figure 3 (b). If a thyristor rectifier is used, it is important that a floating current diode at full power is placed through the CD output terminals 378a, 378b. It is not necessary to add a "floating" or "holding" CD diode when a three phase rectifier is used since the diodes in the rectifier will be sufficient. For a DC electric arc furnace it is preferable to use a three-phase full-wave diode rectifier with a saturable reactor control 386a-386c. Regardless of what type of power supply is used, it is important that an inductor be connected in series with the non-grounded power conductor. This reactor is necessary for the rapid supply of energy when the needs of the furnace are such that the DC arc voltage increases suddenly. If the bottom of the interior of the melting furnace or boiler 302 is made of suitable refractory material such as ceramic material or the like and is a poor electrical conductor when hot, the counter electrode 380 can be formed by sinking a portion of the furnace floor 302 between the Joule heating electrodes 368a-368f and then by slightly elevating the molten metal drain tube so that a metal deposit remains in this depression on the furnace floor even after the metal is drained. This metal can act as a counter electrode 380 for the AC Joule heating circuit and can be used simultaneously as a DC electric arc circuit electrode. The electrode 380 from the bottom, metallic can be connected using various configurations such as those shown by the circuit diagrams in Figure 6 (b). In any case, it is preferred to have one or more electrodes through the bottom of the furnace or the melting boiler. The electrodes can be made of graphite or metal. It should be noted that the circuits in Figure 6 (b) and Figure 8 respectively include the switches 388 and 436 in series with the electrical connection to the metal electrode 380 and 406. The function of these switches is to allow the electric arc or arcs. Electric CDs operate either in the transfer or non-transfer mode or in combination of both modes, simultaneously. If the physical configuration of the oven 302 (shown in Figure 4-5) is suitable for the use of the two controllable electrodes, placed independently, then the DC electric arc electrodes and the AC Joule heating electrodes can be operate simultaneously without harmful electrical interaction, but with beneficial interaction for the vitrification of all types of waste, including hazardous waste and hospital waste. The electrode configurations in the oven or container 400 shown in the embodiments of the invention in Figures 7 (a) and 7 (b) are suitable for use for remote control of installations. Figure 7 illustrates two sketches showing different views on floors for the construction of the furnace. Figure 7 (a) shows an elongated construction while Figure 7 (b) shows a round construction. While both configurations can use one, two or more solid graphite electrodes, it is preferred to use the elongated configuration with two electrodes (as shown in Figure 7 (a)), since this design provides for itself two lifting systems of small, separate electrodes, each housed er. his own cylindrical enclosure. Any or all of the Joule heating electrodes 402a-402f may be connected to the series capacitor as counter electrodes 404a-404b for the DC electric arc system. The Joule heating electrodes 404a-404f can also be connected in series with the electrode 406. In this case, the switch 388 is also included as shown in Figure 6 (b). by adjusting the amount of the AC current such that its maximum value exceeds the value of the electric arc current DC carried by the Joule heating electrodes 404a-404f, there will always be a current reversal which will tend to minimize the polarization in these electrodes. Depending on the type of waste material being processed, it may be desirable to connect the neutral system 436 of the DC power supply 412 to the Joule AC heating electrodes 422a, 422b and 422c, which are the electrodes connected to the capacitors 416a-416c of AC respectively and used to block the flow of DC current through the secondary windings 418a-418c of the transformers as shown in Figure 8. The connection of the DC power supply 412 and the supply 410 of AC power is designated in Figure 8 as line 438. The reason for using this connection is to provide three additional DC-connector electrodes closer to the surface of the cast-iron reservoir 332 during heating of the furnace so that the DC transfer current 428, neutral can flow and assist in the stabilization of the positive (+) and negative (-) electric arcs before the direct material above the counter electrode in the chimney has been heated sufficiently to drive sufficient DC current to assist in the stabilization of the DC electric arcs. It is also desirable to have three switches 434a-434c in series with the neutral conductor and the electrode 422a, 422b and 422c in order to control the magnitude of the DC and AC current between the electrodes 422a-422f. The AC power supply system 410 includes the primary winding 414, the secondary windings 418a-418c connected respectively to the saturable reactors 420a-420c. The DC power supply 412 includes the inductors 424a, 424b and the secondary windings 430a-430c connected respectively to the saturable reactors 432a-432c.

The supply 410 of AC energy of heating by Joule effect of a glass melting tank provides almost constant melting temperatures throughout the length of the glass tank, thus minimizing the sizing limitations for the electric arc, i.e. , electric arc energy, diameter of the electrode, and the like. The electric arc of CD is mainly present in the furnace-boiler of fusion for the improvement of the speed of feeding. This makes this newly configured fusion boiler technology more flexible than any other vitrification system available. The electric arc supplies the energy in the unmelted surcharge of the incoming feed, and the portion heated by Joule effect of the melting boiler system keeps the material tank from hot to ensure complete dissolution and mixing of the glass mixture. If only the electric arc technology is used, the ratio of chimney diameter to electrode would have to be greater to ensure that the contents of the chimneys are fused sufficiently not only in the center of the chimney, but also in the walls of the chimneys. Fireplace. The size of the chimney would therefore be limited due to practical limitations in the diameter of the electrode. When the chimney or the glass tank is heated by the Joule effect, however, this limitation does not exist any longer and the tank can be sized to guarantee the residence time that is suitable for the mixing and complete dissolution of all the components of the glass. If the fusion boiler technology was used without the electric arc, the feed rates would be much lower due to the limitations in heat transfer from the molten material tank to the non-molten feed above the molten glass. To adjust high performance requirements, the normal approach is to increase the surface area of the melt. Accordingly, for a given processing speed, the melting boiler heated by the Joule effect would need to be much larger than the combined electric arc melting system of the present invention. The present invention utilizes the benefits of both fusion boiler technologies heated by AC Joule effect and DC electric arc, and does so in an individual optimized system.

Multiple electric arc electrodes can be used to start or restart this combined system, but once the melt is heated, heating by Joule effect can be used to maintain a melt bath during long periods of inactivity. This means that the electric arc can be started immediately in the transferred mode for the start or restart of electric arc operations. The combination of the electric arc plasma furnace and the Joule heated melting boiler according to the present invention provides a method of rapid heating of the feed waste material resulting in higher processing speeds for a given sized process. The rapid heating rate also results in the production of a superior quality of the pyrolysis gas. More energy is recovered and there are fewer contaminants in the gas dimensions. Additionally, the Joule heated melting boiler of the present invention provides a larger deposit with the mixing shown to produce a homogeneous glass product with very high stability. This is beneficial since the vitrified gas product is stable over blocks of geological time. See, for example, Buelt et al., Jn Si tu Vi trificacion de Transuranic Wastes: Systems Assess ua ti on and Applica ti ons Assessmen t, PNL-4800 Suplement 1. Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, WA (1987). Additionally, the present invention provides additional volume reduction through the vitrification of the ash as compared to that ash that would be generated from the incineration alone. See, Chapman, C, Evaluation of Vi trifyring Muni cipal Incinera ash Ash, Cerami c Nucl ear Waste Management t I. V., Ceramic Transactions, G.G. Wicks De., Vol. 23, pp. 223-231, American Ceramic Society (1991). As discussed above, the present invention provides a method that facilitates rapid pyrolysis. The rapid pyrolysis results in a pyrolysis gas having higher purity than another pyrolysis mode. The high purity gas facilitates the use with the technology of small high efficiency gas turbines, recently developed, thereby significantly increasing the efficiency as compared to conventional steam turbines and decreasing the size of the unit of the gas. Turbine required The DC electric arc provides a high temperature heat source to achieve fast pyrolysis effectively.

Graef, et al., Product Distribution in the Rapid Pyrolysis of Biomass / Lignin for Production of Aceryl ene, Biomass as a Nonfossil Fuel Source, American Chemical Society (1981) has shown that under conditions such as those found in an industrial furnace plasma, municipal solid waste can be pyrolyzed in a gaseous product as shown in Table 1: Table 1 Composition of the Gas of the Pyrolysis of MSW in the Plasma Oven 7 It is important to note that when comparing normal pyrolysis to that of rapid pyrolysis, a larger fraction of the incoming waste is converted to gas. Thermal or normal pyrolysis promotes liquefaction giving only 45-50% conversion to pyrolysis gases, while rapid pyrolysis has gas movements of more than 65%. Rapid pyrolysis of municipal waste has been demonstrated using a plasma torch, metal, cooled with water. See, Cárter, et al., Muni cipal Solid Waste Feasibili ty of Gasif i ca ti on wi th Plasma Are. Industrial and Environmental Applications of Plasma, Proceedings of the First International EPRI Plasma Symposium (May 1990). In the partial oxidation mode of operation, the residue of both techniques is oxidized to compensate for the pyrolysis energy requirements. The pyrolysis gases produced according to the present invention are well suited for combustion in a high efficiency gas turbine generator, currently. With the efficiency of the new gas turbine combined cycle systems reaching 50%, the present waste to energy conversion method provides an effective alternative to normal waste incinerators. Under favorable conditions, the incinerator-steam generator systems achieve an efficiency of 15-20% in the conversion of the potential energy contained in the waste to useful electrical energy. An illustrative comparison of the complete waste conversion system of the present invention to those of the steam generator-incinerator systems is summarized in Table 2.

Table 2 Relative Energy Balances and Information of the Net Costs for the Electric Arc Furnace and the Fusion boiler heated by Joule Effect against the Incinerator Technology-Steam Generator, Normal (Base = 1 ton of MSW).

HV = calorific value; MSW municipal solid waste An assumption is made for the comparison of the two technologies, specifically that the glass or slag product produced in the electric arc furnace of the present invention is a useful product, although no value has been assigned to the glass for this comparison. However, as a minimum, for this material it is a non-hazardous, stable material that can be easily disposed of in any non-hazardous landfill. It is also assumed that the municipal solid waste incinerator (MSW) used in a highly populated area such as the United States of America produces ash that must not be shipped to a normal landfill or hazardous waste landfill. Energy and cost are given per ton of MSW processed based on currently available expenses. The energy requirements to operate the system are given on a relative basis, that is, the value shown as "energy requirements to operate the system" for the electric arc-furnace furnace is that in excess of what is required for the incinerator. The value of the incoming heating of the waste is a composite value from multiple references. See for example, Cárter, et al., Muni cipal Solid Waste Feasibility of Gasification and Plasma Are. Industrial and Environmental Applications of Pl a sma, Proceedings of the First International EPRI Plasma Symposium (May 1990); Renewabl e Energy-Sources for Fuel and Energy, Johansson, Editor, Island Press, Washington, D.C. (1993); and Cl ean Energy from Was te & Coal, Khan, Editor, American Chemical Society Symposium Series, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C. (August 1991, published in 1993). The net energy produced from any option was determined using 40% and 15% efficiency for the electric arc furnace gas-fired boiler turbine generator, and the incinerator-boiler-steam turbine generator options, respectively . See, Cl ean Energy from Waste & Coal, Khan, Editor, American Chemical Society Symposium Series, American Chemical? Ociety, Washington, D.C. (August 1991, published in 1993); and Perry 's Chemi cal Engineers' Handbook, 6a. Ed., Ch. 26. The losses presented in Table 2 are the difference between the incoming calorific value in the waste and the energy input minus the net energy outside. The losses for the incinerator option are higher to the inefficiencies of the steam generator boiler combination as opposed to the turbine generators driven by pyrolysis gas. See, Perry's Chemi cal Engineers' Handbook, 6a. Ed., Ch. 26. The disposal costs for the ash represent the values obtained from the literature and the data currently available from the public waste management services. See, for example, Recyclng and Incinera ti on, Dension, et al., Ed., Island Press, Washington, D.C. (1990). If the new decisions and current trends involving ash handling as a hazardous waste continue, the disposal costs would be at the upper end of the range given in Table 2. Under these circumstances, the present invention to use the furnace combination of Electric arc-fusing boiler provides an additional advantage over the prior art. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the specific embodiments described above can be readily used as a basis for modifying or designing other structures to carry out the same purpose of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that these equivalent constructions do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the present invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it refers. Having described the invention as above, the content of the following is claimed as property:

Claims

1. A waste conversion unit, characterized in that it comprises: an electric arc plasma furnace having at least one electrode in a predetermined position therein; and a melting boiler heated by Joule effect coupled to the electric arc plasma furnace;

2. The waste conversion unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the electric arc plasma furnace is capable of providing a predominant source of heat for the material to be treated in the unit in relation to the heated melting boiler. by Joule effect.

3. The waste conversion unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the melting boiler is directly coupled to the furnace.

4. The waste conversion unit according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one electrode is a graphite electrode.

5 . The waste conversion unit according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one electrode operates with an AC electric arc.

6. The waste conversion unit according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one electrode operates with an electric DC arc.

7. The waste conversion unit according to claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that at least one electrode includes a protective coating.

8. The waste conversion unit according to claim 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that it also includes an auxiliary heating unit coupled to the melting boiler heated by the Joule effect.

9. The waste conversion unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the furnace includes an inner refractory lining along the periphery of the furnace.

10. The waste conversion unit according to claim 9, characterized in that the refractory product is formed of ceramic material.

11. The waste conversion unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the melting boiler is heated by Joule effect by an AC power supply source.

12. The waste conversion unit according to claim 11, characterized in that the AC energy includes a plurality of electrodes at predetermined positions in the melting boiler.

13. The waste conversion unit according to claim 12, characterized in that two electrodes are placed on two side surfaces of the melting boiler at predetermined distances from a bottom surface of the melting boiler.

14. The waste conversion unit according to claim 13, characterized in that it also includes an electrode placed close to the bottom surface of the melting boiler.

15. The waste conversion unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the melting boiler is heated by Joule effect by CD energy.

16. A waste conversion unit, characterized in that it comprises: an electric arc transfer plasma furnace having at least one electrode in a predetermined position therein; and a melting boiler heated by Joule effect coupled to the electric arc plasma furnace.

17. The waste conversion unit according to claim 16, characterized in that the electric arc transfer plasma furnace is capable of providing a predominant source of heat for the material to be treated in the unit in relation to the boiler fusion heated by Joule effect.

18. A system for converting waste material, characterized in that it comprises: an electric arc plasma furnace, the electric arc plasma furnace comprising: at least one electric arc plasma electrode at a predetermined position thereon; a first discharge hole placed to discharge metal from the furnace; and a second discharge hole positioned to discharge gases and slag from the furnace; a fusion boiler heated by effect Joule attached to the electric arc plasma furnace, the melting boiler including a gas discharge orifice positioned to discharge gases therefrom, and a slag discharge orifice at a predetermined position therein; means for feeding the waste material into the electric arc plasma furnace such that a metallic layer, a slag layer and a gas phase are formed in the electric arc furnace; a gas flushing unit to the melting boiler, the gas flushing unit is capable of separating the gaseous phase from the fusing boiler into combustible gas and the particulate matter; a combustion chamber attached to the gas emptying unit; means for providing air to the system at a predetermined speed; a turbine unit to the combustion chamber; a generator attached to the turbine; and a steam recovery heat system attached to the turbine.

19. The waste conversion system according to claim 18, characterized in that the melting boiler is coupled directly to the electric arc plasma furnace.

20. The waste conversion system according to claim 18, characterized in that at least one electrode of electric arc plasma is a graphite electrode.

21. The waste conversion system according to claim 20, characterized in that at least one electric arc plasma electrode is a graphite electrode.

22. The waste conversion system according to claim 20, characterized in that at least one electric arc plasma electrode operates with an electric DC arc.

23. The waste conversion unit according to claims 20, 21 and 22, characterized in that at least one electric arc plasma electrode includes a protective coating.

24. The waste conversion system according to claim 19, 20, 21 or 22, characterized in that it includes an auxiliary heating unit coupled to the melting boiler heated by the Joule effect.

25. The waste conversion system according to claim 18, characterized in that the furnace includes a lining of refractory material, inside along the periphery of the furnace.

26. The waste conversion system according to claim 25, characterized in that the refractory material is formed of ceramic material.

27. The waste conversion system according to claim 18, characterized in that the melting boiler is heated by Joule effect by an AC power supply source.

28. The waste conversion system according to claim 27, characterized in that the AC power supply source includes a plurality of electrodes at predetermined positions in the melting boiler.

29. The waste conversion system according to claim 18, characterized in that the melting boiler is heated by Joule effect by a DC power supply source.

30. A process for converting waste material, characterized in that it comprises: (a) introducing the waste material into an electric arc plasma placed within an electric arc plasma furnace having first and second discharge orifices at predetermined positions in the same; (b) contacting the waste material with the electric arc plasma, with which the waste material is separated into a metal layer, a slag layer and a gaseous phase; (c) feeding the gaseous phase and the slag layer through the second discharge orifice from the electric arc plasma furnace to a melting boiler heated by Joule effect connected to the electric arc plasma furnace, the heated melting boiler by Joule effect that has discharge orifices of gas and slag placed in it; and (d) mixing the slag layer in the melting kettle heated by Joule effect for a predetermined period of time, thereby forming a slag product.

31. The process according to claim 30, characterized in that the electric arc plasma includes at least one electrode.

32. The process according to claim 31, characterized in that at least one electric arc plasma electrode is a graphite electrode.

33. The process according to claim 31 or 32, characterized in that at least one electrode includes a protective coating.

34. The process according to claim 30, characterized in that the separation includes rapid pyrolysis.

35. The process according to claim 30 or 34, characterized in that the gas phase includes at least one of: hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, carbon dioxide and light hydrocarbons.

36. The process according to claim 30 or 34, characterized in that the slag layer contains glass.

37. The process according to claim 36, characterized in that the slag layer is removed from the melting boiler and formed in a vitrified product.

38. The process according to claim 37, characterized in that the vitrified product is suitable for use in the construction of roads.

39. The process according to claim 37, characterized in that the vitrified product is suitable for use as a component of building blocks.

40. The process according to claim 37, characterized in that the vitrified product is a non-leachable product suitable for storage in a sanitary landfill.

41. The process according to claim 30, characterized in that the waste material is municipal solid waste.

42. The process according to claim 30, characterized in that the waste material is hazardous waste.

43. The process according to claim 30, characterized in that the waste material is hospital waste.

44. The process according to claim 30, characterized in that it also includes removing the metal layer of the plasma arc furnace.

45. The process according to claim 30, characterized in that it also includes: (e) removing the gas phase from the gas discharge orifice in the melting boiler.

46. The process according to claim 45, characterized in that it further includes: (f) treating the gas phase in a gas evacuation system such that the particles in the gas phase are separated therefrom and a combustible gas is thus provided; (g) feeding the fuel gas to a combustion chamber; (h) introducing air into the combustion chamber substantially simultaneously with step (g), thereby forming combustion products of the fuel gas and air; and (i) feeding the combustion products to a turbine generator, whereby the combustion products drive the turbine generator to generate electricity.

47. The process according to claim 46, characterized in that the turbine generator includes a gas turbine injected with steam or water.

48. The process according to claim 46, characterized in that the process further includes: (j) feeding gases from the turbine generator to a scrubber to remove acid gases therefrom.

49. The process according to claim 48, characterized in that the turbine generator includes a gas turbine injected with steam or water.

50. A process for converting the waste material, characterized in that it comprises: (a) introducing the waste material into an electric arc plasma furnace having first and second discharge orifices at predetermined positions therein and at least one electrode of electric arc plasma placed therein; (b) contacting the waste material with the electric arc plasma electrode such that the waste material is separated into a metal layer, a slag layer and a gas phase; (c) feeding the gaseous phase and the slag layer through the second discharge orifice in the furnace to a melting boiler heated by Joule effect connected to the electric arc plasma furnace, the melting boiler heated by Joule effect having gas discharge and slag orifices in predetermined positions therein; (d) mixing the slag layer in the melting kettle heated by Joule effect for a predetermined period of time, thereby producing a slag product; (e) removing the gaseous phase from the melting boiler through the discharge orifice therein; (f) treating the gas phase in a gas stripping system such that the particles in the gas phase are separated therefrom and a combustible gas is thus provided; (g) feeding the fuel gas to a combustion chamber; (h) introducing air into the combustion chamber in a substantially simultaneous manner with step (g), thereby forming combustion products of the fuel gas and air; and (i) feeding the combustion products to a turbine generator, whereby the combustion products drive the turbine generator to generate electricity.

51. An electric arc plasma-fusing boiler unit heated by Joule effect, integrated for use with a common molten material tank, the unit is characterized in that it comprises: a means for generating an electric arc plasma in the upper part or inside the tank of molten material, common; and a means for providing Joule heating in the common melt tank.

52. An adjustable, fully integrated, electric arc plasma arc-melting furnace conversion unit for use with a common molten material deposit, the unit is characterized in that it comprises: a first supply source of energy capable of generating an electric arc plasma between at least one electric arc plasma electrode and the molten material deposit, common, the electric arc plasma that is in the upper part or within the common molten material reservoir; and a second power supply source capable of providing Joule heating in the common melt tank; wherein the first and second sources of power supply are arranged such that the first and second sources of power supply are capable of independently controllable, simultaneous operation without damaging electrical interaction with each other, while using driving routes in the deposit of molten material, common.

53. The electric arc plasma conversion unit-Joule heated melting furnace, adjustable, fully integrated according to claim 52, characterized in that the second power supply source is an AC power supply source, comprising: a transformer having a primary winding and at least one secondary winding having a first and a second end, the transformer is connected to a plurality of Joule heating electrodes; at least one capacitor connected in series with the first end of each secondary winding of the transformer; and at least one saturable reactor connected in series with the second end of each secondary winding of the transformer.

54. The fully integrated, adjustable arc electric arc plasma arc-melting waste conversion unit according to claim 52, characterized in that the first power supply source is a DC power supply source.

55. The electric arc plasma combustion unit-Joule heating boiler, adjustable, fully integrated in accordance with claim 52, characterized in that the number of electric arc plasma electrodes is two.

56. The electric arc plasma combustion unit-Joule heating boiler, adjustable, fully integrated in accordance with claim 52, characterized in that the number of electric arc plasma electrodes is greater than two.

57. The electric arc plasma-melting conversion unit-Joule heating boiler, adjustable, fully integrated in accordance with claim 52, characterized in that six heating electrodes are placed by Joule effect in the unit, the six electrodes of Joule heating that form the first, second and third independent power supply circuits.

58. The integrated electric arc plasma arc-melting furnace conversion unit, adjustable Joule, fully integrated according to claim 52, characterized in that the unit is in the form of an elongated chamber.

59. The electric arc plasma combustion unit-Joule heating boiler, adjustable, fully integrated in accordance with claim 58, characterized in that the number of electric arc plasma electrodes is two.

60. The electric arc plasma recycling unit-Joule heating boiler, adjustable, fully integrated in accordance with claim 58, characterized in that the number of electric arc plasma electrodes is greater than two.

61. The electric arc plasma conversion unit-Joule heating boiler, adjustable, fully integrated in accordance with claim 59, characterized in that the six Joule heating electrodes are placed in the elongated chamber, the six Joule heating electrodes that form the first, second and third independent power supply circuits.

62. The electric arc plasma waste unit-Joule heated melting furnace, adjustable, fully integrated in accordance with claim 52, characterized in that the first source of energy supply is a CD power supply source that comprises: a transformer having at least one secondary winding; at least one saturable reactor having a first end and a second end, the first end of the saturable reactor connected to at least one secondary winding; a rectifying means having an AC input and a DC output, the AC input in electrical contact with the second end of the at least one saturable reactor; an inductor having a first end and a second end, the first end in electrical contact with the DC outlet of the rectification means; and at least one electric arc plasma electrode having an electric arc end and a connecting end, the connecting end in electrical contact with the second end of the inductor, the electric arc end positioned to be capable of generating the plasma of electric arc in the upper part or inside the tank of molten material, common.

63. The electric arc plasma waste unit-Joule heated fusion boiler, adjustable, fully integrated according to claim 52, characterized in that it also includes at least one metal discharge orifice and at least one discharge orifice of slag in predetermined positions in the unit.

64. The adjustable, fully integrated, electric arc plasma arc-boiler plasma waste conversion unit according to claim 63, characterized in that the metal discharge orifice is placed close to the bottom surface of the unit.

65. The fully integrated, adjustable arc electric arc plasma-melting furnace conversion unit according to claim 63, characterized in that the slag discharge orifice extends upwardly at a predetermined angle relative to the side surface of the unit and wherein the slag discharge orifice is placed between or below a level above a bottom surface of the unit and below the surface of the common melt tank.

66. The electric arc plasma-melting conversion unit-Joule heating boiler, adjustable, fully integrated in accordance with claim 65, characterized in that it also includes an auxiliary heating chamber attached to the slag discharge orifice.

67. The Joule electric arc plasma-combustion unit, adjustable, fully integrated fusion melting unit according to claim 52, characterized in that at least one electric arc plasma electrode is a graphite electrode.

68. The fully integrated, adjustable arc electric arc plasma-remelting waste debris conversion unit according to claim 67, characterized in that at least one electric arc plasma electrode includes a protective coating.

69. The electric arc plasma-melting conversion unit-Joule heating boiler, adjustable, fully integrated in accordance with claim 52, characterized in that it also includes a plurality of inductive heating and / or mixing coils in one position predetermined in relation to the unit.

70. The electric arc plasma conversion unit-Joule heated fusion boiler, adjustable, fully integrated in accordance with claim 52, characterized in that it furthermore includes two Joule heating electrodes in predetermined positions in the unit and at predetermined distances from a surface of the bottom of the unit.

71. A system for converting waste material into useful energy and / or solid product, the system is characterized in that it comprises: an electric arc plasma waste-melting unit heated by Joule effect, completely integrated for use with a molten material deposit, common, the unit comprising: (a) a first source of energy supply capable of generating an electric arc plasma between at least one electric arc plasma electrode and the molten material deposit, common, the electric arc plasma that is in the upper part or inside the molten material deposit, common; (b) a second source of energy supply capable of providing heating by effect Joule to the molten material tank; wherein the first and second source of power supply are arranged such that the first and second sources of power supply are capable of independently controllable, simultaneous operation without damaging electrical interaction with each other while using conduction routes in the deposit of molten material; (c) a first discharge office placed to discharge gases from the unit; (d) a second discharge hole positioned to discharge metal from the unit; and (e) a third discharge port for discharging slag from the unit; means for feeding the waste material into the waste conversion unit such that the metal layer, the slag layer and a gas phase are formed in the unit in contact with the electric arc plasma; a gas flushing unit attached to the unit, the gas flushing unit that is capable of separating the gases discharged from the unit into the fuel gas and the particulate matter; a gas turbine power generation unit attached to the de-aeration unit, the gas turbine power generating unit that is capable of using the fuel gas from the depletion unit to produce electricity; and means for introducing a predetermined amount of auxiliary fuel at a predetermined speed into the gas turbine power generation unit.

72. The waste conversion system according to claim 71, characterized in that the fuel gas is heating oil, fuel and diesel or natural gas.

73. The waste conversion system according to claim 71, characterized in that the gas turbine electricity generating unit is replaced by a generating unit with an internal combustion engine.

74. The waste conversion system according to claim 71, characterized in that the auxiliary gas is heating oil, diesel fuel or natural gas.

75. The waste conversion system according to claim 71, characterized in that the first power supply source is a DC power supply source, comprising: a transformer having at least one secondary winding; at least one saturable reactor having a first end and a second end, the first end of the saturable reactor connected to at least one secondary winding; a rectifying means having an AC input and a DC output, the AC input in electrical contact with the second end of the at least one saturable reactor; an inductor having a first end and a second end, the first end in electrical contact with the DC outlet of the rectification means; and at least one electric arc plasma electrode having an electric arc end at one connection end, the connecting end in electrical contact with the second end of the inductor, the electric arc end positioned to be capable of generating the plasma of electric arc in the upper part or inside the tank of molten material, common.

76. The waste conversion system according to claim 71, characterized in that the second power supply source is an AC power supply source, comprising: a transformer having a primary winding and at least one secondary winding having first and second ends, the transformer connected to a plurality of Joule heating electrodes; at least one capacitor connected in series with the first end of the secondary winding of the transformer; and at least one saturable reactor connected in series with the second end of the secondary winding of the transformer.

77. The waste conversion system according to claim 76, characterized in that the first source of the power supply is a source of DC power supply.

78. The waste conversion system according to claim 77, characterized in that the DC power supply source comprises: a transformer having at least one secondary winding; at least one saturable reactor having a first end and a second end, the first end of the saturable reactor connected to at least one secondary winding; a rectifying means having an AC input and a DC output, the AC output in electrical contact with the second end of the at least one saturable reactor; an inductor having a first end and a second end, the first end in electrical contact with the DC outlet with the rectification means; at least one electric arc plasma electrode having an electric arc end and a connecting end, the connecting end in electrical contact with the second end of the inductor, the electric arc end positioned to be able to generate the arc plasma electric on the top or inside the molten material tank, common.

79. The waste conversion system according to claim 71, characterized in that it further includes at least one metal discharge orifice and at least one slag orifice at predetermined positions in the system.

80. The waste conversion system according to claim 79, characterized in that the metal discharge orifice is placed close to the bottom surface of the unit.

81. The waste conversion system according to claim 79, characterized in that the slag discharge orifice extends upward at a predetermined angle relative to the side surface of the unit and where the slag discharge orifice is placed. between or below a level above a bottom surface of the unit and below the surface of the molten material pool, common.

82. The waste conversion system according to claim 81, characterized in that it also includes an auxiliary heating chamber attached to the slag discharge orifice.

83. The waste conversion system according to claim 71, characterized in that the unit is in the form of an elongated chamber.

84. The waste conversion system according to claim 71, characterized in that the number of electric arc plasma electrodes is two.

85. The waste conversion system according to claim 71, characterized in that the number of electric arc plasma electrodes is greater than two.

86. The waste conversion system according to claim 71, characterized in that six heating electrodes are placed by Joule effect in the unit, the six heating electrodes by Joule effect forming, the first, second and third power supply circuits , independent.

87. The waste conversion system according to claim 71, characterized in that at least one electric arc plasma electrode is a graphite electrode.

88. The waste conversion system according to claim 87, characterized in that at least one electric arc plasma electrode includes a protective coating.

89. An electric arc plasma-melting debris conversion unit heated by Joule effect for use with a common melt tank, the unit is characterized in that: a first power supply source capable of generating a plasma of electric arc using an electric arc plasma torch in a non-transferred mode, the electric arc plasma torch at a predetermined position above the common molten material reservoir so that the electric arc plasma created by the two electrodes of the electric arc plasma torch is generated above the deposit of molten material, common; and a second source of energy supply capable of providing Joule heating in the common melt tank. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a relatively compact, adjustable, automatic waste conversion system and apparatus having the advantage of a strong operation which provides for the substantial complete conversion of a wide range of waste streams into useful gas and a solid product. stable, non-leachable in a single location with greatly reduced air pollution to meet air quality standards. The system provides the capability for highly efficient conversion of waste into high quality fuel gas for the conversion of high gas efficiency into electricity by using a high efficiency gas turbine or by an internal ccmcusticn engine. The solid product may be suitable for several commercial applications. Alternatively, the stream of solid product, which is a stable, safe material, can be removed without rtr.si special aerations as a hazardous material. In the preferred condition of the invention, the electric arc plating furnace and the melting boiler heated by Joule effect are formed as a fully integrated unit with a deposit of molten, common material having circuit arrangements for the operation simultaneous, independently controllable of the portions of both the electric arc plasma and the one heated by the Joule effect of the unit without interference between them. The preferred configuration of the embodiment of the invention utilizes two electric arc plasma electrodes with an elongated chamber for the deposition of molten material such that the molten material reservoir is capable of providing conductive paths between the electrodes. The apparatus can be used additionally with the reduced use or without the additional use of gases generated by the conversion process. The apparatus can be used as a net or self-sustaining electricity generating unit where the use of auxiliary fuel provides the required level of electricity production.