A Prototype Pyrolysis / Oxidation System for Solid Waste Processing

Pyrolysis is a very versatile waste processing technology which can be tailored to produce a variety of solid liquid and/or gaseous products. The main disadvantages of pyrolysis processing are: (1) the product stream is more complex than for many of the alternative treatments; (2) the product gases cannot be vented directly into the cabin without further treatment because of the high CO concentrations. One possible solution is to combine a pyrolysis step with catalytic oxidation (combustion) of the effluent gases. This integration takes advantage of the best features of each process, which is insensitivity to product mix, no O₂ consumption, and batch processing, in the case of pyrolysis, and simplicity of the product effluent stream in the case of oxidation. In addition, this hybrid process has the potential to result in a significant reduction in Equivalent System Mass (ESM) and system complexity. This paper describes the development of a prototype hybrid pyrolysis/oxidation system which can process up to 100 grams of material. The prototype includes a multi-stage reactor and product collection, process monitoring and process control systems. Initial experiments have been done with wheat straw, as well as with chicken litter and chicken manure as analogs for human waste.