The invention relates to an apparatus for producing syngas, typically from municipal waste. In particular, a gasifier is used in combination with a plasma furnace. The system is configured so that non-airborne char generated in the gasifier is removed from the system prior to delivery to the plasma furnace. This enhances the energy efficiency of the system whilst still yielding excellent yields of syngas.

The invention relates to an apparatus for producing syngas, typically from municipal waste. In particular, a gasifier is used in combination with a plasma furnace. The system is configured so that non-airborne char generated in the gasifier is removed from the system prior to delivery to the plasma furnace. This enhances the energy efficiency of the system whilst still yielding excellent yields of syngas.

The gas swirling state determination system (10) determines the quality of the swirling state of gas that swirls around the central axis. The gas swirling state determination system (10) includes an imaging device (39), an information processing device (11), and a display device (42). The imaging device (39) captures swirling gas from a direction along the central axis to acquire a still image. The information processing device (11) includes a calculation unit (40), a smoothing unit (41), and a determination unit (43). The display device (42) displays a determination result.

The gas swirling state determination system (10) determines the quality of the swirling state of gas that swirls around the central axis. The gas swirling state determination system (10) includes an imaging device (39), an information processing device (11), and a display device (42). The imaging device (39) captures swirling gas from a direction along the central axis to acquire a still image. The information processing device (11) includes a calculation unit (40), a smoothing unit (41), and a determination unit (43). The display device (42) displays a determination result.

The present invention relates to a method and a plant for treating carbon-containing waste that may comprise mineral fillers and/or potential contaminants. This method comprises: preparing a molten glass bath at a temperature between 1100° C. and 1600° C.; loading the waste to be treated into said molten glass bath; injecting an oxidizer and optionally a fuel under pressure into said molten glass bath by means of at least one hose, one end of which is immersed in said bath, said oxidizer being introduced in a molar amount less than the molar amount of the carbon-containing compounds, thus causing combustion of said waste and generation of hot synthesis gases; implementing heat exchange between a heat-transfer fluid and the hot synthesis gases in conditions allowing simultaneous recovery of at least part of their heat energy and at least part of the heat energy released by their combustion, air being injected sequentially into said gases during said heat exchange to cause self-ignition of the mixture of said gases and air, each injection increasing the degree of combustion.

Provided are a gasification furnace operating method, a gasification furnace, a two-stage gasification apparatus, a gasification method for an organic raw material, and a two-stage gasification method for organic waste that make it possible to stably operate a gasification furnace over a long period of time. The present invention provides a gasification furnace operating method including, in a gasification furnace into which an organic raw material is introduced and that produces gas and slag, directly or indirectly introducing an alkali metal-containing compound into the gasification furnace to reduce the viscosity of the slag.

Provided are a gasification furnace operating method, a gasification furnace, a two-stage gasification apparatus, a gasification method for an organic raw material, and a two-stage gasification method for organic waste that make it possible to stably operate a gasification furnace over a long period of time. The present invention provides a gasification furnace operating method including, in a gasification furnace into which an organic raw material is introduced and that produces gas and slag, directly or indirectly introducing an alkali metal-containing compound into the gasification furnace to reduce the viscosity of the slag.

A pyrolysis waste-to-energy conversion system has a muffle furnace housing a rotating retort drum within the furnace and having an inlet sleeve and an outlet sleeve extending through inlet and outlet ends of the muffle furnace. A rotating retort drum drive applies rotary drive to the inlet rotating retort drum sleeves and an in-feed auger is within a tube within the inlet sleeve. An out-feed auger is within a tube within the outlet sleeve and arranged to deliver char and pyrolysis syngas to a char processing system and a syngas processing system. The inlet sleeve and said outlet sleeve are arranged to provide a gas seal to prevent air ingress or syngas egress to and from the rotating retort drum. A gas cleaning system has a cracking tower arranged to retain inlet gas at an elevated temperature for a residence time, and a gas quench and scrubber system.

A pyrolysis waste-to-energy conversion system has a muffle furnace housing a rotating retort drum within the furnace and having an inlet sleeve and an outlet sleeve extending through inlet and outlet ends of the muffle furnace. A rotating retort drum drive applies rotary drive to the inlet rotating retort drum sleeves and an in-feed auger is within a tube within the inlet sleeve. An out-feed auger is within a tube within the outlet sleeve and arranged to deliver char and pyrolysis syngas to a char processing system and a syngas processing system. The inlet sleeve and said outlet sleeve are arranged to provide a gas seal to prevent air ingress or syngas egress to and from the rotating retort drum. A gas cleaning system has a cracking tower arranged to retain inlet gas at an elevated temperature for a residence time, and a gas quench and scrubber system.

The present invention provides an exhaust gas treatment method and an exhaust gas treatment device which prevent the generation of NO.sub.X, and treat a first exhaust gas and a second exhaust gas with a small amount of fuel, and the exhaust gas treatment method comprises a first combustion step which treats a first exhaust gas discharged from a carbonization furnace for carbonizing a fibrous substance in an inert atmosphere and a graphitization furnace for graphitizing a fibrous substance in an inert atmosphere and a second combustion step of treating a second exhaust gas discharged from a flameproofing furnace for flameproofing a fibrous substance in air atmosphere, wherein the first exhaust gas is combusted at an oxygen ratio of 0.8 or less in the first combustion step, and the second exhaust gas is combusted in the second combustion step using sensible heat and latent heat of a third exhaust gas discharged in the first combustion step.