SBIR Phase I: Advanced Scalable and Sustainable Waste Disposal System

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to improve management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in a sustainable fashion. The proposed system can manage MSW without generating toxic air emissions, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 98% compared to landfills and incineration. An additional benefit is that waste does not need to be separated, thereby promoting recycling of glass and metal, as they are left untreated. In addition, the technology is envisioned to be affordable and easily deployed to enable on-site treatment, saving transportation costs and associated impact. Finally, the system has the potential to use excess heat to generate electricity and use the by-product effectively. This system promotes a circular economy and supports multiple benefits to the environment. This project advances development of a novel system of applying gas plasma to create thermal degradation of MSW. Phase I objectives are to research, design, construct, and test a prototype and define an industrial-scale design. Tasks include testing functionality and emissions quality with a variety of waste feedstock and operational parameters, and conducting a life cycle analysis. Furthermore, the project will explore the co-generation of electricity and beneficial reuse of the ash by-product. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.