Prospects for energy recovery from plastic waste gasificators by means of MHD topping cycle

In this paper the authors present a feasibility study of a combined Magneto HydroDynamic (MHD) and steam turbine plant in which the working gas is made of burnt plastic waste. The possibility of MHD retrofit of existing plant, especially fed by fossil fuel, is well known, and has been studied both fo r its economical and environmental benefits. The environmental impact and t he elimination of pollution agents has become a prime necessity in waste di gestion. Furthermore, plants in which the the production of electrical powe r by means of burnt gasses produced in the digestion process have been desi gned and built. In this field an MHD integration plant could be very attrac tive. This feasibility study has been developed by simulating an ideal plan t with a plastic incinerator, an MHD device and conventional steam turbines . As a result, the simulations have indicated economic and environmental ad vantages with notable efficiency improvements in the generation of electric al power.