METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INJECTING ENRICHED STEAM
A method of sequestering CO 2 , CO, NO x and/or other gases, including exhaust gases, into steam and injecting it into organic waste such as is found in landfills, biomass reactors, and the like. The steam enriched with CO 2 , CO, NO x and/or other gases injected into the landfill or biomass reactor can accelerate the decomposition/biodegradation of organic refuse within the trash prism to increase the production of methane gas and/or CO 2 .
1 . A method of enhancing the decomposition of organic waste comprising;
providing steam;
enriching the steam with gas comprising at least one of CO 2 , CO and NO x ; and
injecting the enriched steam into organic material.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic material is in a landfill or a biomass reactor.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating steam by vaporizing water.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing steam includes directing waste steam from a different process into the system.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sequestering the gas into the steam to enrich it.
6 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising spraying water into a chamber containing the gas and flashing the water into the steam wherein the gas is exhaust gas from a flare, boiler, turbine or internal combustion engine and the heat of the exhaust flashes the water into steam.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas is exhaust gas from a flare, boiler or internal combustion engine.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising conveying the enriched steam to the landfill or biomass reactor by negative pressure.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the negative pressure is from the landfill or biomass reactor or from a blower.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas is exhaust gas from an industrial process independent from waste treatment system.
11 . A method of enhancing the decomposition of organic waste comprising:
injecting steam enriched by CO 2 , CO and NO x into waste, the waste comprising organic refuse;
heating the waste;
monitoring conditions within the waste; and
extracting methane gas from the waste.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of heating the waste comprises heating the waste with the steam.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the waste is in a landfill or biomass reactor.
14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the methane is used to create the steam.
15 . A method of accelerating decomposition of organic refuse comprising:
combusting a fuel, thereby creating exhaust gas;
providing steam;
sequestering CO 2 from the exhaust gas into the steam to create enriched steam; and
injecting the enriched steam into organic refuse.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the fuel is landfill gas from a landfill or biomass reactor.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the landfill gas is methane.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the methane is produced from the organic refuse which is in the landfill or biomass reactor.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of combusting a fuel is performed in an internal combustion engine, flare, turbine or boiler.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the organic refuse is in a biomass reactor.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the fuel is produced in the biomass reactor.
22 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising extracting methane gas from the organic refuse.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein CO 2 is separated from the extracted methane gas to be injected into the organic refuse
24 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising spraying water into the exhaust gas to create the steam.
25 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the steam is exhaust steam from an process independent from the waste treatment process.