The objective of this project is to demonstrate a fully automated and portable waste to energy system operating at military training Camp Buckner, located on the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. The rotary gasification system will demonstrate the conversion of non-hazardous waste into electricity for a period of six months, as well as:

• Demonstrate the ability to convert camp generated waste into a gaseous fuel and fully burned densified ash.
• Reduce the amount of liquid fuel required for electrical power generation at the generator by at least 50%.
• Demonstrate the process consumes all fluids and resultant ash is non-hazardous
• Meet required federal and state emissions requirements.

In all, this demonstration should provide a low cost system ($471,000 projected Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost with limited production) that meets the military performance criteria outlined for Waste to Energy converters for overseas contingency operations (SERDP WPSON-12-03).

Solid and liquid wastes are converted to a flammable synthetic gas (syngas) using a unique rotary flash gasification process. The reactor is simple (no mechanical seals), lightweight (no refractory lining), rugged, and safe for soldier use. The process can handle a wide variety of wet mixed wastes without the need of pre-drying or sorting. It can demonstrate the ability to operate with or without a slow speed shredder. It can validate the ability to bypass the shredder by directly feeding bagged waste. It can also inert items pass through the gasifier and discharge with the ash. A waste volume reduction greater than 95% is possible by producing a fully burned and densified ash. The gasifier operates “nonslagging” and self-grinds clinkers, but is equipped with an automated dump door to periodically to pass large items (metals, stone, glass, etc.).

Waste converts to a flammable syngas. A wet scrubbing system cleans the gas prior to co-fueling a 60 kW Advanced Medium Mobile Power Sources (AMMPS) generator (MEP-1070). All moisture mixed with the waste evaporates into the syngas, passes through the engine at temperatures well above the saturation dew point, and discharges as superheated steam mixed with the diesel exhaust. The only emissions from this process are diesel engine exhaust and a highly densified ash.

The expected benefits of this project will be that it:

• converts non-hazardous Forward Operating Base (FOB) waste (and POL) to electrical power at a net energy gain
• transforms waste disposal (burn pits, security, etc.) from a liability to a resource, by reducing liquid fuel consumption for electrical power generation on FOB’s
• provides a fast return on investment (ROI)
• proves operation is fully automated, soldier safe, and easy maintain, and understand conceptually
• reduces risk of human life delivering fuel in theater

The process is designed to meet Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) Weapons Systems and Platforms (WP) technical objectives. It will also replace fuel hungry incinerators and is more simple, lightweight, flexible, and safe than other gasification technologies.