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The application of thermochemical modeling, chemical kinetic modeling, and computational fluid dynamic modeling to waste destruction by thermal plasmas is considered. Destruction of liquid and gaseous wastes in the PLASCON™ waste destruction process is used as an example. It is demonstrated that thermochemical calculation of the mixing temperature is a useful tool to predict the level to which wastes are destroyed; however, chemical kinetic calculations are necessary to investigate the formation of byproducts in the process. Computational fluid dynamic modeling is required to obtain temperature and flow fields in two dimensions. When combined with chemical kinetics, composition fields can also be obtained. These points are illustrated using the examples of chlorobenzene and chlorofluorocarbon destruction.

A two-dimensional numerical model of the PLASCON™ plasma reactor is used to investigate the destruction of ozone-depleting substances in the reactor. The model includes electromagnetic, fluid dynamic and chemical kinetic phenomena. Calculated temperature, flow and species concentration fields within the plasma torch, the injection manifold and the reaction tube are presented for the case of the destruction of CFC-12 (CF2Cl2). Conversion of CFC-12 to CFC-13 (CF3Cl), a more stable ozone-depleting substance, is found to occur in the region close to the injection manifold, and to be unaffected by reaction tube geometry. CFC-13 is predicted to be the dominant ozone-depleting substance in the exhaust gas. The predictions of the model are found to be in good agreement with measurements of the exhaust gas composition.

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