Analysis of the Impact of Plasma Jet Mode on Medical Waste Gasification Furnace

Thermal plasma, with its high temperature and enthalpy, possesses the physical characteristics necessary to meet the requirements for rapid, efficient, and environmentally benign treatment of medical waste and has gradually emerged as a primary method and research focus in medical waste management. However, there has been limited discussion in the research on thermal plasma medical waste gasification regarding the analysis of different jet modes and their impact on system performance. In this study, we conducted numerical simulations and experimental investigations focusing on laminar and turbulent plasma jet modes, comparing and analyzing the temperature distribution and system performance under these two jet modes. In addition, through experimental exploration of the gasification coefficient (GC) and reaction temperature, we investigated the influence of these factors on the performance of the gasifier. The results indicate that the temperature and velocity of the laminar plasma jet are higher than those of the turbulent mode. Under the same conditions, the gas production, synthesis gas heating value, and system energy utilization efficiency of the medical waste gasifier in laminar plasma jet mode increased by approximately 10.0%, 11.8%, and 13.2%, respectively, compared with the turbulent mode. The laminar plasma jet mode provides a more effective reaction environment for medical waste gasifiers, and increasing the reaction temperature and GC appropriately can effectively enhance the production of combustible gases and the utilization of system energy.