India, as a vast and rapidly developing nation with the largest population in the world, faces significant challenges in managing the growing volume of waste generated by its huge population and increasing consumer activity. Waste mitigation has emerged as a critical concern not only for India but for countries around the world. A variety of thermal treatment methods such as incineration, pyrolysis, melting, and vitrification have been employed to process hazardous and non-hazardous wastes effectively. The primary objective of these methods is to achieve maximum volume reduction by eliminating the organic components of the waste. The remaining inorganic fraction, typically much smaller in volume, is often converted into stable, inert forms such as vitrified glass or ash, which can be safely disposed of or stored in engineered landfills. Among the advanced technologies being adopted, plasma arc systems have shown considerable promise for waste treatment, particularly for hazardous medical and industrial waste. Thermal Plasma Torches, operating at extremely high temperatures often exceeding 10,000 K, facilitate complete combustion and significantly reduce the formation of toxic by-products such as dioxins and furans—common concerns in conventional incineration systems. In fact, for certain categories of waste, plasma-based systems are among the few technologies capable of meeting stringent emission norms, due to the high energy density and chemically reactive environment of the plasma.
The Thermal Plasma torches also form the core of several advanced waste-to-energy (WTE) systems. In particular, they are integral to plasma gasification processes, wherein complex waste materials are converted into syngas, primarily composed of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H₂). This syngas can be utilized as a fuel or as a feedstock for further chemical synthesis, thus contributing to circular economy and energy recovery. Beyond waste management, plasma torches have established their importance in metallurgical applications, particularly in the extraction and recovery of metals from low-grade ores and metallurgical waste. In specific industrial scenarios, plasma torches offer a viable alternative to conventional electric arc furnaces by delivering higher temperatures and more controlled processing environments. Plasma-based systems are additionally being explored for clean hydrogen production. Plasma reformers enable hydrogen generation via steam reforming or methane cracking processes, with the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions, thereby limiting environmental implications. Such applications align with the global push towards green hydrogen generation as a sustainable energy carrier.
On the other hand, the most popular and viable approach towards sustainable green energy generation is through nuclear power. In India, the advancement of nuclear energy infrastructure has significantly contributed to the accumulation of radiological and hazardous waste, posing serious challenges for nuclear waste management. Among the various waste treatment strategies, incineration using Air Thermal Plasma Torches has emerged as one of the most effective and environmentally sustainable solutions for such applications. Since thermal plasmas are generated by coupling electrical energy to the plasma device, a significantly smaller quantity of gas is consumed during waste treatments compared to conventional incinerators, which results in a reduction of secondary off-gas treatment. Air Thermal Plasma Torches are highly versatile and capable of processing a wide spectrum of waste materials, including hazardous chemicals and radioactive substances. This versatility is largely due to the extremely high temperatures of the plasma and dense flux of reactive species produced in the plasma zone, facilitating complete decomposition of waste materials. Two primary designs of thermal plasma torches are commonly employed: (i) the button-type and (ii) the hollow cathode-type. Each configuration has distinct advantages in terms of operational stability, arc attachment characteristics, and energy efficiency. The selection of the suitable configuration depends on the specific waste stream and processing requirements. The button type torches suffer from two major disadvantages
Due to these limitations, hollow cathode copper electrode-based torches are preferred in nuclear industry where prolonged torch life and ruggedness is of prime importance. Table-1 shows the comparison between button and hollow cathode torch.
The comparison table clearly shows that for operation of the plasma torch in air plasma, the Hollow Cathode configuration is preferable. To harness the full potential of plasma technology for effective processing of nuclear waste, it is essential to develop plasma torches capable of generating high-temperature plasma rich in highly reactive radical species. In this context, a 100kW thermal plasma torch has been successfully developed indigenously.
A compact, simpler design high power plasma torch is available for transfer of technology for industrial as well as R&D application. It takes air as plasma gas and converts it into a controlled well defined long jet of high thermal energy density plasma.
Air thermal plasma torches are crucial for industrial processes like cutting, melting, welding, spraying and waste treatment because of their ability to generate high density plasma at temperatures above 5000 K. Air as the plasma gas makes them eco-friendly and economical. Our indigenously developed torch has operated reliably for over 100 hours without electrode replacement and spectroscopic analysis confirmed plasma temperatures approaching ~9600°C, supporting its suitability for high performance industrial tasks.
A compact high power copper electrode hollow cathode 100kW air thermal plasma torch is available for transfer of technology for industrial as well as R&D application. It uses air / nitrogen as plasma gas and generates a long jet of high thermal energy density. The torch has more than 100hr of electrode life and is able to operate reliably.
Air thermal plasma torches are a very useful tool for industrial processes like incineration, pyrolysis, melting, cutting, welding, spraying, and waste treatment. Their ability to generate high density plasma at temperatures above 5000 K enables a wide range of applications in industry, material processing, basic science and R&D. The measured peak plasma temperatures is ~8200°C, supporting its suitability for high performance industrial tasks. The torch has been designed, simulated and tested for user friendly operation and ease of installation. Use of air as the plasma gas is environment friendly and is very economical. The efficiency of torch is very high ~70%.
The torch design is modular and only a small consumable part of the electrode needs to be replaced during the operation of torch. This indigenously developed torch offers operating life of over 100 hours for the consumable electrodes. This is achieved by following key innovations:
These advancements position the device as a reliable and efficient solution for industries seeking durable, high-power, and environmentally friendly thermal plasma systems.
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