A decentralized/self-sustaining (infra-free) kitchen-system proposal with a home incinerator and Sabatier reactor-integrated waste management utility

Abstract

This paper studies a decentralized process for solid, liquid and gas waste management in a single-person household (HH), in which the kitchen produces less or no garbage and returns valuable products to support its own system. It particularly focuses on two CO2-consuming solid waste management scenarios; (1) to use garbage as a power source with a home incinerator to run a Sabatier-reactor with an outcome of energy (methane) and water; and (2) to produce hydrogen from methane and water in order to close the lifecycle, which otherwise has to be supplied from outside. Further integration of a hydroponic unit controls the flow of excess gases to produce food, provide clean air while cooling the incinerator and improving combustion efficiency. The volume requirement of approximately 2m3 could be integrated inside a prefabricated wall so that the waste management utility can be easily commercialized and installed without additional space requirements. Due to decentralization process and elimination of municipal waste collection, process and treatment infrastructure, installing the IF system could serve as a catalyst in the reduction of approximately 187 million tons of CO2-emission in the case of Japan; a 9% decrease from the 1990 emission values, where the target is set for 6% by 2012. Thus, it minimizes stress to expensive landfill area; integrating the potential of solid waste into the daily lifecycle and proposing a future kitchen system for everyday and emergency use, both in developing and industrialized countries.