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    Gasification and Incineration: Course: Environmental Engineering Module 5: Solid Disposal

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    Ake Tupesla
    This document provides an overview of thermal treatment processes for solid waste disposal, focusing on incineration and gasification. It describes the incineration process which involves waste reception, sorting, combustion in excess of 850°C, energy recovery typically through steam generation, and emissions control. The key requirements for incineration are minimum combustion temperature and limits on atmospheric emissions. Energy can be recovered to generate power, heat, or combined heat and power.

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    Gasification and Incineration: Course: Environmental Engineering Module 5: Solid Disposal

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    Ake Tupesla
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    This document provides an overview of thermal treatment processes for solid waste disposal, focusing on incineration and gasification. It describes the incineration process which involves waste reception, sorting, combustion in excess of 850°C, energy recovery typically through steam generation, and emissions control. The key requirements for incineration are minimum combustion temperature and limits on atmospheric emissions. Energy can be recovered to generate power, heat, or combined heat and power.

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    This document provides an overview of thermal treatment processes for solid waste disposal, focusing on incineration and gasification. It describes the incineration process which involves waste reception, sorting, combustion in excess of 850°C, energy recovery typically through steam generation, and emissions control. The key requirements for incineration are minimum combustion temperature and limits on atmospheric emissions. Energy can be recovered to generate power, heat, or combined heat and power.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf or txt
    27 views6 pages

    Gasification and Incineration: Course: Environmental Engineering Module 5: Solid Disposal

    Uploaded by

    Ake Tupesla
    This document provides an overview of thermal treatment processes for solid waste disposal, focusing on incineration and gasification. It describes the incineration process which involves waste reception, sorting, combustion in excess of 850°C, energy recovery typically through steam generation, and emissions control. The key requirements for incineration are minimum combustion temperature and limits on atmospheric emissions. Energy can be recovered to generate power, heat, or combined heat and power.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 6

    Course: Environmental Engineering Module 5: Solid Disposal

    Lecture 6
    Gasification and incineration

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    Course: Environmental Engineering Module 5: Solid Disposal

     
    THERMAL TREATMENT
    In recent decades, industrialized countries also included the thermal treatment
    (incineration, pyrolysis, or gasification) of MSW as an important option for its management.
    Within thermal treatments, incineration has reached a great interest. However, although this
    process notably reduces the space required for the disposal of the same amount of residues in
    landfills (typically by a factor from 4 to 10) [1- 3], MSW incinerators (MSWI) have been
    questioned because of the atmospheric emissions of acid gases, heavy metals, polycyclic
    aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and especially by the
    emission of the potential carcinogenic agents polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and
    dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) [1, 2, 4-6].

    Thermal processes [7]


    (a) Incineration (combustion): The term ‘incineration’ is used to describe processes that
    combust waste and recover energy. In mass burning systems, the refuse is burned in an "as
    received" condition. Generally, in mass burning systems all of the waste entering the facility
    is dumped into a large storage pit, with bulky items being removed prior to entering the
    combustion chamber [7]. To allow the combustion to take place a sufficient quantity of
    oxygen is required to fully oxidize the fuel. Incineration plant combustion temperatures are in
    excess of 850oC and the waste is mostly converted into carbon dioxide and water and any
    noncombustible materials (e.g. metals, glass, stones) remain as a solid, known as incinerator
    bottom ash (IBA) that always contains a small amount of residual carbon. The direct
    combustion of a waste usually releases more of the available energy compared to pyrolysis
    and gasification [8, 9].
    (b) Pyrolysis: Pyrolysis is thermal decomposition in the absence of oxygen. This process
    requires an external heat source to maintain the pyrolysis process. Typically, temperatures of
    between 300oC to 850oC are used during pyrolysis of materials such as MSW. The products
    produced from pyrolysing materials are a solid residue and syngas [9]. The solid residue
    (sometimes described as a char) is a combination of non-combustible materials and carbon.
    The syngas is a mixture of gases (combustible constituents include carbon monoxide,
    hydrogen and methane) and condensable oils, waxes and tars. The syngas typically has a net
    calorific value (NCV) of between 10 and 20 MJ/Nm3. For comparison, natural gas has NCV
    of around 38 MJ/Nm3 [9]. If required, the condensable (liquid) fraction can be collected,
    potentially for use as a liquid fuel or a feedstock in a chemical process, by cooling the syngas
    [10]. By manipulating the environmental conditions within the reactor, the yield of any

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    Course: Environmental Engineering Module 5: Solid Disposal

     
    desired product (gas of low calorific value, liquid oil and carbonaceous char) may be
    optimized [11-13].
    Refuse-derived fuel (RDF): Fuel produced from combustible waste is called refuse
    derived fuel (RDF). RDFs are processed so that all non-combustible materials like
    recyclables (glass, metals) and inerts (stones, etc.), which do not contribute to the energy
    content of the waste are removed prior to burning. The waste going into the RDF mainly
    comprises wastes with significant energy content like plastics, dried biodegradable materials,
    textiles, etc [9]. In many instances, the waste remaining after processing is shredded into
    confetti-like particles [7, 8]. Raw MSW typically has an energy content of 9 – 11 MJ/kg,
    whereas an RDF can have an energy content of 17MJ/kg [8, 9].
    (c) Gasification: When the heat for pyrolysis is provided by combustion of part of the waste
    in air or oxygen, the term "gasification" is used [7]. In gasification, air (oxygen) is added but
    the amounts are not sufficient to allow the fuel to be completely oxidized and full combustion
    to occur. The temperatures employed are typically above 650oC. The process is largely
    exothermic but some heat may be required to initialize and sustain the gasification process.
    The main product is a syngas, which contains carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane.
    Typically, the gas generated from gasification has a NCV of 4 – 10 MJ/Nm3 [9]. The other
    main product of gasification is a solid residue of non-combustible materials (ash) which
    contains a relatively low level of carbon.

    Necessary conditions for MSW incineration


    The key requirements in the incineration of MSW are as follows:
     A minimum combustion temperature of 850oC for 2 seconds of the resulting
    combustion products
     Specific emission limits for the release of SO2, NOx, HCl, volatile organic
    compounds (VOCs), CO, particulate (fly ash), heavy metals, dioxins, etc. to the
    atmosphere.
     Bottom ash that is produced has a total organic carbon content of less than 3%.

    USES OF ENERGY GENERATED FROM MSW [9, 10]


    Energy recovered from waste can be used in the following ways:
    (A) Generation of Power (electricity): The energy generation option selected for an
    incineration facility will depend on the potential for end users to utilize the heat and/or power

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    Course: Environmental Engineering Module 5: Solid Disposal

     
    available. In most instances power can be easily distributed and sold via the national grid and
    this is by far the most common form of energy recovery.
    (B) Generation of Heat: For heat, the consumer needs to be local to the facility producing
    the heat and a dedicated distribution system (network) is required. Unless all of the available
    heat can be used the generating facility will not always be operating at its optimum
    efficiency.
    (C) Generation of Heat and Power: The use of combined heat and power (CHP) combines
    the generation of heat and power (electricity). This helps to increase the overall energy
    efficiency for a facility compared to generating power only. In addition, as power and heat
    demand varies a CHP plant can be designed to meet this variation and hence maintain
    optimum levels of efficiency.

    INCINERATION PROCESS [9, 10]


    An incinerator with energy recovery comprises of the following process:
    [A] Waste reception, sorting and preparation:
     It requires 1pre-sorting of MSW material to remove heavy and inert objects, such as
    metals, prior to processing in the furnace.
     The waste is then mechanically processed to reduce the particle size.
     Overall, the waste requires more preparation than if a moving grate was used.
    [B] Combustion: The combustion is normally a single stage process and consists of a lined
    chamber with a granular bubbling bed of an inert material such as coarse sand/silica or
    similar bed medium. The bed is ‘fluidized’ by air (which may be diluted with recycled flue
    gas) being blown vertically through the material at a high flow rate. Wastes are mobilized by
    the action of this fluidized bed of particles. There are two main sub-categories of fluidized
    bed combustors:
     Bubbling FB – the airflow is sufficient to mobilize the bed and provide good contact
    with the waste. The airflow is not high enough to allow large amounts of solids to be
    carried out of the combustion chamber.
     Circulating FB – the airflow for this type of unit is higher and therefore particles are
    carried out of the combustion chamber by the flue gas. The solids are removed and
    returned to the bed.
     Rotary kilns are also used for incineration of MSW and hazardous wastes.

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    Course: Environmental Engineering Module 5: Solid Disposal

     
    [C] Energy recovery plant: The standard approach for the recovery of energy from the
    incineration of MSW is to utilize 1the combustion heat through a boiler to generate steam. Up
    to 80% of the total available energy in the waste can be retrieved in the boiler to produce
    steam. The steam can be used for the generation of power via a steam turbine and/or used for
    heating [8].
    [D] Emissions control: The combustion process must be correctly controlled and the flue
    gases must be cleaned prior to their release. Generally, ammonia is injected into the hot flue
    gases for control of NOx emissions. Lime or sodium bicarbonate is injected to control SO2
    and HCl. And finally, a filter bed consisting of adsorbents like activated carbon, fly ash and
    other solids (lime or bicarbonate) is used to control the release of heavy metals, CO, VOCs
    and dioxins.
    [E] Residue handling: Finally, bottom ash and air pollution control residues should be
    properly handled and disposed off as per the regulations.

    REFERENCES
    [1] Magrinho, A., Didelet, F., Semiao, V. Municipal solid waste disposal in Portugal.
    Waste Management, 2006, 26: 1477–89.
    [2] Moy. P., Krishnan. N., Ulloa, P., Cohen, S., Brandt-Rauf, P. W. Options for
    management of municipal solid waste in New York City: a preliminary comparison of
    health risks and policy implications. Journal of Environment Management, 2008, 87,
    73–9.
    [3] Sharholy, M., Ahmad, K., Mahmood, G., Trivedi, R. C. Municipal solid waste
    management in Indian cities — a review. Waste Management, 2008, 28: 459–67.
    [4] Domingo, J. L. Human health risks of dioxins for populations living near modern
    municipal solid waste incinerators. Review on Environment Health, 2002,17, 135–47.
    [5] http://www.seas.columbia.edu/earth/MSW-WTE-ISWA.pdf.
    [6] Schuhmacher, M., Domingo, J. L. Long-term study of environmental levels of dioxins
    and furans in the vicinity of a municipal solid waste incinerator. Environment
    International, 2006, 32, 397–404.
    [7] Morcos, V. H. Energy recovery from municipal solid waste incineration-A review Heat
    Recovery Systems & CHP, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 115-126, 1989.
    [8] http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/wip/newtech/pdf/incineration.pdf
    [9] DEFR, A. Incineration of Municipal Solid Waste, Department for Environment, Food
    & Rural Affairs (Defra), UK, 2007.

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    [10] DEFRA, Advanced Thermal Treatment of Municipal Solid Waste, Department for
    Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), UK, 2005.
    [11] Pavoni, J. L., Heer, J. E., Hagerty, D. J. “Handbook of Solid Waste Disposal--Materials
    and Energy Recovery”, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1975.
    [12] Wilson, D. C. “Waste Management, Planning, Evaluation, Technology” Clarendon
    Press, Oxford, 1981.
    [13] Veizy, C. R., Velzy, C. O. “Incineration, in Mark's Standard Handbook for Mechanical
    Engineers” , 8th editionMcGraw-Hill, New York, 1978.
    [14] http://www.seas.columbia.edu/earth/MSW-WTE-ISWA.pdf.

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