Municipal solid waste combustors

According to APME, energy recovery should be the preferred waste disposal route for polymeric materials that are very contaminated, bonded, laminated to other materials, or are at the end of their performance with respect to their physical/chemical properties. This paper takes a detailed look at energy recovery from municipal solid waste combustors, and considers the effect of polymeric materials. 

The role of plastics in municipal solid waste combustion is discussed, and in particular, their fuel characteristics. Details are given of a state-of-art municipal solid waste combustor and the effects of plastics on the different combustion stages. In addition, the contribution of plastics to the total output spread over the various emission paths of solids, liquids and gases, is also assessed. 

Ahmed S., Kumar R , and Helt J.E., Computer Simulation of a Municipal Solid Waste Combustor , JAPCA.39, 1328-1333(1989). 

Chandler, A. J., Eighmy, T. T. etal. 1997. Municipal Solid Waste Combustor Residues The International Ash Working Group, Studies in Environmental Science. Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 67. 

Goldin, A., Bigelow, C., and Veneman, P. L. M. (1992). Concentrations of metals in ash from municipal solid waste combustors. Chemosphere 24, 271—280. 

New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) were promulgated under Sections 111(b) and 129 of the CAA Amendments of 1990. The NSPS applies to new municipal solid-waste combustors (MWCs) with... 

Table 6 Types of municipal solid waste combustor ash...

Prior to exiting a municipal solid waste combustor, the ash is quenched, resulting in the high moisture content values. This high moisture content is due the quenching and relatively high porosity and absorptive nature of combustor ash. 

Granular base Blast furnace slag Coal boiler slag Mineral processing wastes Municipal solid waste combustor ash Nonferrous slags Reclaimed asphalt pavement Contaminated soils Reclaimed concrete Steel slag Waste glass... 

Hooper W (1991) Processed ash demonstration project Proc 4th Int Conf on Municipal Solid Waste Combustor Ash Utilization, Arlington, VA,p 263... 

Additional studies have examined the co-combustion of automotive shredder residue [47, 48, 111], electrical and electronic plastics [141-144], and building insulation foam [144] with municipal solid waste. Co-combustion of these plastics for energy production can also be carried out in compliance with U.S. and German waste-to-energy plant regulations in modem municipal solid waste combustors. 

Municipal Solid Waste Combustors (MSC) are incinerators that burn household, commercial or institutional wastes. Waste is usually shredded and fed with a controlled rate into the incinerator that uses high temperature, turbulent agitation, and an oxidizing (air) atmosphere to destroy the waste. The objective is threefold - to reduce the volume of the waste, to process hazardous waste, and to convert the organic materials into energy. 

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