An investigation on the fuel savings potential of hybrid hydraulic refuse collection vehicles

Refuse trucks play an important role in the waste collection process. Due to their typical driving cycle, these vehicles are characterized by large fuel consumption, which strongly affects the overall waste disposal costs. Hybrid hydraulic refuse vehicles offer an interesting alternative to conventional diesel trucks, because they are able to recuperate, store and reuse braking energy. However, the expected fuel savings can vary strongly depending on the driving cycle and the operational mode. Therefore, in order to assess the possible fuel savings, a typical driving cycle was measured in a conventional vehicle run by the waste authority of the City of Stuttgart, and a dynamical model of the considered vehicle was built up. Based on the measured driving cycle and the vehicle model including the hybrid powertrain components, simulations for both the conventional and the hybrid vehicle were performed. Fuel consumption results that indicate savings of about 20% are presented and analyzed in order to evaluate the benefit of hybrid hydraulic vehicles used for refuse collection.     

Determination of specific gravity of municipal solid waste

This investigation was conducted to evaluate experimental determination of specific gravity (G_s) of municipal solid waste (MSW). Water pycnometry, typically used for testing soils was adapted for testing MSW using a large flask with 2000 mL capacity and specimens with 100–350 g masses. Tests were conducted on manufactured waste samples prepared using US waste constituent components; fresh wastes obtained prior and subsequent to compaction at an MSW landfill; and wastes obtained from various depths at the same landfill. Factors that influence specific gravity were investigated including waste particle size, compaction, and combined decomposition and stress history. The measured average specific gravities were 1.377 and 1.530 for as-prepared/uncompacted and compacted manufactured wastes, respectively; 1.072 and 1.258 for uncompacted and compacted fresh wastes, respectively; and 2.201 for old wastes. The average organic content and degree of decomposition were 77.2% and 0%, respectively for fresh wastes and 22.8% and 88.3%, respectively for old wastes. The G_s increased with decreasing particle size, compaction, and increasing waste age. For fresh wastes, reductions in particle size and compaction caused occluded intraparticle pores to be exposed and waste particles to be deformed resulting in increases in specific gravity. For old wastes, the high G_s resulted from loss of biodegradable components that have low G_s as well as potential access to previously occluded pores and deformation of particles due to both degradation processes and applied mechanical stresses. The G_s was correlated to the degree of decomposition with a linear relationship. Unlike soils, the G_s for MSW was not unique, but varied in a landfill environment due both to physical/mechanical processes and biochemical processes. Specific gravity testing is recommended to be conducted not only using representative waste composition, but also using representative compaction, stress, and degradation states.     

Liquefaction process for a hydrothermally treated waste mixture containing plastics

Most landfilled plastic waste is a mixture or is in the form of composites with incombustible wastes such as glass, metals, and ceramics. After hydrothermal treatment, including a steam-explosion process, the separation of mixed waste (MW) into organic and inorganic substances becomes easy. However, the effect of hydrothermal pretreatment on the subsequent liquefaction of organic substances from MW is not obvious. In this study, the effects on the liquefaction of polystyrene and high-density polyethylene are discussed. Moreover, optimum conditions for the liquefaction of organic substances from hydrothermally treated MW are identified. By means of this hydrothermal pretreatment, including the steam-explosion process, polystyrene and high-density polyethylene can be significantly converted to oil by liquefaction at 300°–400°C. In comparison with liquefaction of hydrothermally pretreated mixed waste (HMW) at 300°–400°C with a batch type reactor, the yield of oil increases significantly on liquefaction using a semi-batch type reactor. It is considered that the radical chain and termination reactions among the radicals from HMW were inhibited in the semi-batch type reactor. On liquefaction of HMW in a semi-batch reactor, the conversion of HMW to oil was enhanced on increasing the liquefaction temperature to 350°C and the holding time to 60 min. Chemical Feedstock Recycling & Other Innovative Recycling Techniques 6     

Multi-criteria evaluation technique for SFI site identification of NORMS and oil industry waste disposal – Possibilities in Kuwait

Waste generation and accumulating quantities of oil field waste are a matter of environmental concern. This study proposes the Slurry Fracture Injection (SFI) technique as an alternative waste disposal method. The slurried solids injection waste disposal method is environmentally secure and permanent, leaving no future liabilities that must be risk-evaluated or priced. An entire waste stream comprising ground solids and waste water can be injected into deep and hydraulically secure target strata with no contamination of potable water-bearing formations or formations outside the target zone that may contain resources (gas and oil). The slurry injection method can be used to clean and reclaim landfills, oil pits and granular waste dumps. This article proposes a two-tier screening method for evaluating the feasibility of this technique and the identification of suitable target zones. A stringent environmental and process control monitoring program should complement the planning and operational period to ensure environmental protection, waste containment, and regulatory HSE compliance.     

Structure and activity of thermophilic methanogenic microbial communities exposed to quaternary ammonium sanitizer

Food processing facilities often use antimicrobial quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) sanitizers to maintain cleanliness. These QACs can end up in wastewaters used as feedstock for anaerobic digestion. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of QAC contamination on biogas production and structure of microbial communities in thermophilic digester sludge. Methane production and biogas quality data were analyzed in batch anaerobic digesters containing QAC at 0, 15, 50, 100 and 150 mg/L. Increasing sanitizer concentration in the bioreactors negatively impacted methane production rate and biogas quality. Microbial community composition data was obtained through 16S rRNA gene sequencing from the QAC-contaminated sludges. Sequencing data showed no significant restructuring of the bacterial communities. However, significant restructuring was observed within the archaeal communities as QAC concentration increased. Further studies to confirm these effects on a larger scale and with a longer retention time are necessary.     

Contribution of precursor compounds to the release of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from waste water treatment plants (WWTPs)

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFASs) are ubiquitous in sludge and water from waste water treatment plants, as a result of their incorporation in everyday products and industrial processes. In this study, we measured several classes of persistent PFASs,precursors, transformation intermediates, and newly identified PFASs in influent and effluent sewage water and sludge from three municipal waste water treatment plants in Sweden, sampled in 2015. For sludge, samples from 2012 and 2014 were analyzed as well.Levels of precursors in sludge exceeded those of perfluoroalkyl acids and sulfonic acids(PFCAs and PFSAs), in 2015 the sum of polyfluoroalkyl phosphoric acid esters(PAPs) were 15–20 ng/g dry weight, the sum of fluorotelomer sulfonic acids(FTSAs) was 0.8–1.3 ng/g,and the sum of perfluorooctane sulfonamides and ethanols ranged from non-detected to 3.2 ng/g. Persistent PFSAs and PFCAs were detected at 1.9–3.9 ng/g and 2.4–7.3 ng/g dry weight, respectively. The influence of precursor compounds was further demonstrated by an observed substantial increase for a majority of the persistent PFCAs and PFSAs in water after waste water treatment. Perfluorohexanoic acid(PFHxA), perfluorooctanoic acid(PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid(PFHxS), and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid(PFOS)had a net mass increase in all WWTPs, with mean values of 83%, 28%, 37% and 58%,respectively. The load of precursors and intermediates in influent water and sludge combined with net mass increase support the hypothesis that degradation of precursor compounds is a significant contributor to PFAS contamination in the environment.     

烟草废弃物快速堆肥过程中重金属Cd形态变化特征

以烟草废弃物为原料,活性土壤为载体建立堆体,研究重金属镉的形态变化,及堆肥过程中的动态变化规律。结果表明,烟草废弃物与活性土壤混合能快速腐熟。堆肥总质量下降,重金属镉含量相对增加。重金属镉的铁锰氧化态比例增加19%,有机结合态比例在堆肥升温阶段增加,腐熟后有所下降。残渣态比例大幅度上升,增加达到5倍,且在腐熟阶段增幅最大。说明堆肥处理有利于降低重金属镉的活性。     

华南某金矿下游河道砷镉分布特征

对华南某金矿下游河道砷、镉分布特征进行了初步研究,在金矿下游河道沿程布设7个沉积物采样点及两个河道断面,分析了沉积物及断面土壤的砷、镉、铬、铜、镍、铅、锌含量。采用Tessier连续提取法分析沉积物中砷、镉等重金属的形态。砷含量高达10 208⁷0 621 mg/kg,镉含量达2.870 621 mg/kg,镉含量达2.8¹0.2 mg/kg。沉积物中砷、铅元素含量沿水流方向总体呈现减少趋势,铬、铜元素含量沿水流方向呈现增加趋势,镉元素含量沿水流方向先增加后减少。上游断面沉积物砷、镉等重金属浓度由河流中泓线向河岸方向增加,砷含量由16 617 mg/kg增加至53 197 mg/kg;下游断面则反之,砷含量由16 860 mg/kg减少至384mg/kg。沉积物中砷、镉等重金属元素主要以铁锰氧化态、有机结合态和残渣态的形式存在。     

微波消解/ICP-AES法分析冶炼厂固废中重金属

分析固体废物中金属元素全量分析的微波消解条件,通过实验确定样品的粉碎粒度、消解功率、消解温度、消解时间等因素对样品消解效果的影响,以等离子发射光谱测定冶炼厂固体废物中24种痕量金属元素,通过测定的检出限、精密度、准确度,确立冶炼厂固体废物痕量金属全量分析检测方法准确高效。     

生活垃圾中废塑料分选回收技术概述

近年来,废塑料在城市生活垃圾中占有相当大的比例,其含量正呈逐年上涨的趋势,因此对塑料进行分选和资源化利用势在必行。塑料分选技术是摆在我们中间的一项难题,目前生活垃圾废塑料的分选技术五花八门．由于在全国各地废塑料在垃圾中的还水量等因素的影响,现实中能实现废塑料的分选还不成熟。因此,研究一套适合废塑料的分选技术迫在眉睫。