Evaluating waste disposal systems

Waste disposal systems conventionally exhibit many problems, such as difficulties in finding final disposal sites for incinerator residues and the issue of how to recycle waste materials. Some new technologies have been developed to solve such problems, including ash melting and gasification melting. Furthermore, to improve the power generation efficiency of waste treatment facilities so that their energy is used more efficiently, combined stoker/gas turbine power generation (super waste power generation) technology has been developed. Through examination of two cases in this study, environmental impacts and costs were determined using lifecycle assessment (LCA) and lifecycle cost (LCC) methods in a model city. In case 1, a stoker furnace was compared to a combined stoker/gas turbine system. In case 2, a stoker furnace plus ash melting system was compared to a gasification melting system. The results demonstrate that the stoker furnace has a lower environmental impact than the combined stoker/gas turbine system in case 1, and that the stoker plus ash melting system costs less than the gasification melting system in case 2, but both systems had strong impacts on the environment.     

垃圾焚烧飞灰浸出特性及固化试验的研究

垃圾焚烧飞灰残留有重金属元素和二恶英等物质而被认为是危险废物,必须对之进行稳定化处理.通过试验研究分析了国内首家自主开发成功的广东省东莞市某回转窑垃圾焚烧发电厂垃圾焚烧飞灰的化学成分及矿物组成,研究了飞灰的浸出毒性,考察了水泥固化焚烧飞灰的效果,并与熔融/玻璃固化进行了比较.研究表明,该焚烧飞灰中重金属Cd的浸出毒性严重超标,并且随pH值的减小而增大,水泥固化效果随龄期的增大而更加显著.熔融/玻璃固化的效果优于水泥固化,但其经济性有待提高.     

添加剂对垃圾焚烧飞灰熔融特性的影响

研究制备了1种具有多重作用效果的飞灰熔融复合型添加剂,并选用上海和福州2种典型飞灰,利用荧光光谱仪和电感耦合等离子体质谱仪等仪器,分析了添加剂对飞灰熔融过程中的挥发率,流动温度,重金属固定率以及熔融渣的重金属浸出特性的影响.结果表明,添加10%添加剂可以将飞灰的流动温度降低150℃左右,挥发率降低10%～20%,重金属Cu和Pb的固定率提高了10%～20%,对重金属Zn的固定率可提高近40%;同时,采用我国毒性浸出方法和美国EPA的TCLP方法,分析测试熔融渣中重金属浸出量,结果证实几种重金属的浸出浓度均低于相应的标准限值.     

Porous materials produced from incineration ash using thermal plasma technology

This study presents a novel thermal plasma melting technique for neutralizing and recycling municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) ash residues. MSWI ash residues were converted into water-quenched vitrified slag using plasma vitrification, which is environmentally benign. Slag is adopted as a raw material in producing porous materials for architectural and decorative applications, eliminating the problem of its disposal. Porous materials are produced using water-quenched vitrified slag with Portland cement and foaming agent. The true density, bulk density, porosity and water absorption ratio of the foamed specimens are studied here by varying the size of the slag particles, the water-to-solid ratio, and the ratio of the weights of the core materials, including the water-quenched vitrified slag and cement. The thermal conductivity and flexural strength of porous panels are also determined. The experimental results show the bulk density and the porosity of the porous materials are 0.9–1.2 g cm^?3 and 50–60%, respectively, and the pore structure has a closed form. The thermal conductivity of the porous material is 0.1946 W m^?1 K^?1. Therefore, the slag composite materials are lightweight and thermal insulators having considerable potential for building applications.     

融冰过程中铁离子和锰离子的迁移规律

为探究融冰过程中重金属离子的迁移规律,选择铁离子和锰离子为研究对象,开展了室内模拟融冰实验,探讨其在融冰过程中的迁移规律,并分析初始浓度和冷冻温度对其迁移过程的影响.结果表明：在不同的初始浓度和冷冻温度条件下,铁离子和锰离子在冰中各层的浓度分布关系皆为：中层 < 上层 < 下层;融冰过程中,51.17%~71.67%的铁离子和锰离子均在冰体融化前期（0~25%）集中释放,中后期相对平稳均匀释放,此外初始浓度对冰融化时铁离子和锰离子的迁移规律影响不大,而冷冻温度较低时,融1中铁离子和锰离子的浓度基本在增加;融冰过程中,随着累积融水体积的增加,融水中铁离子和锰离子的浓度与冰体初始浓度之比逐渐降低,它们之间呈指数函数衰减模式.     

铅大气污染物环境保护标准限值研究

铅因其对公众健康的影响,其大气污染物标准限值的合理性倍受关注.论文对比分析了国内外铅大气污染物环境质量与排放标准,通过计算提出基于保护环境空气质量的排放标准理论限值及建议限值.分析发现,目前国际上铅环境空气质量标准浓度限值为0.00015～0.0015 mg·m~(-3),但多采用世界卫生组织(WHO)的年均浓度限值0.0005 mg·m~(-3);建议我国今后修订标准时对铅年均浓度和季均浓度限值进一步加严.与发达国家相比,我国铅环境空气质量季均浓度限值水平已显落后;国际上目前各类排放源铅大气污染物排放浓度限值在0.04～2 mg·m~(-3)之间,金属冶炼源等主要源的排放浓度限值在1～2 mg·m~(-3),其他排放源均在0.5 mg·m~(-3)以下;我国铅、锌熔炼源正在执行的排放浓度限值(8 mg·m~(-3))较为宽松,而其他源的铅大气排放浓度限值与国际上的限值基本一致.通过计算认为,保护公众健康的铅大气污染物的理论排放限值为1.2～2.4 mg·m~(-3).考虑到我国的经济技术水平,建议铅、锌熔炼源的铅大气污染物新建企业排放浓度限值为2 mg·m~(-3);其他源的新建企业排放浓度建议限值为0.5 mg·m~(-3).经过过渡期,现有企业应达到新建企业的排放控制要求.铅的企业边界浓度排放限值是保护企业边界附近公众健康的有效屏障,但鉴于铅的污染特性,对于具体建设项目应加强环评力度,提出更具体明确的排放控制要求,并加强对企业周边环境敏感点的环境监测等,采取综合措施保护公众健康.     

Co-gasification of wood and polyethylene with the aim of CO and H2 production

This article describes the gasification of polyethylene–wood mixtures to form syngas (H₂ and CO) with the aim of feedstock recycling via direct fermentation of syngas to ethanol. The aim was to determine the effects of four process parameters on process properties that give insight into the efficiency of gasification in general, and particularly into the optimum gasification conditions for the production of ethanol by fermentation of producer gas. Gasification experiments (fluidized bed, 800°–950°C) were done under different conditions to optimize the composition of syngas suitable for fermentation purposes. The data obtained were used for statistical analysis and modeling. In this way, the effect of each parameter on the process properties was determined and the model was used to predict the optimum gasification conditions. The parameters varied during the experiment were gasification temperature, equivalence ratio, the ratio of plastic to wood in the feed, and the amount of steam added to the process. The response models obtained proved to be statistically significant in the experimental domain. The optimum gasification conditions for maximization of carbon monoxide and hydrogen production were identified. The conditions are: temperature 900°C, equivalence ratio 0.15, amount of plastic in the feed 0.11 g/g feed, and amount of steam added 0.42 g/g feed. These optimum conditions are at the edge of the present experimental domain. The maximum combined CO and H₂ efficiency was 42%, and for the maximum yield of CO and H₂ it is necessary to minimize the polyethylene content, minimize the added steam and the equivalence ratio, and maximize temperature.     

Biomass waste gasification - can be the two stage process suitable for tar reduction and power generation?

A pilot scale gasification unit with novel co-current, updraft arrangement in the first stage and counter-current downdraft in the second stage was developed and exploited for studying effects of two stage gasification in comparison with one stage gasification of biomass (wood pellets) on fuel gas composition and attainable gas purity. Significant producer gas parameters (gas composition, heating value, content of tar compounds, content of inorganic gas impurities) were compared for the two stage and the one stage method of the gasification arrangement with only the upward moving bed (co-current updraft). The main novel features of the gasifier conception include grate-less reactor, upward moving bed of biomass particles (e.g. pellets) by means of a screw elevator with changeable rotational speed and gradual expanding diameter of the cylindrical reactor in the part above the upper end of the screw. The gasifier concept and arrangement are considered convenient for thermal power range 100-350 kW_th. The second stage of the gasifier served mainly for tar compounds destruction/reforming by increased temperature (around 950 °C) and for gasification reaction of the fuel gas with char. The second stage used additional combustion of the fuel gas by preheated secondary air for attaining higher temperature and faster gasification of the remaining char from the first stage. The measurements of gas composition and tar compound contents confirmed superiority of the two stage gasification system, drastic decrease of aromatic compounds with two and higher number of benzene rings by 1-2 orders. On the other hand the two stage gasification (with overall ER = 0.71) led to substantial reduction of gas heating value (LHV = 3.15 MJ/Nm³), elevation of gas volume and increase of nitrogen content in fuel gas. The increased temperature (>950 °C) at the entrance to the char bed caused also substantial decrease of ammonia content in fuel gas. The char with higher content of ash leaving the second stage presented only few mass% of the inlet biomass stream.     

Characterization of cellulosic wastes and gasification products from chicken farms

The current article focuses on gasification as a primary disposal solution for cellulosic wastes derived from chicken farms, and the possibility to recover energy from this process. Wood shavings and chicken litter were characterized with a view to establishing their thermal parameters, compositional natures and calorific values. The main products obtained from the gasification of chicken litter, namely, producer gas, bio-oil and char, were also analysed in order to establish their potential as energy sources. The experimental protocol included bomb calorimetry, pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry (PCFC), thermo-gravimetric analyses (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, elemental analyses, X-ray diffraction (XRD), mineral content analyses and gas chromatography. The mass and energy balances of the gasification unit were also estimated. The results obtained confirmed that gasification is a viable method of chicken litter disposal. In addition to this, it is also possible to recover some energy from the process. However, energy content in the gas-phase was relatively low. This might be due to the low energy efficiency (19.6%) of the gasification unit, which could be improved by changing the operation parameters.     

From feathers to syngas - technologies and devices

The poultry waste produced by industrial slaughterhouses typically contains not only feathers, but also a mixture of animal entrails, nails, blood, beaks and whole carcasses. Economical utilisation of this mixture, varying strongly in composition and moisture content, is, in general, difficult. We demonstrate that this awkward material can be successfully used for gasification in a simple, fixed-bed gasifier. The method of gasification, which we developed, enables control of the gasification process and ensures its stability in the operational regime of a working poultry processing plant. The installation, which has been working in Poland for 2 years, utilises 2 tons of feathers per hour and produces syngas of stable composition and fairly high quality. The syngas is burnt in the combustion chamber adjacent to the gasifier. Heat is recuperated in a boiler producing 3.5 tons per hour of technological steam continuously used for the operation of the slaughterhouse. The whole process complies with the stringent emission standards. In the paper we present the end-use device for feather utilisation and describe the underlying gasification and syngas combustion processes. Key elements of the whole installation are briefly discussed. The environmental impacts of the installation are summarized.