Performance evaluation of a novel system for improving power generation and clean utilization of high-risk medical waste in a cement plant integrating with plasma gasification, gas turbine and ORC

Abstract

The energy of medical waste can be cleanly utilized by plasma gasification technology, and the large amount of electricity required can be provided cheaply by cement plants. To improve the cement plant energy utilization efficiency, the waste heat of high-temperature syngas and flue gases is a suitable and cheap heat source to improve the steam parameters. The two systems have complementary advantages and have the potential to operate collaboratively. A new system is proposed and verified by thermodynamic, economic and sensitivity analyses. The key parameters, such as gasification agents, mass flow rate, steam temperature and pressure, organic working fluids and operating parameters, are optimized. O2 as the gasification agent can reduce the plasma gasification electricity consumption. The cement plant power generation efficiency can be increased by 3.75%, and its power generation exergy efficiency can reach 65.43%. Medical waste is cleanly utilized, and its power generation efficiency reaches 47.10%. The total net power generation is increased from 8.84MW to 14.12MW. The system can increase revenue by 12,539.84 k$ per year, and the increased investment is recovered in 1.14 years. This study provides a promising solution for the clean co-processing of medical waste and effectively reduces energy waste in the cement production process.