Incineration Plants Research Articles

How to Control Waste Incineration Pollution? Cost-Sharing or Penalty Mechanism—Based on Two Differential Game Models

This study explores whether the government should implement a cost-sharing or penalty mechanism to control waste incineration pollution and investigates which policy can best incentivize incineration plants to invest in pollution control. We design two differential game models, one based on a cost-sharing approach and one on a penalty system, to model the interactions between the government and incineration plants. We then compare and analyze the equilibrium outcomes in both scenarios. Our findings reveal that when incineration pollution significantly impacts the government, both the cost-sharing and penalty mechanisms are effective in stimulating incineration plants to enhance their pollution control efforts. However, when incineration pollution significantly affects the incineration plants themselves, the cost-sharing mechanism proves to be more effective in terms of pollution control. Furthermore, we find that the government derives greater utility under the cost-sharing mechanism compared with the penalty mechanism, especially as the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) increases. In contrast, incineration plants tend to generate higher profits under the cost-sharing mechanism. These findings and their accompanying managerial implications may provide valuable guidance for government agencies in formulating policies to manage incineration pollution and encourage waste incineration plants to invest in improving their pollution control systems. Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 71571149], Humanities and Social Sciences Foundation for Youth Scholars of Ministry of Education of China [Grant 22YJC630171], and Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province of China [Grant 2023NSFSC1055].

Disposable Plastic Waste and Associated Antioxidants and Plasticizers Generated by Online Food Delivery Services in China: National Mass Inventories and Environmental Release.

China's online food delivery (OFD) services consume enormous amounts of disposable plastics. Here, we investigated and modeled the national mass inventories and environmental release of plastics and chemical additives in the plastic. The extra-tree regression identified six key descriptors in determining OFD sales in Chinese cities. Approximately 847 kt of OFD plastic waste was generated in 2021 (per capita 1.10 kg/yr in the megacities and 0.39 kg/yr in other cities). Various additives were extensively detected, with geomean concentrations of 140.96, 4.76, and 0.25 μg/g for ∑8antioxidants, ∑21phthalates, and bisphenol A (BPA), respectively. The estimated mass inventory of these additives in the OFD plastics was 164.7 t, of which 51.1 t was released into the atmosphere via incineration plants and 51.0 t was landfilled. The incineration also released 8.07 t of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and 39.1 kt of particulate matter into the atmosphere. Takeout food may increase the dietary intake of phthalates and BPA by 30% to 50% and raise concerns about considerable exposure to antioxidant transformation products. This study provides profound environmental implications for plastic waste in the Chinese OFD industry. We call for a sustainable circular economy action plan for waste disposal, but mitigating the hazardous substance content and their emissions is urgent.

Enhancing the Performance of a Hazardous Waste Incineration Facility through the Usage of a Dedicated Application

Thermal transformation of waste carried out in a rotary kiln is a complex process, usually involving hazardous waste. Due to the great diversity of these wastes and their specific properties, the process of their thermal transformation may be associated with various types of operational problems. The reasons for their occurrence include, among others, processes potentially affecting the deterioration of the condition of the rotary kiln lining. In order to minimize problems, a tool is proposed to support the work of incineration plant operators. This is an application that enables generation of input material portions in subsequent kiln feeds. It is characterized by wide functionality, including the ability to assign higher weights to selected parameters. The application is based on an algorithm that takes into account the key waste parameters from the point of view of the thermal process, which have been given specific value ranges. Two series of simulations were performed with the same assumptions except for change in the weight for one of the parameters in the second case. In the first series, the following ranges of the considered parameters were obtained: calorific value 14.96–20.66 MJ/kg, pH 5.59–8.11, content of alkaline salts 1.42–7.39, content of chlorine 1.1–3.83, content of halogens 0.08–0.97. In the second series of simulations, the favored parameter was the calorific value, which ranged from 17.08 MJ/kg to 18.69 MJ/kg. The range of values for the remaining parameters changed slightly, with all meeting the criteria. Application tests showed the generation of waste mixtures with parameters consistent with the established ranges.

Determination of Elemental Composition of Soils Collected near Waste Incineration Plants in Moscow Using Neutron Activation Analysis

Determination of Elemental Composition of Soils Collected near Waste Incineration Plants in Moscow Using Neutron Activation Analysis

Upcycling MSWI fly ash into green binders via flue gas-enhanced wet carbonation

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash is a type of hazardous waste generated from waste incineration plants. This study developed a novel approach that recycled MSWI fly ash into eco-friendly binders via flue gas-enhanced wet carbonation treatment. During various washing processes, potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in MSWI fly ash showed different leaching patterns and pH dependence. Results suggested that 30 min flue gas-enhanced washing (optimal pH = ∼10.5) was favourable for immobilization of PTEs as well as sequestration of CO2 (12 wt %). The 28-day compressive strength of the pastes with 30 wt % flue gas-washed MSWI fly ash reached 84.2 MPa, which was significantly higher than the control pastes. Most of the PTEs, chlorides were effectively stabilised and solidified in the matrix. Compared to the cement-based binder, the cost of an alternative binder with 30 wt % flue gas-washed MSWI fly ash was −229.6 USD/m3, and the carbon emissions could be reduced by 36.1 %. Therefore, recycling carbonated MSWI fly ash into green binders exhibits a huge potential to close the waste cycle and mitigate climate change.

From dumping to circular economy: There is no success like failure.

Waste management has been developing in response to needs. The need to get rid of unwanted materials has always been a motivation but using the resource value of waste has also been a driver from the stone age and forwards. In affluent times not so much. Sanitation became a motivation with the discovery of pathogenic microorganisms in the mid-19th century, and after World War 2 (WW2) a strong focus on environmental protection developed, and in recent times, the resource aspect has received an interest despite material affluence. Legislation has been one of the drivers for recent developments, in the case of Sweden, the environmental protection legislation came in the late 1960s, and a few years later, the municipalities got the exclusive right to collect and manage household waste. Many local and regional waste management companies were established, owned by the municipalities. These organizations became agents of development, due to the increased scope and capacity. Adding to the environmental protection agenda, a renewed interest in waste as a resource was initiated by the oil crises of the 1970s, resulting in new waste incineration plants, with energy recovery, connected to already existing district heating networks. Mistakes, failures and alarms in the 1970s and the 1980s resulted in treatment method improvements and the establishment of source separation as an integral part of waste management. The waste management community stands strong today and is taking a more proactive role than before, which includes a stronger focus on communication with other stakeholders.

Emission characteristics and removal of heavy metals in flue gas: a case study in waste incineration and coal-fired power plants.

Heavy metal pollutants such as Hg, As, Pb, Cr, and Cd emitted from coal and waste combustion have received widespread attention. In this study, we systematically investigated the emission characteristics of heavy metals in waste incineration and coal-fired flue gases, focused on testing the removal effect of self-made cold electrode electrostatic precipitator (CE-ESP) on heavy metals in flue gas, and made a comparative analysis with the existing air pollution control devices (APCDs). Test results from waste incineration power plant showed that each APCD showed a certain effect on the removal of heavy metals in condensable particulate matter (CPM), with an average removal efficiency of bag filter was 86%, but its effect on Hg removal was slightly worse. Under the coupled field with electrified cold electrode plate operation mode, the average removal efficiency of CE-ESP on heavy metals in CPM was as high as 93%, including 76% for Hg. The removal efficiency of heavy metals (especially Hg) in CPM increased with the increase of flue gas temperature difference between inlet and outlet of CE-ESP. Test results from this coal-fired power plant showed that heavy metals were enriched in fly ash to a higher degree than in slag, the synergistic control of heavy metals in submicron particulate matter by the dust remover was not obvious, and there was a significant correlation between each heavy metal emission factor and its content in coal. Under the temperature field with non-electric cold electrode plate operation mode, the overall effect of CE-ESP on the removal of gaseous heavy metals was better than that of particulate heavy metals. Under the conventional electric field operation mode, CE-ESP was less effective in removing particulate Cr and gaseous Hg0. Under the coupled field with electrified cold electrode plate operation mode, the average removal efficiencies of CE-ESP for particulate and gaseous heavy metals were 82.37% and 76.16%, respectively.

Distribution of PCDD/Fs and PCBs at different locations in a circulating fluidised bed municipal solid waste incinerator.

This study investigates a circulating fluidised bed (CFB) incineration plant to examine the concentrations and fingerprints of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and biphenyls (PCBs) at five locations downstream of the post-combustion zone. Sampling encompassed both flue gas and ash, spanning from the high-temperature superheater to the outlet of the baghouse filter, thus covering a wide range of flue gas temperatures. The analysis reveals a continuous increase in PCDD/F and PCB concentrations in the flue gas from the superheater to the inlet of the air pollution control system (APCS). The maximum concentrations observed were 75.8ng/Nm3 for PCDDs, 219ng/Nm3 for PCDFs, and 763ng/Nm3 for PCBs. These values represent 9.14, 11.5, and 6.37 times their respective concentrations at the outlet of the high-temperature superheater. Concurrently, the levels of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs (dl-PCBs) in the ash steadily increased along the cooling path of the flue gas within the plant. Comparing dl-PCBs to the total amount of 209 PCB congeners, it was evident that dl-PCBs exhibited a trend more akin to that of PCDD/Fs. A robust linear correlation was observed between dl-PCBs and PCDD/Fs (R2 = 0.99, p < 0.001), surpassing that between PCBs and PCDD/Fs (R2 = 0.92, p < 0.01), suggesting that dl-PCBs share closer formation pathways with PCDD/Fs. Additionally, elemental composition analysis of fly ash samples aimed to explore potential links between fly ash characteristics and PCDD/F and PCB formation. The Cl/S ratio increased from 1.58 to 5.13 with decreasing flue gas temperature. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to visualise the concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in the flue gas alongside elemental contents in the fly ash. With the exception of PCBs in ash, all other PCDD/Fs and PCBs in fly ash exhibited positive correlations with both carbon (C) and chlorine (Cl). Furthermore, a positive relationship between C/Cl and PCDD/Fs-PCBs in fly ash implies that fly ash serves as the primary reaction surface for dioxin generation during low-temperature heterogeneous catalytic reactions.

MSW Management in Two Italian Mountainous Areas

Abstract Two case studies are reported in the present work. They regard municipal solid waste (MSW) management trends in the last decades in two Italian provinces selected to analyse some issues of waste management in mountainous areas. The first case study refers to a selective collection (SC) rate expected to reach 80 % soon. This scenario assumes SC mainly in kerbside mode. The scenario is based on specific local conditions: the absence of a thermo-chemical plant in the territory (but with a part of the residual MSW burnt in a neighbour province), the presence of local plant of anaerobic, and a sanitary landfill for pre-treated residual MSW. The adopted tariff helped increasing the SC rate: indeed, since 2013, a tariff calculated at user level, depending on the behaviour of each user, has been adopted. This is called punctual tariff. The second case study concerns an area where SC reached about 75 %. The punctual tariff has been recently introduced. In this scenario, an incineration plant and a Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) plant allow implementing an industrial symbiosis solution in conjunction with a cement factory. The work demonstrates that SC can be the core of a correct MSW management and that kerbside collection is fully compatible with mountainous area. However, other issues remain to be optimized yet: the low density of mountain areas makes difficult to implement enhanced solutions of SC (e.g. for diapers) and increases costs for light packaging collection; moreover, the presence of tourist fluxes can significantly affect SC efficiency.

Possibility of construction of mobile waste incineration plants for agricultural producers

Currently, the problem of waste disposal of agricultural products is becoming the most urgent due to the dynamic development of the agroindustrial complex, which is the leader among the manufacturing industries in terms of the amount of waste generated. This article is devoted to the possibility of building mobile waste incineration plants for agricultural producers. The branches of agricultural production were considered, the analysis of waste generated and methods of their disposal was carried out. Based on the study, a model of a mobile waste incineration plant was proposed, as well as the construction of sites for its placement. This installation will provide a faster and more convenient way to dispose of waste in agricultural production.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ПРИМЕСИ ЗОЛОШЛАКОВЫХ ОТХОДОВ МУСОРОСЖИГАТЕЛЬНЫХ ЗАВОДОВ НА ТЕПЛОПРОВОДНОСТЬ МИНЕРАЛЬНОЙ БАЗАЛЬТОВОЙ ВАТЫ

Basalt fibers are material with unique combination of good mechanical and operational properties at relatively low cost. These properties of basalt fibers are actively used in construction industry to create fibrous thermal insulation materials using both pure basalt and its mixture with other materials. This article examines the effect of ash and slag waste from waste incineration plants on thermal conductivity coefficient and suitability of mixture of basalt with ash and slag waste for production of high-quality fibrous thermal insulation materials. The melt was prepared in plasma energy reactor, with subsequent drawing of mineral fibers on original installation. Resulting mineral fibers were examined to determine thermal conductivity according to standard technique. The study also determined elemental composition of fibers and their average diameter and assessed change in original composition of charge and mineral fibers.

Optimizing Control of Waste Incineration Plants Using Reinforcement Learning and Digital Twins

More than 60 waste incineration plants (WIPs) are active across Germany. WIPs have various levels of automation, but they still rely on manual operations by human operators. Human operators tend to rely on a few operational levers and infrequent interventions to manage the complex combustion process. Consequently, the combustion process is managed rather inefficiently, and steam outputs and emission levels are not optimal. This article investigates how reinforcement learning (RL) can help enhance process automation and, thus, optimize the combustion process, e.g., by making more frequent and diverse interventions. An RL agent is trained via trial and error with a reward function that includes the optimization criteria. Since the actual equipment, i.e., the real WIP, cannot be used as the training environment, a digital twin is built using original plant data and a neural network. The RL agent is then trained in this offline environment with the deep Q-network algorithm. First, our work demonstrates that a digital twin of a WIP can be built in a data-driven way. Second, we show that the RL agent outperforms the human operator. Thus, the application of RL might benefit the plant operator in financial terms and the environment in terms of reduced emission levels.

Plasma-thermal remelting of ash and slag waste from waste incineration plants

This work is devoted to the study of the process of processing ash residues from a waste incineration plant (WIP) using a computational and experimental approach. The purpose of this work is to prevent environmental pollution by melting WIP ash and slag and obtaining a useful product with neutral properties. To achieve this goal, a combined method of heating ash and slag was proposed.

INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF FUEL-FIRED PLANTS WITH DUSTY WASTE GASES

The results of a set of thermal calculations of the air-heating heat exchanger of the dusty waste gases of the thermal disposal of household waste are given. The initial data for the calculations were taken in the practical range when incinerating 1t/h of household waste from the experience of using the specified installations. The heat-recovery unit is designed to heat air for combustion by recovering the heat of the exhaust gases leaving after the turbine of this installation. Its design solution is characterized by the possibility of cleaning work surfaces from deposits of technological dust. The thermal indicators (temperatures of coolants and heat productivity) of the proposed heat-recovery unit under the conditions of its use for waste incineration plants were investigated. Calculations were performed in different modes of operation of the heat-recovery unit during the year, namely: at inlet temperatures of air and exhaust gases in the range from -20 to +20 ºС and from 200 to 300 ºС, respectively, the coefficient of excess air in waste gases from 1.5 to 2, 5 and different levels of dust on the heating surface. The influence of dustiness on the thermal parameters was characterized by the coefficient k, which determined the level of reduction in the thermal efficiency of the heat exchanger as a result of dust deposits on the specified surface and varied in the range from 1 to 0.5. Under the considered conditions was established, that use of the proposed air heater it provides heat output of 72 ÷ 263 kW, cooling of flue gases to a temperature of 107 ÷ 245 °С and heating of air to 96 ÷ 220 °С. At such levels of flue gas cooling, the efficiency of the thermal disposal of household waste increases by 2 ÷ 5%. In the case of a decrease in the heat-recovery capacity of the heat-recovery unit to technologically unacceptable levels, it is necessary to carry out its forced cleaning with compressed air, as provided for in the technical solution of such an air heater.

HOSPITAL WASTE – LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AND MANAGEMENT DIFFERENTIATIONS IN AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, GERMANY AND GREECE

In this paper, the differences regarding hospital waste management, specifically regarding the legal and technical situation and the definition of hazardous hospital waste in four member states (Austria, Belgium, Germany and Greece) are presented. All countries follow the legal guidelines of the European Union, but the technical situation, especially the possibilities for thermal waste disposal in incineration plants are different. Also, the definition and categories of hazardous medical wastes is different in the aforementioned four EU member states. The annual production amounts of medical waste in selected countries are presented, as well as criteria that lead to their classification as hazardous medical waste.

Termiczne przekształcanie odpadów jako źródło energii – polski kontekst prawny. Wybrane zagadnienia

The article presents Polish and related EU legal basis for thermal waste conversion (in particular municipal waste and waste of municipal origin) as an energy source. It was hypothesized that at the current stage of systemic development of municipal waste management in Polish legal conditions, thermal waste conversion is an extremely important element which not only allows for achieving quantifiable environmental benefits, but also constitutes a source of energy. However, waste incineration cannot be treated as a fundamental element of closed-loop waste management. Waste incineration plants are and should be treated as an element of complementing the waste system, taking into account energy recovery in the cogeneration system, but also the limitations arising from taxonomy. The unquestionable advantage of this type of installation is the possibility of producing thermal energy and a more beneficial impact on the environment than the combustion of fossil fuels.

Gas-liquid contact evaporation of concentrate leachate from disk-tube reverse osmosis treatment in waste incineration plant

In order to utilize waste heat such as exhaust steam and hot air passing through air preheater in the waste incineration plant to heat air used for evaporating leachate concentrate (LC) by gas-liquid contact evaporation technology, hot air of 600 °C, 450 °C and 250 °C was used to evaporate LC in a laboratory-scale evaporator to obtain purified condensate used for supplying water for circulating cooling water system. The influence of pH, hot air temperature and evaporation rate on COD and NH3–N in condensate were investigated to identify the optimum operation of this technology. The results showed that COD concentration in condensate obviously decreased with increase in hot air temperature. Higher hot air temperature led to higher initial evaporation temperature, and evaporation rate of water was significantly greater than that of small molecular organic matter with lower boiling point than water with increasing hot air temperature. Reduction in contents of phenol, ketone and benzene was responsible for COD decreasing in condensate. COD in condensate decreased with increase in pH, as the amount of volatile organic matter such as fatty acids escaped from LC to condensate decreased. The pH had little influence on the DOM in condensate according to EEM spectra analysis. Evaporation rate had little influence on COD in the condensate water. NH3–N concentrations in condensate in all experimental groups were far away from the limit value (10 mg/L) in the water quality standard. Under the premise of meeting water quality standard, the lowest temperature (450 °C) of hot air was selected to save energy and use lower grade waste heat. Therefore, the optimum condition was 450 °C of hot air, pH = 7 of LC and CF = 10. At this condition, molecular weight of DOM in the condensate was smaller and humification degree and aromaticity of DOM were lower according to UV–visible absorption spectrum analysis.

Evaluation of Domestic Solid Waste Management in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City, Vietnam

The study was conducted to evaluate the management of domestic solid waste in Cai Rang district, Can Tho city. The study conducted sampling of domestic solid waste from 20 households in four wards Le Binh, Hung Phu, Ba Lang, and Tan Phu within 07 days from March 6 to 12, 2023. At the same time, three groups of subjects including 120 households, 3 Environmental Managers, and 3 employees of Urban Environment Joint Stock Company were interviewed to collect information. The result showed that the average domestic solid waste generation coefficient reached 0.28 kg/person/day, and the amount of domestic solid waste generated can reach about 11,027.3 tons by the end of 2023. Of which, up to 91% of the volume of domestic solid waste was recyclable, including 52% of biodegradable organic waste, and 39% of recyclable waste. As for domestic solid waste management, there was still a limitation in classifying waste at source, this rate only fluctuates between 43.4-86.7%. Besides, the rate of households registered for domestic solid waste collection service had a difference between urban and rural areas, fluctuating from 76.7-96.7%. After being collected, domestic solid waste was transported to the Can Tho household waste incineration plant (EB plant). Meanwhile, the remaining amount of domestic solid waste was treated using unsanitary landfill methods, and thrown into rivers, causing environmental pollution, and public health. Although propaganda activities related to domestic solid waste management were carried out in four wards in Cai Rang district, Can Tho city. However, the level of implementation of these activities was not regular. From that, the study identified a number of difficulties in domestic solid waste management, including solid waste that was not completely classified at source, and garbage collection services that were not organized throughout the area. The district lacked specialized waste collection vehicles after classification, and public propaganda, and education work were limited. This research will help local authorities come up with specific solutions to improve the quality of solid waste management in Cai Rang district, Can Tho city.

Selenium leaching behaviors from MSWI fly ash and its control

A large number of fly ash samples from mechanical grate furnaces at a municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) plant were examined including Se speciation and content. Se leaching behaviors before and after solidification/stabilization(S/S) treatment were comparatively studied. The results showed that Se in the MSWI fly ash was present mainly in the form of selenite with small amounts of physically adsorbed SeO2(s). Se in the low alkalinity ash (pH ∼ 7) tended to be more leachable than that in the high alkalinity ash (pH ∼ 12). The chelation treatment would further raise the risk of Se leaching into the environment from the low alkalinity ash (pH ∼ 7). Three Fe-containing additives (zero-valent iron (ZVI)、α-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4) were introduced, respectively in attempt to immobilize Se in the low alkalinity MSWI fly ash. A strong positive effect was found with ZVI addition in terms of Se leaching from low alkalinity chelated MSWI ash. Comparatively, iron oxides showed no obvious effect. The adjustment to ash alkalinity (CaO addition) exhibited a comparable effect to ZVI addition, which provided another option to control Se leaching from low alkalinity chelated ash.

Mapping Local Synergies: Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Switzerland’s Waste Heat Potentials vs. Heat Demand

As nations transition to renewable energy, making use of waste heat becomes crucial to combat climate change. This study focused on quantifying Switzerland’s waste heat potential from industrial processes and waste-to-energy facilities, using diverse methodologies tailored to facility characteristics and data availability. We assessed potential waste heat utilization by comparing local heat supply and demand, creating comprehensive heat-balance maps considering different temperature levels and seasonal fluctuations. Results revealed a substantial annual waste heat potential of 37 TWh, with almost half (17 TWh) below 45 °C, primarily from wastewater. Heat between 45 °C and 70 °C, ideal, e.g., for greenhouse heating, is mainly available from solid waste incineration plants, while industries contributed to waste heat supply exceeding 150 °C. In contrast to heat demand, seasonal variations in heat supply were small, with a 12% winter decrease. Analyzing heat demand versus supply unveiled local and seasonal disparities. Most municipalities had a net excess heat demand (totaling 89 TWh). Additionally, waste heat could not satisfy 8 TWh of industrial process heat demand exceeding 400 °C, emphasizing reliance on primary energy sources for higher-temperature heat. Targeted strategies are essential for effective waste heat utilization, especially tapping into low-temperature sources. Integrating these sources with low-carbon technologies can pave the way to a sustainable energy future.