Thermal Waste Research Articles

Analisis Ketahanan Energi Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Sampah (PLTSa) Metode Landfill dan Thermal di Tempat Pembuangan Sampah Terpadu (TPST) Bantar Gebang

The problem facing by city of Jakarta today is the increasing volume of waste, reaching 7,000 tons per day sent to Bantar Gebang TPST which is currently not handled properly. The purpose of this research was to analyze the application of Landfill and Thermal Waste Power Plant (PLTSa) in Bantar Gebang TPST from the perspective of Energy Security by measuring Energy Supply Security Index (ESSI) using 4 dimensions and 5 approach indicators : Availability (Indicator: Working hour per year), Accessability (Indicator: Access to technology), Affordability (Indicator: Cost of generation per kWh) and Acceptability (Indicator: Avoided CO2 Emission kg per MWh and percentage reduction in waste volume per day). Energy security analysis results are obtained: aspects of availability with working hour indicators per year: PLTSa Landfill = 0.95, PLTSa Thermal = 0.98; aspects of accessibility with ease of technology access indicators: PLTSa Landfill = 0.74, PLTSa Thermal = 0.58; affordability aspects with indicators of the cost of electricity generation: PLTSa Landfill = 0.99, PLTSa Thermal = 0.983; aspects of accessability with two indicators, avoided (CO2) emission: PLTSa Landfill = 1.0, PLTSa Thermal = 0.14, and the percentage of waste reduction: PLTSa Landfill = 0.50, PLTSa Thermal = 0.85.

Thermal treatment of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Part 2: Energy recovery and feedstock recycling).

The use of carbon fibre (CF)-reinforced plastics has grown significantly in recent years, and new areas of application have been and are being developed. As a result, the amount of non-recyclable waste containing CF is also rising. There are currently no treatment methods for this type of waste. Within this project different approaches for the treatment of waste containing CF were investigated. Main subject of the research project were large-scale investigations on treatment possibilities and limits of waste containing CF in high temperature processes, with focus on the investigation of process-specific residues and possible fibre emission. The results showed that the two conventional thermal waste treatment concepts with grate and rotary kiln firing systems are not suitable for a complete oxidation of CFs due to the insufficient process conditions (temperature and dwell time). The CFs were mainly discharged via the bottom ash/slag. Due to the partial decomposition during thermal treatment, World Health Organization (WHO) fibres occurred in low concentrations. The tests run in the cement kiln plant have shown the necessity of comminution for waste containing CF. With respect to the short testing times and moderate quantities of inserted CF, a final evaluation of the suitability of this disposal path was not possible. The use of specially processed waste containing CF (carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) pellets) as a carbon substitute in calcium carbide production led to high carbon conversion rates. In the unburned furnace dust, which is marketed as a by-product of the process, CFs in relevant quantities could be detected.

A multifunctional plant for a sustainable reuse of marble waste toward circular economy.

The marble processing cycle involves the production of large quantities of wastes whose disposal represents an economic and environmental concern for marble companies due to the difficulty of identifying suitable landfills and the high transfer costs. In this context, the design of a sustainable industrial plant that allows the reuse of the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) contained in the marble waste is extremely challenging. With this recognition, the main industrial applications of CaCO3 are firstly analyzed in the present work to identify the physical-chemical properties required to CaCO3 in these contexts. Later, different plant solutions are suggested to recover CaCO3 from marble sludge in order to allow its use in industrial applications. The designed industrial plant includes an energy efficient drying phase, which exploits the thermal waste of the exhaust gases produced in a cogeneration section, and a subsequent milling phase. Since marble wastes currently constitute an economic burden for companies and an environmental emergency for the Public Administration, the performed technical-economic analysis shows that its recovery may represent an opportunity of sustainable development for the marble sector.

Study on volume reduction of radioactive perlite thermal insulation waste by heat treatment with potassium carbonate

Perlite is one of the major constituents of the radioactive thermal insulation waste (RTIW) originating from nuclear power plants and, for proper waste management, a significant reduction in its volume is required prior to disposal. In this work, the volume reduction of perlite is studied by high-temperature treatment method with using K2CO3 as a flux. The perlite is ground with 0–30 wt% K2CO3, and differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetric analysis is used to monitor the glass transition temperature (Tg) and weight loss. The Tg varied between ~772.2 and 837.1 °C with the minima at ~643.5 °C with the addition of ~10 wt% K2CO3. It is observed that compared to the pure perlite the volume reduction ratio (VRR) increases with the addition of K2CO3. The VRR of 11.20 is observed with 5 wt% K2CO3 at 700 °C, as compared to VRR of 5.56 without K2CO3 at 700 °C. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy are used to characterize perlite samples heat-treated without/with 5 wt% K2CO3 at 700 °C. Moreover, the atomic absorption spectroscopy indicates that the proposed heat-treatment procedure is able to completely retain the radionuclides present in the perlite RTIW.

Research on big data analysis model of multi energy power generation considering pollutant emission—Empirical analysis from Shanxi Province

With the development of the integrated energy Internet, energy structure optimization and emission reduction have led to higher requirements for developing various energy sources to enable coordinated and sustainable development. However, data-mining methods are rarely used to study the coordination of multi-energy generation in published research results. In this study, from the perspective of power industry emissions, coordinated generation of various energy sources, and balance of power generation and consumption, a data-mining algorithm was used to analyze the development of thermal power, hydropower, wind power, waste heat, gas, and other power sources. The chi-square automatic interaction detection tree (CHAID), logistic regression, and two-step clustering methods were applied. The results show that: a) CO2 and SO2 emissions were mainly affected by thermal power generation, whereas NOx emissions were jointly affected by thermal power, garbage power, and gas-fired power, and the emissions of various pollutants increased with an increase in power consumption. The optimal power-generation scheme under minimum emission can be obtained. b) There was a strong correlation between thermal power generation and residential electricity consumption, and renewable energy (wind energy, photovoltaic, hydropower) exhibited the highest correlation with the electricity consumption of the tertiary industry, which indicates that renewable energy generation can be promoted by managing electricity consumption in the tertiary industry. c) When the electricity demand of all users was small, the proportion of renewable energy power generation increased; in contrast, the thermal power generation was larger. This indicates the importance of improving the sustainable and stable power supply of renewable energy. This study provides a data analysis model for the coordinated development of multiple energies, which will contribute to the decision-making basis for controlling power emissions, improving the utilization rate of renewable energy, and optimizing the energy structure.

Comparative Study of Thermal Waste Recovery Systems Deployed in Three Different Chemical Units

Waste thermal energy is enough amount of energy that is rejected to the atmosphere in the form of flue gases, streams of air, and liquid rejected from industries. It arises from the equipment, less efficient processes, and limitations due to the laws of thermodynamics on operations. It is obvious that it is not possible to regenerate all waste energy but most of the time some waste heat can be used to achieve useful purposes. Waste heat recovery is the most important key to carry out most of the research areas. The major areas of research and it is necessary to make the process more energy-efficient in chemical industries. To save energy Heat Exchanger Network’s synthesis (HEN) is essential. They are designed to reach energy targets. HEN design is the thermal integration between cold and hot utilities by pinch analysis at minimum temperature difference. HENs are important for utility saving because it helps in recovering heat from hot streams to others which reduces the utility consumption and requirement. The heat exchangers design with simplified models for different industries using pinch technology by which most thermal recovery is obtained and then some HEN network is required for a particular targeted area. In this research improvements in energy recovery systems and HENs, synthesis helps in capital savings and pollutant emission can also be reduced.

An Experimental Study of a Wine Batch Distillation in a Copper Pot Still Heated by Gas

Wine batch distillation in a copper pot still heated directly by combustion is unusual. It is a niche sector. Few studies are available on the subject and even fewer have studied it from a thermal point of view. In a context of ecology awareness and regularly increasing gas taxes, finding less energy consuming and more performing solutions has become necessary. Two methods already exist to recover energy for such pot stills, however improvements could be made. The present study focuses on the heating zone of an experimental pot still. First, a thermal diagnosis based on a nodal model is conducted in transient regime. The major sites of energy expenditure and waste are thus identified and quantified. Results highlight significant losses both in combustion smoke and by conduction to the environment resulting from a limited thermal performance of the system. Proposals are then made to enhance it. For instance, the preheating could be optimized and more thermal waste could be recovered.

Effects of Compression Ratio of Bio-Fueled SI Engines on the Thermal Balance and Waste Heat Recovery Potential

In internal combustion engines, a significant share of the fuel energy is wasted via the heat losses. This study aims to understand the heat losses and analyze the potential of the waste heat recovery when biofuels are used in SI engines. A numerical model is developed for a single-cylinder, four-stroke and air-cooled SI engine to carry out the waste heat recovery analysis. To verify the numerical solution, experiments are first conducted for the gasoline engine. Biofuels including pure ethanol (E100), E15 (15% ethanol) and E85 (85% ethanol) are then studied using the validated numerical model. Furthermore, the exhaust power to heat loss ratio (Q˙ex/Q˙ht) is investigated for different compression ratios, ethanol fuel content and engine speed to understand the exhaust losses potential in terms of the heat recovery. The results indicate that heat loss to brake power ratio (Q˙ht/W˙b) increases by the increment in the compression ratio. In addition, increasing the compression ratio leads to decreasing the Q˙ex/Q˙ht ratio for all studied fuels. According to the results, there is a direct relationship between the ethanol in fuel content and Q˙ex/Q˙ht ratio. As the percentage of ethanol in fuel increases, the Q˙ex/Q˙ht ratio rises. Thus, the more the ethanol in the fuel and the less the compression ratio, the more the potential for the waste heat recovery of the IC engine. Considering both power and waste heat recovery, the most efficient fuel is E100 due to the highest brake thermal efficiency and Q˙ex/Q˙ht ratio and E85, E15 and E00 (pure gasoline) come next in the consecutive orders. At the engine speeds and compression ratios examined in this study (3000 to 5000 rpm and a CR of 8 to 11), the maximum efficiency is about 35% at 5000 rpm and the compression ratio of 11 for E100. The minimum percentage of heat loss is 21.62 happening at 5000 rpm and the compression ratio of 8 by E100. The minimum percentage of exhaust loss is 35.8% happening at 3000 rpm and the compression ratio of 11 for E00. The most Q˙ex/Q˙ht is 2.13 which is related to E100 at the minimum compression ratio of 8.

Possibilities for Reducing CO and TOC Emissions in Thermal Waste Treatment Plants: A Case Study

The technology of waste-management thermal processing may pose a threat to the natural environment through the emission of harmful substances, such as CO, NOx, SO2, HCl, HF, total organic carbon (TOC) and dust, as well as dioxins and furans. Due to the advantages of thermal waste treatment, including the small volume of solid residue produced and possible thermal energy recovery, thermal waste treatment is widely applied. Continuous research is necessary to develop methods for reducing the risk of harmful substances being produced and methods for the effective removal of pollutants resulting from flue gases. This paper presents an analysis of the results and conditions of the experimental redesign of a thermal industrial waste (polypropylene) treatment plant. The purpose of the redesign was to improve the quality of gasification and afterburning processes taking place in the combustion and afterburner chambers (through the installation of an additional section), thus resulting in a reduction in the concentrations of CO and total organic carbon (TOC) in flue gases. The research concerned a facility implementing the combustion process on an industrial scale. The experiment led to a reduction in the average concentrations of carbon monoxide from 16.58 mg/m3 to 3.23 mg/m3 and of volatile organic compounds from 2.20 mg/m3 to 0.99 mg/m3. At the same time, no deterioration was observed in any of the remaining technological parameters of the plant, such as waste combustion performance and the energy efficiency of the thermal energy recovery system.

Research of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Fly Ash Ceramics with SiO<sub>2</sub> and Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Nanoparticles as Functional Addition

The article analyses the influence of SiO2and Al2O3nanopowders on properties of ceramics consisting of fly ash from thermal power plants, glass waste, and clay binder. Based on studies of physical and mechanical properties of the obtained ceramics (ultimate compressive strength, ultimate three-point bending strength, wear resistance, and water absorption), the paper shows the positive influence of the nanoadditives. The optimal number of SiO2and Al2O3nanopowders in the formulation is 0.5 wt. % that has the strongest effect on ultimate compressive strength and water absorption of the fly ash ceramics samples. The direction of further research on improving the properties of ceramic products is an application of the Al2O3nanopowder as more perspective nanoadditive using clay dispersant.

Broadband directional control of thermal emission.

Controlling the directionality of emitted far-field thermal radiation is a fundamental challenge. Photonic strategies enable angular selectivity of thermal emission over narrow bandwidths, but thermal radiation is a broadband phenomenon. The ability to constrain emitted thermal radiation to fixed narrow angular ranges over broad bandwidths is an important, but lacking, capability. We introduce gradient epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials that enable broad-spectrum directional control of thermal emission. We demonstrate two emitters consisting of multiple oxides that exhibit high (>0.7, >0.6) directional emissivity (60° to 75°, 70° to 85°) in the p-polarization for a range of wavelengths (10.0 to 14.3 micrometers, 7.7 to 11.5 micrometers). This broadband directional emission enables meaningful radiative heat transfer primarily in the high emissivity directions. Decoupling the conventional limitations on angular and spectral response improves performance for applications such as thermal camouflaging, solar heating, radiative cooling, and waste heat recovery.

Elemental Characteristics and Source-Apportionment of PM2.5 During the Post-monsoon Season in Delhi, India

In this study, we have coupled measurements, modeling, and remote sensing techniques to better delineate the source characteristics and variability of air pollutants in Delhi primarily during the post-monsoon season in 2019. We show a comparison of ambient PM2.5 (particulate matter having aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm) levels and associated elements during the post-monsoon with those during a relatively clean season of monsoon (experiencing frequent wet precipitation). Air-mass back trajectories from Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model have been used to infer the possible source pathways of PM2.5 impacting at the receptor site in Delhi. The average concentrations of PM2.5 during monsoon (June–July) and post-monsoon (October–November) were 42.2 ± 15.5 μg m−3 (range: 22–73 μg m−3) and 121.4 ± 53.6 μg m−3 (range: 46–298 μg m−3), respectively. The PM2.5 samples were analyzed for heavy and trace elements (Si, S, Na, Mg, Al, Cl, Ca, K, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Br, Rb, Zr, and Pb) using an Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) technique and their concentrations have been used to carry out the source-apportionment utilizing principal component analysis (PCA) tool. The PCA analysis has identified three major sources of fine aerosols including contributions from the sources viz. vehicular emission, biomass burning, coal combustion, secondary aerosols formation, soil dust, solid-waste burning and industrial emission. The source involving biomass burning contributed largely to the PM2.5 in post-monsoon season through long-range transport of large-scale agriculture-residue burning emissions (occurring in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and western part of Uttar Pradesh). The industrial emissions include primarily, medium- and small-scale metal processing industries (e.g. steel sheet rolling) in Delhi-National Capital Region. Traces of emission from coal based thermal power plants and waste incineration have also been observed in this study.

Effect of Aging Conditions and Rubber Waste Content on the Mechanical Properties and Structure of Montmorillonite/Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber Nanocomposites

The research described in the present work investigated the effect of thermal and photoaging and rubber waste content on the properties of acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber modified with montmorillonite (MMT). The MMT was mixed with plasticizer before the compounding in two roll mills. The modulus at 300% strain of samples without scrap maximally increased by 50% and 30% after thermal and photoaging, respectively, most probably due to an increase in the crosslink density. The maximum increases of the modulus, measured at 300% strain, of the unaged and aged rubber nanocomposite were exhibited by samples which each contained 10 wt.% of rubber waste. The MMT nanoparticles, well dispersed in the matrix, combined with good interfacial interaction between the different components, led to relative retention of the thermal and photo-oxidation aging coefficients and the large shape retention coefficient of the tested samples. Fourier transform infrared spectra showed that the crosslinking of the rubber nanocomposites containing waste occurred through the nitrile groups and C = C double bonds under the influence of aging. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs indicated that the MMT nanoparticles were uniformly embedded and well dispersed in the matrix. The rough and homogeneous fracture surfaces of the nanocomposite samples were not affected by incorporated waste. As a result of UV irradiation and thermal heating, aggregates were less visible and the fracture surfaces more homogeneous and compact.

Surfactant-assisted thermal hydrolysis off waste activated sludge for improved dewaterability, organic release, and volatile fatty acid production

The surfactant-assisted thermal hydrolysis pretreatment (THP) of waste activated sludge (WAS) was investigated, focusing on the effect of the surfactant addition on the results of sludge disintegration, dewaterability, organic release, and production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) via fermentation. Typical anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cationic surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) were used for the THP experiments. The supernatant of the THP-treated sludge was anaerobically fermented to determine its potential VFAs yield. The results showed that the surfactant addition, particularly CTAB, enhanced the hydrolysis and organic solubilization of the sludge during THP. CTAB addition led to a 36% increase of dissolved organic and a 27% increase of VFAs production. For the THP-treated sludge with the surfactant addition, its dewaterability was also greatly improved. When the CTAB dosage increased from 0 to 0.10 g/g VSS, the minimum capillary suction time (CST) of the sludge decreased from 205 to 50 s/g TSS, and the sludge particles became smaller and less negative with the zeta potential changing from −12.4 to −8.2 mV. Analysis of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of the sludge revealed that the surfactant addition increased the sludge disintegration and organic dissolution during the THP process. The surfactant-assisted THP is shown to be a promising technology to enhance the WAS treatment for improved sludge dewaterability, waste reduction, and resource recovery.

Chimney Filter Model Wet Scrubber to Reduce Air Pollutant Emissions on the Incinerator

In general, inpatient health care facilities produce infectious and non-infectious waste 0.3 mᶟ / day. Non-infectious waste that is burned in an incinerator without a chimney filter, can cause particles, CO, SO2, NOx (air pollutants) and cause environmental pollution. This study aims to make a chimney filter design with a Scrubber model on an incinerator at the Public Health Center, Maospati District, Magetan Regency to reduce the amount of air pollutants emitted. This type of research is experimental research. This research designed a particle trapping device, gas by spraying water into the scrubber. The independent variable of this research was the variation of the water flow sprayed in the scrubber (3.2 liters / minute, 4 liters / minute, 5.6 liters / minute). The dependent variables of this study were particles, SO2, NOx, CO. Data collection using a digital gas detector method in the form of a UV spectrophotometer. Data were analyzed descriptively, in the form of frequency distribution, and percentage, presentation of data in a table based on air emission quality standards from thermal waste processing. The results illustrate that the use of a chimney scrubber filter with water spraying 3.2 liters / minute, 4 liters / minute, 5.6 liters / minute can reduce air pollutants, emission of SO2, CO to below the air quality standard. In addition, this tool can also reduce NOx gas and particles, but not yet below the quality standard. The conclusion from the results of this study is particulate emission air pollutants, gas SO2, CO, NOx. the incinerator can be lowered by modifying variations by spraying water 3.2 liters / minute, 4 liters / minute, 5.6 liters / minute on the chimney scrubber filter on the incinerator.
 
 Keywords: incinerator; scrubber; water discharge variations; particle; gas

Series of solid-solid phase change materials with ultra-high thermal stability and controllable phase change temperature: kilogram-leveled preparation and application investigation

Phase change materials (PCMs) have shown great performance in the fields of thermal energy storage and thermal management due to their passive yet high-efficient temperature control and thermal energy storage properties. However, conventional physically-blended composite PCMs remain problematic, because the leakage and shape deformation phenomena cannot be ignored in engineering applications with kilogram-leveled usage. Here we develop a methodology to prepare a series of solid-solid PCMs (SSPCMs) with great thermal stability and controllable phase change temperature (PCT) via free radical polymerizations. The simplest one-pot synthesis strategy allows the kilogram-leveled preparation for engineering demands. The obtained novel SSPCMs with 3-dimensional main chain and alkyl side-chain demonstrate excellent thermal stability that can withstand the heat-erosion up to 250°C without any leakage or deformation. Furthermore, the PCT region of the SSPCMs can be easily tailored in a wide range from 9.7 to 65.3°C by carefully selecting the alkyl acrylate monomers with different carbon atoms on the ester group. After simply incorporating with expanded graphite (EG), the resultant EG/SSPCMs with well-defined PCT region present excellent performance in various applications, including building energy conservation, battery thermal management and waste heat recovery. Profiting from the controllable PCT coupled with the great thermal stability, we believe that this series of SSPCMs would demonstrate huge potentials in more expanded industrial fields by further tailoring their PCT to a wider range.

Methodological Support for Applying the Method of Majority Reservation in Measuring Channels

Introduction.For hazardous industries, the reliability of information and measuring equipment must ensure an almost complete absence of failure events, with their probability as low as 10-6. This requirement can be satisfied using various approaches, one of which is reservation. Reservation methods are classified into several types depending on such factors, as the operating mode of an object, failure types, frequency rate, etc. Majority redundancy schemes are rarely used in measuring equipment, particularly in measuring channels, largely because this method was initially aimed at improving the reliability of discrete digital devices. Thus far, no mathematical support for applying the method of majority reservation in measuring channels of analogue values has been developed. This gap determined the relevance of this study.Aim.To develop a methodological support for applying the method of majority reservation with the purpose of improving the level of measurement accuracy.Materials and methods.Both Russian and foreign sources published over the past 40 years on the topic of processing small samples when designing measuring channels for information and measuring systems were reviewed. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney rank test was applied to process small samples. Other research methods included mathematical modelling, as well as the mathematical apparatus of measurement theory andтsystems theory.Results.A measuring module with a redundant structure was simulated. Parametric and nonparametric rank criteria were considered. An algorithm allowing identification of the failure of a channel in a measuring module with a redundant structure was developed. The computational complexity of the developed algorithm is estimated by a polynomial of the second degree.Conclusion.The use of nonparametric rank criteria for processing small samples, as well as diagnostic situations for various combinations of these criteria, supports statistically grounded decision on the state of measuring channels. In the future, this method will be applied for diagnostic control of the serviceability of technological equipment used in fuel combustion, namely in boiler plants and installations for thermal waste destruction.

Red mud-molten salt composites for medium-high temperature thermal energy storage and waste heat recovery applications

Red mud (RM) is an industrial waste of the aluminum industry with presently estimated worldwide legacy-site stockpiles of 4 billion tones. RM is typically disposed in the sea, dams or dykes, posing a significant environmental hazard due to its high alkalinity and traces of heavy metals. Despite recent valorization efforts, only 15% of RM deposits are currently utilized. In this work, a novel use of RM to formulate composite phase change materials (CPCMs) is proposed. The CPCM is formulated by milling nitrate salts with RM, compressing and subsequent sintering of the two. Overall good performance over the temperature range of 25–400 ℃ is observed. Maximum latent heat of the CPCMs is 58 J/g, while average thermal conductivity and Cp are in the range of 0.77–0.83 W/mK and 1.03–1.31 J/g ℃, respectively. No variations in the melting point or latent heat are observed after 48 cycles. Energy storage density is calculated to be up to 1396 MJ/m3. The working temperature of this novel CPCM make it ideal for waste heat recovery of medium-high temperature waste heat streams providing a valorization pathway and valorization for RM as a by-product for energy-related applications.

A novel aerogel from thermal power plant waste for thermal and acoustic insulation applications

Massive quantities of fly ash are produced worldwide from thermal power plants, posing a serious environmental threat due to their storage and disposal problems. In this study, for the first time, fly ash is converted into an advanced and novel aerogel through a green and eco-friendly process. The developed aerogel has a low density of 0.10–0.19 g cm−3, a high porosity of up to 90%, a low thermal conductivity of 0.042–0.050 W/mK, and a good sound absorption coefficient (noise reduction coefficient [NRC] value of 0.20–0.30). It also shows a high compressive Young’s modulus of up to 150 kPa. Therefore, the newly developed fly ash aerogel is a potential material for thermal and acoustic insulation applications, along with lightweight composites in automotive and aerospace applications.

Advancements and prospects of thermal management and waste heat recovery of PEMFC

• The thermal management strategies of PEMFC are reviewed. • The waste heat recovery pathways of PEMFC are presented. • The challenges and prospects of the aforementioned areas are discussed. Despite that the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) is considered to be an efficient power device; around half of the energy produced from the electrochemical reaction is dissipated as heat due to irreversibility of the cathodic reaction, Ohmic resistance, and mass transport overpotentials. Effective heat removal from the PEMFC, via cooling, is very important to maintain the cell/stack at a uniform operating temperature ensuring the durability of the device as excessive operating temperature may dry out the membrane and reduces the surface area of the catalyst hence lowering the performance of the cell. In addition to cooling, capturing the produced heat and repurposing it using one of the Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) technologies is an effective approach to add a great economic value to the PEMFC power system. Global warming, climate change, and the high cost of energy production are the main drivers to improve the energy efficiency of PEMFC using WHR. This paper presents an overview of the recent progress concerning the cooling strategies and WHR opportunities for PEMFC. The main cooling techniques of PEMFCs are described and evaluated with respect to their advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, the potential pathways for PEMFC-WHR including heating, cooling, and power generation are explored and assessed. Furthermore, the main challenges and the research prospects for the cooling strategies and WHR of PEMFCs are discussed.