Waste Incineration Power Plant Research Articles

Thermodynamics, economic and environmental analyses of a hybrid waste–solar thermal power plant

A novel hybrid configuration of solar parabolic trough collectors–waste incineration power plant was recently analyzed energetically in Denmark. Taking into account the true meaning of sustainability which is environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness, and considering the existing gap of knowledge on the thermodynamic performance aspects of this hybrid system, this work conducts a thorough thermodynamic and sustainability analysis of this power plant. The main aim is to give a clear picture of the main advantages and any possible shortcomings of the hybrid power plant. For this purpose, the performance of the system is simulated for an entire year of operation under realistic solar irradiation fluctuations. The energy performance indices of the system are quantified and discussed. The exergy assessment of the hybrid cycle is accomplished, and the main sources of exergy destruction and economic losses are identified. The results show that the steam generator and the turbine cause the largest rates of irreversibilities of 36% and 20.8%. The environmental benefits and the overall cost of energy production of the system are calculated and compared to some other alternative power plants. In addition to the consistency of electricity production, the LCOE of the hybrid power plant decreases by 67% in comparison with the solar power plant. Comparing the system with a natural gas-fired power plant in terms of CO2 emission, it is shown that the hybrid system leads to less 74.5 thousand tonnes of CO2 emitted over an entire year.

Exploring the “not in my backyard” effect in the construction of waste incineration power plants - based on a survey in metropolises of China

Waste incineration power plants have become the best option in face of the increasing amount of garbage in China's cities. However, constructing waste incineration power plants will cause “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) effect in the public. To identify variables causing this effect and measure the effect quantitatively, we designed and carried out a random survey in four metropolises in China. Of the 3133 questionnaires distributed, 3066 are thought to be effective. Males, persons with higher educational levels, or with higher income, or having underaged children in their families, or thinking their neighborhoods are upscale ones are willing to pay more to avoid the construction of waste incineration power plants in their surroundings than others. In addition, provided that the respondents deem that the construction of waste incineration power plants would have an impact on their lives, they are willing to pay more no matter they own their departments or not. Finally, the estimated willingness to pay (WTP) to avoid the waste incineration power plants is 105 yuan to 133 yuan per month. Hence, the government should treat the NIMBY syndrome well in the construction of waste incineration power plants, with WTP being one perspective to persuade the public.

Influence of flue gas recirculation on the performance of incinerator-waste heat boiler and NOx emission in a 500 t/d waste-to-energy plant

The flue gas composition and the flue gas temperature at outlet of the economizer were tested, and the influence of flue gas recirculation (FGR) on the efficiency of the incinerator-waste heat boiler and NOx emission in a waste incineration power plant with a waste disposal capacity of 500 t/d was explored experimentally. The results indicate that the largest proportion of the total heat loss is the exhaust heat loss under different loads, and the next is the heat loss of slag. Within the test range, the efficiency of the incinerator-waste heat boiler increases from 80.26% to 80.42% as the ratio of the recirculating flue gas increases from 0 to 16.43%. The oxygen content in the flue gas and FGR have significant influence on NOx emissions. The NOx concentration at outlet of the economizer increases from 209.54 mg/m3 to 307.30 mg/m3, that is an increase of 46.65%, when the oxygen content at outlet of the economizer increases from 4.52% to 8.00%. Compared with the shutdown of FGR system, the NOx concentration at outlet of the economizer decreases from 209.54 mg/m3 to 126.15 mg/m3 when the FGR valve is fully opened. The results have important reference significance for the design of incinerator-waste heat boiler and the optimal operation of power plant.

A fuzzy analysis framework for waste incineration power plant comprehensive benefit evaluation from refuse classification perspective

The waste-to-energy project has been concerned a lot due to its environmental friendliness. With the implementation of refuse classification, the utilization rate of resources has been improved and the comprehensive benefit of incineration power plant has been impacted as well. Thus, to assess the incineration power plant performance from refuse classification perspective, the article constructs a complete decision framework. Firstly, 13 sub-criteria are identified into 3 categories and the hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets (HFLTS) is employed to ensure the completeness of evaluation information. Secondly, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method and entropy method are combined to obtain the indexes weights, avoiding the subjectivity in weight judgment. Thirdly, based on principle of fuzzy relation synthesis, fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) method is used to calculate the final result. A case study is carried out to validate the applicability of the proposed framework. In addition, the article puts forward suggestions in economics, environment and society to improve the overall benefit of incineration power plant. From a new perspective, this paper provides a theoretical reference for the future development of incineration power plants and expands literature in benefit evaluation.

Corrosion behavior of 2205 stainless steel in simulated flue gas condensate with different chloride concentrations in a waste incineration power plant

AbstractThe effect of Cl− on the initial corrosion behavior of 2205 duplex stainless steel (2205 DSS) in simulated flue gas condensate from a waste incineration power plant was investigated using Mott–Schottky plot, micro‐area electrochemical methods, and microscopic surface morphology observation. The results show that at 150°C, the carrier concentration of the 2205 DSS passive film was maintained at a small value and changed little when the Cl− concentration is less than 25 g/L, indicating that it has good pitting resistance. When the Cl− concentration reaches 30 g/L and above, the carrier concentration of the passive film increases remarkably, and pitting corrosion appears on the 2205 DSS surface. At 180°C, there is no obvious pitting on the surface when the Cl− concentration is not more than 15 g/L. When the Cl− concentration is 20 g/L or above, the carrier concentration of the passive film significantly increases, and pitting corrosion appears on the surface. When the Cl− concentration reaches 30 g/L, the carrier concentration of the passive film increases sharply. The passive film on a 2205 DSS surface is seriously damaged and accompanied by the occurrence of uniform corrosion.

Interactive effect of the sorted components of solid recovered fuel manufactured from municipal solid waste by thermogravimetric and kinetic analysis

Solid recovered fuel (SRF) has the characteristics of high calorific value and low chlorine and mercury content. The thermal decomposition of SRF collected from a municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration power plant in Hangzhou was investigated in this study. The study exhibits far-reaching significance for the design and commercial operation of SRF pyrolysis facilities and circulating fluidized bed (CFB) power plants. The pyrolysis behavior of SRF and its sorted components was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG). Five heating rates of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C·min−1 were conducted to analyze the effect of heating rate. The interactive effect of the sorted components was discussed by comparing the experimental and theoretical curves. Furthermore, the kinetic parameters were determined by using the Coats-Redfern (CR), Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) methods. The activation energies of SRF and its sorted components in the pyrolysis process were obtained. The main reaction stages of the SRF and its sorted components were described by different mechanism functions. However, it was found that the KAS and FWO methods were not applicable for SRF according to the comparison results. The results provide useful information for the design and commercial operation of SRF pyrolysis facilities and CFB power plants.

Constituent transformation mechanism of concentrated leachate after incineration at different temperatures.

Spraying concentrated leachate into an incineration furnace and burning is encouraged by the Chinese government as a harmless method for leachate treatment. In this research, the constituent transformation mechanism was studied, by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), of residues after burning the concentrated leachate in a muffle furnace at different temperatures (750 °C, 850 °C, 900 °C, 1000 °C, and 1100 °C). XRD results showed that the main components of the residues were metal chlorides and calcium salt crystals and that the peak position of most of these crystals changed little because their crystal structure was stable at high temperatures. SEM results illustrated that the higher the burning temperature, the smaller the solid particles, and the looser the structures of the residues. EDS analysis showed that S atoms in the concentrated leachate were usually transformed into gaseous compounds during incineration, whereas most of the Cl atoms could be fastened onto solid residues if an appropriate temperature was maintained. This study concluded that 900 °C was the best burning temperature for spraying concentrated leachate into the furnace. In addition, this study suggested that material selection for the nozzle and flue gas pipelines must pay more attention to corrosion caused by gaseous sulfur compounds. Similarly, material selection for the inner wall of the incinerator furnace should pay more attention to corrosion caused by Cl atoms. This means that the municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration power plants should incorporate various and appropriate corrosion-resistant materials according to the different regions of the incinerator.

Effect of temperature stress on main structure in waste incineration power generation plant

Waste incineration power station includes many functional structures, such as garbage discharge, storage, sorting and feeding units, boiler unit, tail gas treatment unit, leachate treatment unit, and coal storage unit. The structural forms of each part are different. Because of the particularity of garbage, structure units are required to be as close as possible and temperature joints should not be set up for the sake of possible leakage of exhaust gas or effluent liquor, so various structural units are integrated, which leads to the difficulty in structure design, and thermal stress cannot be neglected. In order to understand the effect temperature stress on main plant structures, a finite element model is established to study the distribution of thermal stress of the whole structure under three conditions: heating in summer, cooling in winter and heating in winter. It is found the influence of temperature on frame beam, column and steel space truss can be neglected, and the thermal stress on floor cannot be neglected [1]. The maximum stress is mainly distributed on both edges of floor along the longitude direction of structure. For those regions where stress concentration occurs, reinforcement bands or reinforcement mesh can be used to reduce the tensile stress. The analysis results show that this measure is effective and provides a reference for the design of the main structure of waste incineration power plant. This paper innovatively analyses the structure system of main workshop of refuse incineration power plant, which is composed of steel structure and concrete structure, and describes the skills and key points of complex system modeling. According to different seasons and heating temperature difference, the temperature stress on the surface of the structure is analyzed, which provides a reference for calculating degree stress and temperature difference of the similar structure system. The weak part of resistance to temperature stress in the structure system composed of concrete structure and steel structure is found out, and the corresponding solutions are put forward, which provides guidance for the construction of the main workshop of refuse incineration power station.

Turbine Cascades of Last Stage Blades for Wide Range of Operating Conditions

Recent trends in the electric energy market such as biomass, waste incineration or combined cycle power plants require innovative solutions in steam turbine design. Variable operating conditions cause significant changes in flow field surrounding the steam turbine last stage blades. Therefore, the enlargement of operating range for last stage blades presents new challenges in design of turbine cascades. Several turbine cascades were designed and analyzed by commercial and in-house software of CTU Prague. Selected profiles were experimentally validated in the high-speed wind tunnel for 2D cascade measurements of the Institute of Thermomechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences which is equipped by an adjustable supersonic inlet nozzle, perforated inserts at side walls and adjustable perforated tailboard. Comparisons are presented of numerical results with optical and pneumatic measurements for a wide range of inlet and outlet Mach numbers for optimized hub and tip profile cascades.

Research on environmental benefits of waste incineration power generation project

With the acceleration of China’s urbanization process and the improvement of people’s living standards, the total amount of household garbage is also increasing. For the garbage disposal, the traditional landfill disposal method not only leads to the waste of land resources, but also causes environmental pollution. The waste incineration power plant adopts advanced technology and equipment to minimize the environmental pollution caused by the discharged gases and pollutants, and generates a large amount of electric energy while harmlessly treating the garbage, which can effectively alleviate the city’s electricity shortage, truly realize the resource treatment of urban waste and in line with the social concept of sustainable development. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the research on the waste disposal method of waste incineration power generation, so as to generate greater environmental and energy benefits.

Effective removal by coagulation of contaminants in concentrated leachate from municipal solid waste incineration power plants

Municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration is widely used in China. Concentrated leachate, containing high concentrations of pollutants, is an important type of secondary pollution produced in MSW incineration power plants and requires proper treatment. In this study, various coagulants were used to treat concentrated leachate from a nanofiltration (NF) membrane that treated leachate from an MSW incineration plant. The optimal coagulation condition was determined in this study. Under the optimal condition, removals of chemical oxygen demand, light absorbing substances (at 254 nm), total nitrogen, color and turbidity were 68.42%, 69.01%, 44.14%, 92.31% and 87.44%, respectively. Much of the refractory organic matter with relatively high molecular weight, aromaticity and humification degree was removed, and effluent had a lower molecular weight than raw NF concentrated leachate. Study also found that some parts of high molecular weight compounds from NF CL were removed by coagulation process, but the change of distribution of molecular weight was not outstanding. The NF concentrated leachate, both before and after coagulation, contained a large amount of chloride. Hence, a follow-up study should be conducted to find an effective additional processing that can remove organic matter using the high concentration of chloride in the NF concentrated leachate coagulation effluent. This study provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of concentrated leachate from MSW incineration power plants.

Pollution Characteristics and Evaluation of Heavy Metal Pollution in Surface Soil Around a Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Power Plant

To investigate and evaluate the pollution levels of heavy metals in the soil around a large Municipal Solid Waste Incineration power plant (MSWIPP), a total of 29 soil samples were collected around the MSWIPP and away from the power plant area. The contents of 10 selected heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Ag, Cd, Hg, and Pb) were analyzed. The results showed that the content of each heavy metal element did not exceed the values for Soil Environmental Quality of Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Agricultural Land (GB15618-2018) and Development Land (GB 36600-2018). The mean contents of Mn, Cu, and As were higher than their respective background values of Anhui Province, where As was 1.03 times the background value, and Cu was 1.07 times. Compared with the control points, the contents of Cr, Ni, Cd, Cu, and As were lower than the control points, and the difference was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05). The spatial distribution of Hg was more obvious in the soil around the power plant, and other heavy metals were not obvious and uniform. The content of Hg was the highest in the 500 m soil of perennial dominant downwind and sub-dominant downwind. With increasing distance from the power plant, the content gradually decreased and it was lower than the level of the control point. The pollution degree of heavy metal elements in the soil around the power plant and in the plant area was mild. The Nemero comprehensive pollution index (PI) was 1.1-1.2, and the control point had also mild pollution (PI was 1.5). The potential ecological risk was slight, and the comprehensive potential ecological risk index (RI) of various heavy metal elements was 60.2-67.7. The contribution rate of Hg and As to RI were large, and the control point had medium ecological risk (RI was 116.8). Based on the results of principal component analysis, accompanied with the content, spatial distribution characteristics, Pearson's correlation, and hierarchical cluster analysis results, three groups of heavy metals with different spatial distribution were identified:①Ni, Cr, As, and Mn originated from lithological sources; ②Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, and Pb affected by both lithological and human sources (e.g. agricultural and traffic sources); ③Hg likely originated from the diffusion sedimentation of MSWI flue gas and its accumulation in the soil. The above results indicated that the unique pollution characteristics of Hg deserve serious attention in pollution monitoring in soils surrounding solid waste incinerator.

Multi- criteria decision analysis FANP based on GIS for siting municipal solid waste incineration power plant in the north of Iran

Site selecting for installing municipal solid waste incineration power plant with sustainable development perspectives is a multi-criteria decision. Identifying the factors that affect it will lead to more advantages including reducing costs and eliminating community dissatisfaction. In this research, in order to provide the most optimal model, the criteria for installing MSWI power plant were developed in the form of three main environmental, economic, and socio-cultural criteria. First, the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique has been applied to identify the interrelations between factors. Then, they were ranked by importance by fuzzy analytic network process (FANP). Based on the results, the highest and least significance have been assigned to the main economic, socio-cultural criteria, and sub-criteria of land use and railway respectively. Finally, a case study was conducted in Rasht County in order to evaluate the efficiency of the obtained model. Using geographic information system, GIS, we applied the final weights to the layers of each of the sub-criteria and overlay them. The results of the output map indicated the capability of the obtained model based on FANP and GIS to select the proper place for installing MSWI power plant and its application in other similar studies.

The content analysis of Chinese media report on the issue of waste incineration power plants

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the Chinese media’s performance on reporting the issue of waste incineration power plants. The authors analyze the role of media in supervising relevant agencies and meeting the public need for related information. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a content analysis of media reports toward waste incineration projects that follow the anti-incinerator event that occurred in Panyu district of Guangzhou city in 2009. The sample of this paper is based on 469 news reports that were released on the state-level search engine “ChinaSo.com” from January 2010 to June 2016. Findings Chinese media did not continue to focus on waste incineration issues after the anti-incinerator event in the Panyu district and there were only a few news reports about this topic. News reports of the information disclosure category accounts for the largest proportion but lack a depth of explanation. The proportion of news reports of media supervision and popular science information categories is relatively small. Research limitations/implications This paper is a pilot study of the media’s reporting characteristics on waste incineration issues. There are some shortcomings in terms of sample selection and analysis, more in-depth assessment will be implemented and improved upon the future research. This study highlights the importance of media reports before or after relevant events in examining the media’s social function. Besides, this study provides a new analytical idea for assessing the functions of the media on social public issues through media reports and the conclusions of this study have certain practical significance for the media to improve report behaviors. Originality/value This paper selects media reports on waste incineration power plant after the anti-incinerator event in Panyu district as media industry could pay much attention to relevant topics before the beginning of conflict events and continue tracking reports even after the events subside. This paper points out that Chinese media might increase sustained attention to waste incineration issues, strengthen the depth of interpretation, increase the supervision of relevant agencies, and enhance the relevance of the news reports to the public.

Efficiency assessment of waste incineration power plants in China using data envelopment analysis

China has ranked first in waste incineration power capacity and loading capacity owing to the promotion of favourable policies since 2017. Because of economic and environmental advantages, incineration power generation has become the most promising waste disposal method. To help further promote improve incineration power generation so as to improve the energy efficiency, this paper analyses the power generation and carbon emission reduction efficiency of 31 waste incineration power plants in China using data envelopment analysis. According to the results, all waste incineration power plants studied operate at an acceptable level and 70% of the operating efficiency them is approved to be efficient. As a result, waste incineration power plants of China have higher productive efficiency with lower environmental efficiency. Based on the result, this paper proposes suggestions for the waste incineration power industry in China, which may provide a reference for policy makers and firm managers.

Efficiency assessment of waste incineration power plants in China using data envelopment analysis

China has ranked first in waste incineration power capacity and loading capacity owing to the promotion of favourable policies since 2017. Because of economic and environmental advantages, incineration power generation has become the most promising waste disposal method. To help further promote improve incineration power generation so as to improve the energy efficiency, this paper analyses the power generation and carbon emission reduction efficiency of 31 waste incineration power plants in China using data envelopment analysis. According to the results, all waste incineration power plants studied operate at an acceptable level and 70% of the operating efficiency them is approved to be efficient. As a result, waste incineration power plants of China have higher productive efficiency with lower environmental efficiency. Based on the result, this paper proposes suggestions for the waste incineration power industry in China, which may provide a reference for policy makers and firm managers.

Operation Cost Analysis of Typical Power Plant Waste Incineration

In recent years, as the main way to deal with Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), municipal solid waste incineration power generation possesses the dual positive attributes of environmental protection and energy production. In addition to effectively solving the current environmental problems of “cities besieged by garbage”, it is possible to become an important supplement of urban energy and an inevitable requirement for economic and social development. Some suggestions are put forward based on the calculation results of actual investment and operating costs of waste incineration power plants. The research results are of great reference value for timely understanding of the status quo of waste incineration power plants, formulating policies and guiding the investment and operation management of power plants.

Environmental Conflict Risk Assessment Based on AHP-FCE: A Case of Jiuhua Waste Incineration Power Plant Project

The risk assessment of environmental conflicts has been an integral part of measuring the operability of projects as well as the happiness of the affected population. With the current situation of environmental crises, environmental conflict has an effect on society. In order to maintain the stable development of society, we used the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and the analytic hierarchy process to study the risk of a population being affected by a project producing environmental pollution. Furthermore, we provided an approach that had the potential to quantify as well as give a risk assessment of the environmental impact. The results classified 0.397, 0.202, and 0.295 as medium, relatively high, and highest risk, respectively. We deemed that the conflict mode between people, government, and enterprise is actually the confrontation between benefit gainers and benefit losers to a great extent. In subtle ways, this conflict mode has several roles. The solution of environmental conflicts lies in how the roles of government and enterprises change and how the interests of the public are considered. Environmental risks can be safely mitigated without violence by managing relationships between people, governments and businesses.

Characteristics of filterable and condensable particulate matter emitted from two waste incineration power plants in China

Incineration technology is an effective treatment method for municipal solid waste (MSW). In this study, fine particulate matter emissions from two waste incineration power plants (WIPP) were characterized. Both filterable particulate matter (FPM2.5) and condensable particulate matter (CPM2.5) were collected using a direct sampling method. The FPM2.5 concentrations from stacks #1 and #2 in WIPP A were 0.87 ± 0.10 and 0.68 ± 0.19 mg/m3, respectively, and 3.30 ± 0.65 mg/m3 was measured at stack #3 in WIPP B. Fe was the most abundant elemental component in the FPM2.5, followed by Na, Ca, Al, and K. Ca2+, SO42−, Cl−, and NH4+ accounted for the largest fraction of the total detected water-soluble ions in the FPM2.5. In the CPM2.5, Na was the most abundant elemental component, followed by Ca, Mg, and K. The total detected water-soluble ions accounted for 22.2% and 27.3% of the CPM2.5 collected from stack #1 and #2, respectively. High concentrations of NH4+ and NO3− were found in CPM2.5, which could be derived from the escape of excessive NH3 in the denitrification unit and that of the NOx in the flue gas, respectively. Alcohols, aromatic compounds, and ketones were the major organic species in the CPM2.5. Both fly ash and bottom ash were collected from WIPP A. Ca was the dominant element, followed by K, Mg, Na, and Fe. The enrichment of elements in the fly ash and bottom ash were analyzed. The enrichment factors of most elements were higher than 1, except for the Ti and Sn in the bottom ash. The fly ash had a higher enrichment of Cd, As, and Ti than the bottom ash. In contrast, Cu, Ni, and Cr had higher enrichments in the bottom ash because of their low volatility.

Investigation of the characteristics of concentrated leachate from six municipal solid waste incineration power plants in China.

The characteristics of concentrated leachate in municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration power plants were analyzed for CODCr, BOD5, the concentration of heavy metals, and spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM). We performed correlation-principal component analysis to analyze the data. The samples were collected from leachate treatment plants of six MSW incineration power plants in China, all of which have a typical treatment process. Our study showed that the samples have high content of organic matter with extremely low biodegradability, various heavy metals, and a large amount of negative ions such as Cl−, SO42− and PO43− in the concentrated leachate. The intense fluorescent absorption peaks in the visible and ultraviolet regions of the ultraviolet-visible spectra and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra suggest that the concentrated leachate contains a large amount of refractory organic matter mainly consisting of fulvic acid. The humification indexes (HIX) of samples ranged from 1.26 to 14.24 when the biodegradability indexes (BIX) ranged from 0.10 to 2.25. Correlation analysis revealed that the concentration of Cl−, PO43−, and NO3− is significantly correlated with the property of the DOM, and the concentration of Ca, Cr, and SO42− almost has no correlation with other indicators in the concentrated leachate. The characteristics of the concentrated leachate are reflected by three principal components: PC1 is mainly related to the DOM, which is relatively stable and hardly degrades, this component may reflect the degradability and humification degree of the concentrated leachate. PC2 reflects the degradability of the concentrated leachate; a higher score in its positive direction indicates greater degradability of the concentrated leachate. PC3 has little influence on the characteristics of the concentrated leachate. This research can provide a theoretical basis for the effective treatment of concentrated leachate of MSW incineration power plants.