Table of Contents
- What are the water outflows from the unit?
- What are the total water requirements?
- How is water used in the process?
- How much ash is produced?
- Can the system process medical and hazardous waste?
- What gases are released in this process?
- Are there any concerns about the combustion of fertilizers when burning agricultural wastes?
What are the water outflows from the unit?
There are no requirements to accommodate significant water outflows from our facilities. If the municipality has waste with an exceptionally high moisture content, the excess water can be captured, recycled and utilized on-site (steam plant, landscaping, cleaning, etc)
What are the total water requirements?
When it comes to the total water demand of a one standard MSW 250TPD/5 MW unit, note that,
- The system, as far as water usage is concerned, is a closed system
- There are three (3) water sources for those units:
- The water contained in the garbage constitutes, normally, about 10% to 15% of the weight of the waste entering the system. Water is generated during the garbage drying & incineration process, and, subsequently, the condensation of the vapor. Five percent (5%) of this water evaporates during the storage time and through the exhaust. Ten percent (10%) of this water is recaptured and recycled into the unit's system for the re-production of steam.
- Water released from the waste (by gravity) during the storage time (two to three days), is negligible, and can be recaptured for recycling into the production of concrete blocks.
- Water added to the unit during operation from external sources.
How is water used in the process?
Its primary use is for the production of steam to generate power in the turbine-generator. Four cubic meters of water are released to the air, daily, in the course of this generation. A secondary, optional, use is in the manufacture of concrete blocks in order to utilize the waste ash, but, depending on the moisture content of the waste being incinerated, there may be a requirement for an auxiliary water source for the production of cement products.
How much ash is produced?
Ash production in a 250 TPD unit, on average, amounts to 5% to 10% of the weight of the garbage entered to the system, depending on the type of waste used. This ash can be used in the production of cement blocks at a ration of 1/3/6 of ash/cement/aggregates.
Can the system process medical and hazardous waste?
Due to the extremely high operating temperatures, all organic material, including hazardous organic waste and medical waste, are completely destroyed. In fact, the temperatures are high enough to destroy the dioxins and furans which were an unfortunate by-product of old-fashioned incinerators which operated at relatively low temperatures. There is no need for a separate medical incinerator, nor to segregate the medical waste from the balance of the municipal waste stream.
What gases are released in this process?
A copy of the EPA certificate is shown elsewhere on this website. This certification was based on the test the EPA did on the gasification technology as part of its policy of its routine, periodic, unadvised visits to all plants in the USA.
Very low amounts of NOx gas are formed during the incineration process in our units, due to the constant burn temperature of 1,800 degrees F, and the immediate introduction of air (oxygen) above the combustion fire.
Chlorine organics are removed by the addition of Soda Ash in the treatment tower.
Aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbons are treated in the treatment tower and removed in the bag house.
Opacity and particulates emissions, in fact, all other emissions, are within the standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under their requirements for all thermal treatment facilities.
Standard ash filters are supplied with the units. The temperature in the bag house is 350 degrees F and in the stack it is 275 degrees F. Further information can be found in the environmental report provided.
Are there any concerns about the combustion of fertilizers when burning agricultural wastes?
At 1,800 degrees F, all pesticides and fertilizers are completely broken down and combusted.