Dioxin and trace metal emissions from combustion of carbonized RDF slurry fuels
- EnerTech Environmental, Inc., Atlanta, GA (United States)
- American Plastics Council, Washington, DC (United States)
- American Plastics Council/Amoco Chemicals, Alpharetta, GA (United States); and others
In 1994, the U.S. generated approximately 209 million tons of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), with 61% landfilled, 24% recycled, and 15% processed through Municipal Waste Combustion (MWC). In order to divert a larger portion of this generated MSW from landfills, MWC will have to play a growing role in MSW disposal. However, recently promulgated New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for MWC will add an additional financial burden, through mandated emission reductions and air pollution control technologies, to an already financially pressured MWC marketplace. In the past, Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), a solid fuel produced from MSW, has been fired in industrial and coal boilers as an alternative means of MWC. While lower sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) emissions provided the impetus, firing RDF in industrial and coal boilers frequently suffered from several disadvantages including increased solids handling, increased excess air requirements, increased air emissions, increased slag formation in the boiler, and higher fly ash resistivity. This paper summarizes the latest emissions and combustion tests with the carbonized RDF slurry fuel. With EnerTech`s SlurryCarb{trademark} process, a pumpable slurry of RDF is continuously pressurized with a pump to between 1200 and 2500 psi. The RDF slurry is pressurized above the saturated steam curve to maintain a liquid state when the slurry is heated to approximately 480-660{degrees}F. Slurry pressure and temperature then are maintained for less than 30 minutes in plug-flow reactors. At this temperature and pressure, oxygen functional groups in the molecular structure of the RDF are split off as carbon dioxide gas. This evolved carbon dioxide gas comprises a significant weight percentage of the feed RDF, but only a minimal percentage of the heating value.
- Research Organization:
- Solid Waste Association of North America, Silver Spring, MD (United States); Air and Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Integrated Waste Services Association, Washington, DC (United States); National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Yonkers, NY (United States). Solid Waste Processing Div.; Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States). Air Pollution Technology Branch
- OSTI ID:
- 548964
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970440-; ON: DE97007054; TRN: 97:005590-0052
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 5. annual North American waste-to-energy conference and exhibition, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States), 22-25 Apr 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of fifth annual North American waste-to-energy conference; PB: 1102 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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