CLEAN ENERGY FROM MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE

MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE (MSW) IS A GROWING NATIONAL PROBLEM WITHOUT A GOOD SOLUTION. THIS PROJECT TARGETS MSW AS A LOW GRADE/HAZARDOUS FUEL AND REPRESENT A DISTINCT IMPROVEMENT OVER CURRENT COMBUSTION/INCINERATION METHODS. ALTHOUGH CURBSIDE RECYCLING HAS REDUCED THE QUANTITY OF MSW, LANDFILLS ARE REACHING CAPACITY. AQUEOUS RUNOFF IS A INCREASING CONCERN. THE MAIN ALTERNATIVE, MASS BURN (OFTEN REFERRED TO AS INCINERATION) IS EXPENSIVE, INEFFICIENT, AND PERCEIVED BY THE PUBLIC AS A HEALTH HAZARD. DRY RESOURCE RECOVERY, WHICH RESULTS IN REFUSE DERIVED FUEL (RDF), IS LABOR INTENSIVE AND REQUIRES COSTLY SAFETY MEASURES TO MINIMIZE FIRE RISKS. RESEARCHERS ARE COMBINING WET RESOURCE RECOVERY WITH WET THERMAL OXIDATION TO CONVERT RDF INTO SALEABLE ENERGY AT IMPROVED EFFICIENCY WITH EXCELLENT CONTROL OVER GASEOUS AND SOLID EMISSIONS. THE PROJECT IS CARBONIZING AND OXIDIZING SAMPLES OF RDF SLURRY TO ESTABLISH THE COMBINATION AS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY DESIRABLE ALTERNATIVE. COMPACTNESS, CONTINUOUS FLOW PROCESSING, AND IMPROVED THERMAL EFFICIENCY AND EMISSIONS CONTROL SUGGEST ATTRACTIVE ECONOMICS AS WELL AS POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESULTS.