You are here:
Methodology for Characterizing Emissions from Small (0.5-2 MTD) Batch-Fed Gasification Systems Using Multiple Waste Compositions
Citation:
Aurell, J., M. Barnes, B. Gullett, A. Holder, AND R. Eninger. Methodology for Characterizing Emissions from Small (0.5-2 MTD) Batch-Fed Gasification Systems Using Multiple Waste Compositions. WASTE MANAGEMENT. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 87:398-406, (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2019.02.031
Impact/Purpose:
This article describes 1) a methodology for creating a waste stream from readily available components for use in combustion testing and 2) the application of emission monitoring and sampling technology to the characterization of emissions from a batch-operated, small, waste gasifier. The environmental problem is the lack of disposal technologies under certain constrained situations. The work tested a gasifier combustor with a standardized waste, measuring emissions under different waste scenarios. The significance of the effort is the establishment of a standardized waste methodology and new data under a fairly novel batch gasification/combustion system. This would be of interest to the military and small isolated communities.
Description:
A compact, containerized gasification system was characterized for air emissions while burning four waste types. A methodology is presented for developing a standardized test waste composition and demonstrated using three military and one civilian waste types. Batch charges of waste were processed through a gasification chamber, afterburner, and wet scrubber. The 0.5-2 metric ton per day (MTD) system was designed for mobile deployment by the military in forward operations but would be applicable to small scale civilian applications. Eight tests were conducted in a 7-day period at the Kilauea Military Camp (KMC) in Hawai’i. The pollutants characterized were chosen based on their regulatory and health relevance: particulate matter (PM), mercury (Hg), elements, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). The three military waste feedstock compositions were designed to reflect the variety of wastes prevalent in deployed settings. The fourth waste was collected from the KMC waste dumpsters and was more representative of a civilian hotel waste stream. Averaged data from 4-hour runs, including startups and shutdowns, indicated that five of the nine EPA-regulated compounds (Pb, Cd, Hg, SO2, and HCl) were under the emission limits set for Other Solid Waste Incineration Units (OSWI) while four, PCDD/PCDF, PM, NOx, and CO, were higher. The procedures through which waste compositions were created and emissions were characterized provide a methodology by which differing waste to energy technologies can be compared on an equivalent basis. This system’s emissions compare favorably with alternative disposal methods. PM and PCDD/PCDF emission factors were, respectively, over 39 and 9 times lower from this unit than from published data on burning simulated military waste in an air curtain incinerator and in open burn piles (“burn pits”).
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Methodology for Characterizing Emissions from Small (0.5-2 MTD) Batch-Fed Gasification Systems Using Multiple Waste Compositions
Free access through PubMed Central