Thermal Treatment of

Solid Waste

Engr. Mary Jane C. Calagui, PhD

 Terminology
Thermal treatment (or incineration)- a range of processes where
temperature is used to reduce the volume of waste and to render
it harmless.
• Waste to Energy (WTE): as above, with the recovery of heat
energy to produce steam and/or generate electricity.

• Conventional WTE: mass burn, fluidized bed, modular, rotary

kiln, (refuse derived fuel)

• Advanced WTE: gasification, pyrolysis, plasma

 The role of thermal treatment
• Waste volume reduction, preservation of landfill space – Does
NOT replace the need for a landfill
• Energy recovery from the solid waste stream
• Destruction of contaminants
• Reducing waste transportation requirements
• Dealing with waste here and now
 Large and Small-scale Incineration
Combustion Requirement: 3T’s of combustion
Chemical properties of SW: -Ultimate Analysis
Proximate Analysis
Energy content- bomb calorimeter
Fusing point of ash

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 Combustion Theory
BASIC PRINCIPLE FOR MASS BALANCE

Incinerator Flue gas

Waste C + O2 → CO2 CO2
(C, H,O, S, N, H2 + 1/2 O2 → H2O H 2O
Inert) S + O2 → SO2 SO2
O2 (fuel) combines with O2 inNair
2 Excess O2
Air (O2, N2) N2 (fuel) combines with N2 in air N2

Inert
BASIC PRINCIPLE FOR ENERGY BALANCE

Incinerator

Waste Enthalpy of reactions Flue gas, Tflue

CV Heat loss by radiation to the
walls of the chamber
Heated Latent heats of evaporation of
Air, Tin H2O Inert, Tinert
Heat loss in unburned carbon
Sensible heat in residue
Is Incineration Sustainable?

Large-scale
incineration

Small-scale
incineration

Source: WASTE INCINERATION (2010)11

and AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (2002)
 Is Incineration Sustainable?
• In the hierarchy of
integrated solid waste
management,
incineration is not
considered as a very
sustainable method.
• With a highly developed
system, energy recovery
is possible.
• The last desirable is
landfilling (leaching,
smouldering).
• Open burning of waste
must be avoided.
Source: WASTE INCINERATION (2010)12
and AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (2002)
 2. How it can optimise SSWM

Negative Effects of Open Burning (and Landfills)

Heavy air pollution
due to open fires
or smouldering.

Source: GREENPEACE (2008)

•Leachate leads to
groundwater contamination.
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2. How it can optimise SSWM
Negative Effects of Open Burning (and Landfills)
Direct inhalation of

Source: GREENPEACE (n.y.)

Heavy air pollution toxic substances by the
due to open fires local community, dump-
or smouldering. or landfill workers.

Accumulation of
toxic substances
along the food chain.

Source: GREENPEACE (2008)

Source: KLOHN and FROEHLICH (2011)
•Leachate leads to
groundwater contamination.
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2. How it can optimise SSWM

Controlled Incineration
Large-scale
incinerators

Source: GREENPEACE (2008)

Small-scale
incinerators 15
2. How it can optimise SSWM

Controlled Incineration
Large-scale
incinerators
Benefits of incineration
• No landfills
necessary
• No leachate
• No open fires
• Less air pollution
• Disinfection (i.e. of
medical waste)
Source: GREENPEACE (2008)
• Break down of some
hazardous chemicals

Small-scale
incinerators 16
2. How it can optimise SSWM

Controlled Incineration
Large-scale
incinerators
BUT
• Toxic flue gases
• Residual ash still has
to be disposed of
safely

Source: GREENPEACE (2008)

Small-scale
incinerators 17
 3. Design Principles
Which Incineration Technique is Affordable?
Large-scale
incinerators
• Big loads (50 - 1000 tons/day)
• Size of waste does not matter
• Waste-to-Energy
• Experts for O&M
• Expensive
Small-scale
incinerators
• Small loads (12 – 100 kg/hour)
• Requires small-sized waste or it
has to be shredded before
• Can be built with local available
material
• Pre-fabricated products
• Trained labours for O&M
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3. Design Principles (Large-scale)

1.
Mass-burn
Holding area
Incinerator
to Nr. 6
2. Grabbed and dropped into a
hopper
3. Incinerator (approx. 800 ºC), 50
to 1000 tons per day
4. Waste-to-Energy system
(boilersteamturbine)
5. Collection point for heavy ash,
extraction of metals
from
6. Scrubber reactor for the Nr. 5
extracton hazardous pollutants
(e.g. SO2 and dioxins)
7. Fine particulate removal system
8. Chimney
Source: BBC (2009)
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3. Design Principle (Large-scale)

Fluidised-bed Incinerator

• Bed of limestone or sand

• Circulating or bubbling technology
• Capacity of 50 to 150 tons/day
• Energy recovery system applicable

The scheme of a fluidised-bed incinerator

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(bubbling bed). Source: EISENMANN (n.y.)
3. Design Principles (Large-scale)

Modular Incinerator
• Prefabricated modules, in
general 1 – 4 units
• Capacity of 5 to 120 tons/day
and unit
• Energy recovery system
applicable
• Used in smaller communities
• 1st chamber: low interior gas
velocities under controlled
temperature conditions
• 2nd chamber: completes the
oxidation reactions of the
combustible products 21 Source: UNEP (2005)
3. Design Principles (Large-scale)
Sludge Incineration
• Reduces the volume of dried sludge
• Destroys pathogens and toxic organic chemicals
• Solution if there is no land available for sludge disposal

A possible design how sewage sludge incineration can be integrated in a MSW

incineration plant. Source: PUTZMEISTER (2000) and WASTEWATER SYSTEMS (n.y.)
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4. Treatment Efficiency (Large-scale)

Pollution Removal
• Weight reduction up to 75 %.
• Volume reduction up to 90 %.
• Breaks down some hazardous, non-metallic organic wastes.
• Destroys bacteria and viruses.
• Efficient flue gas cleaning systems.

Health Aspects and Pollution

• Complex air pollution control system.
• Risk of environmental pollution or health risk from modern facilities
are low.

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5. Operation and Maintenance (Large-scale)
• Maintenance and servicing by trained technicians.
• When incineration is done in a manner that has low adverse health
and environmental impacts it is expensive.
• When it is done poorly (with low financial costs) it can be expensive
in terms of human health and environmental impacts.

Control room of a waste incineration plant. Source: MAUELL (n.y.)

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6. Applicability (Large-scale)
• Where land for landfilling is scarce
• Where technical know-how is available
• Where capital costs as well costs for O&M can be
covered

Waste incineration plant in Switzerland. Source: GEVAG (n.y.)

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 7. Pros and Cons (Large-scale)
•Advantages:
o No landfills required
o Substantial reduction of the weight (up to
75%) and volume (up to 90%) of solid waste
o Waste-to-energy (production of electricity
and heat)
o Disinfection
o Some hazardous chemicals are destroyed
o Some precious elements (e.g. metals,
phosphorus may be recovered from the
ashes)
•Disdvantages:
o High investment, operation and
maintenance costs
o Risk of emissions which
endanger human health and
environment (gases, leaching
into groundwater)
o Loss of organic substances such
as kitchen waste or green
waste from gardening
(compared to composting)
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 8. Design Principles (Small-scale)

Low-cost Medical
• Simple two-chamber incinerator
Waste Incinerator
• Temperatures of 800 ºC or higher
• Capacity of 15 kg/hour
• Locally constructed with bricks
and steel components

27 Source: PRACTICAL ACTION (2000)

8. Design Principles (Small-scale)

•
Pre-fabricated
Several types
Products
• In every location possible (e.g.
small community, hospital, farm,
• Capacity of 12 - 100 kg/hour
truck stop)
• All kind of wastes (e.g. medical,
• Capacity of 12 - 100 kg/hour
slaughter, household waste)

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Source: INCINER8 (2004) and MAVI DENZ (n.y.)
9. Treatment Efficiency (Small-scale)

Pollution Removal
• Significant weight reduction and volume reduction.
• Breaks down some hazardous, non-metallic organic wastes.
• Destroys bacteria and viruses.
• Modern designs avoid toxic emissions.

Health Aspects and Pollution

• Risk of environmental pollution or health risk from are much lower
than open burning of waste.
• No more waste piles and backyard burning.
• Operator should wear protection equipment during operation and
maintenance.

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10. Operation and Maintenance (Small-scale)
• Operator must be trained for the incinerator in use. This avoids
accidents, injuries and damages.
• Protection equipment during O&M is required: heat resistant gloves
and boots, a respirator mask, safety goggles, clothes that cover the
body and a helmet.
• It is important that the incinerator reaches the optimal temperature
for an optimal performance.
• Regular inspection and to enlarge
the life cycle and avoid damages
are necessary.

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Source: PATH (2010)
 11. Applicability (Small-scale)

• It is applicable in every location for almost all kinds of waste.

• It especially avoids open burning, littering in the streets and helps to make
harmful (medical) waste non-toxic.

Source: HEALING TALKS (2008)

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 12. Pros and Cons (Small-scale)

Example of a comparison…
•Advantages: •Disadvantages:
o No landfills required o Risk of emissions which
endanger human health and
o Substantial reduction of weight and volume
environment (flue gas)
of solid waste
o Loss of organic substances such
o Breaks down chemical toxics and destroys
as kitchen waste or green
pathogens (e.g. medical waste)
waste from gardening
o There are many different products in all
o Risk of malfunction if operators
price ranges
are not instructed

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 WTE Facility
• Starved air/pyrolysis
• Fluidised bed
• Multiple hearth
• Moving grate furnace
• Rotary kiln
1. Pyrolysis

• No stoichiometric air for combustion is supplied

• Heat dependant
•Size reduction of waste required prior to incineration
•Partial combustion generating gases that can be utilised as
syn-gas (fuel)
•Not preferred for MSW incineration (heterogeneous)

2. Starved air - 70-80% stoichiometric air

- requires size reduction
- off gas burnt in secondary chamber
3. Fluidised Bed

• Uses high pressure and high velocity air through sand-bed

• Waste requires segregation and size reduction
• Small feed rate of waste to ensure combustion efficiency

4 Rotary Kiln Incinerator

• Rotary Drum lined with refractory
• Can incinerate a wide variety of waste
• Residence time can be controlled very easily
• Uniform contact of waste with air ensuring complete combustion
• Disadvantage – high particulate emission, air requirement and
heat loss.
5. Multiple hearth
• Use to burn sludges
• Hearth at different level equipped with rotating shafts for combustion
efficiency
• High excess air required 75 – 125%
6. Moving grate

• Waste move on sloping rocking grate in primary chamber

• Direct fire beneath the grate ensuring high combustion efficiency
• Flue gas is burnt in secondary chamber requiring high additional fuel
• High cost in design, installation, power requirement and maintenance