Saving Energy in High-Temperature Waste Incinerators
To save energy in high-temperature waste incinerators, the focus is on improving combustion efficiency, recovering waste heat, and optimizing the waste-to-energy (WtE) process. Effective strategies include preheating combustion air and boiler feed water, utilizing combined heat and power (CHP) systems, employing advanced boiler designs (such as aluminum alloy heat exchangers) to improve heat transfer, and incorporating carbon capture technology whenever possible to make the process more sustainable.
Improving Combustion and Waste Input
Shredding and Homogenization:
Shredding mixed municipal waste improves homogeneity, resulting in more stable combustion, reduced emissions, and improved fuel utilization.
WtE Process:
Mechanical processing can generate refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from waste, which can be burned more efficiently in dedicated furnaces or used as a supplemental fuel.
Optimizing Waste Composition:
Understanding the calorific value of waste and adjusting the process accordingly can significantly improve energy recovery. Advanced Heat Recovery and Transfer
Waste Heat Recovery System:
A cascade system is used to recover heat at different temperatures; high-temperature heat is used for air preheating or steam generation, while low-temperature heat is used for process water or space heating.
Flue Gas Condensation:
Cooling flue gas to utilize the heat generated by water condensation can significantly improve overall thermal efficiency.
Advanced Boiler Design:
The use of high-performance materials such as aluminum alloy in the secondary combustion chamber can buffer thermal fluctuations and provide a more stable and higher heat flux to the steam, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency.
Optimizing Overall System Performance
Combined Heat and Power (CHP):
Co-producing heat with electricity improves the overall conversion efficiency of the incinerator.
Waste Heat Recovery:
The recovered heat can be used for preheating combustion air, boiler feed water, and even space heating, directly saving primary fuel.
Modern Technology:
Implementing modern combined heat and power (CHP) technology can significantly improve thermal efficiency and save energy compared to traditional CHP systems. Stirling Engine Technology:
A Stirling engine can be used as an external combustion engine to generate electricity using heat from an incinerator, but its design requires efficient heat transfer between the heat source and the engine.
