Synthetic fuel for imitation of municipal solid waste in experimental studies of waste incineration

Synthetic fuel is prepared to imitate municipal solid waste (MSW) in experi mental studies of incineration processes. The fuel is composed based on the Environmental Protection Agency reports on the materials contained in MSW. Uniform synthetic fuel pellets are prepared using available and inexpensiv e components including newsprint, hardwood mulch, low density polyethylene, iron, animal feed, sand, and water to imitate paperbound, wood, yard trimm ing, plastic, metal, food wastes, and other materials in MSW. The synthetic fuel preparation procedure enables one to reproduce and modify the fuel fo r a wide range of experiments in which the mechanisms of waste incineration are addressed. The fuel is characterized using standard ASTM tests and it is shown that its parameters, such as combustion enthalpy, density, as well as moisture, ash and fixed carbon contents are adequate for the representa tion of municipal solid waste. In addition, chlorine, nitrogen, and sulfur contents of the fuel are shown to be similar to those of MSW. Experiments a re conducted in which the synthetic fuel is used for operation of a pilot-s cale incinerator research facility. Steady-state temperature operation regi mes are achieved and reproduced in these experiments. Thermodynamic equilib rium flame conditions are computed using an isentropic one-dimensional equi librium code for a wide range of fuel/air ratios. The molecular species use d to represent the fuel composition included cellulose, water, iron, polyet hylene, methanamine, and silica. The predicted concentrations of carbon mon oxide, nitric oxides, and oxygen in the combustion products are compared wi th the respective experimental concentrations in the pilot-scale incinerato r exhaust. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.