Life Cycle Assessment of Advanced Circulating Fluidized Bed Municipal Solid Waste Incineration System from an Environmental and Exergetic Perspective

Jun Li, Lixian Wang, Yong Chi, Zhaozhi Zhou, Yuanjun Tang and Hui Zhang
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Jun Li: State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
Lixian Wang: State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
Yong Chi: State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
Zhaozhi Zhou: Zhejiang Development & Planning Institute, Hangzhou 310012, China
Yuanjun Tang: Department of Energy and Environment System Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Hui Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-16

Abstract: The production of clean and efficient energy from municipal solid waste (MSW) is extremely urgent matter due to an increasing energy demand and environmental concerns. In this study, a high steam parameter (520 °C, 7.9 MPa) circulating fluidized bed (CFB) MSW incineration system, equipped with a mechanical, biological treatment and external heat exchanger systems, was introduced and a comparative study with a typical mechanical grate (450 °C, 5.3 MPa) incineration system and conventional CFB (485 °C, 5.3 MPa) incineration system was carried out from a life-cycle, environmental and exergetic perspective which could assess different energy and material outputs based on real operating data. Moreover, the potential system optimization of this advanced CFB system was proposed. The results showed that the advanced CFB system was more environmentally friendly and resource-efficient than conventional MSW incineration systems. The recovery of material should be given priority over energy recovery. According to the assessment of the environment, and energy and material recovery, a process improvement with an incinerated refuse-derived fuel and a semi-compost produced by MBT as a soil conditioner was highly recommended.

Keywords: environmental life cycle assessment; exergetic life cycle assessment; municipal solid waste; mechanical biological treatment; environmental burdens; resource use efficiencies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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