Treatment of medical solid waste using an Air Flow controlled incinerator

Abstract

In this study, air flow controlled incinerator (AFCI) was used to treat medical solid waste in Vietnam. The experiment was conducted with solid waste samples that was weighed approximately 2.1-3.3 kg/h and had moisture content of 2.8-11.7%. The results showed that an increase in the airflow rate during the drying process accelerated the combustion time by 10-20%, and the optimal airflow rate was 1.1 m/s. The combustion time varied from 0-45 min. The highest temperatures recorded in the drying chamber, carbonisation chamber and combustion chamber after 25-35 min of operation were varied from 195°C, 775°C and 1275°C, respectively. The temperature of the stack was from 33-68°C after the treatment by the wet scrubber using 20% NaOH solution. The combustion capacity was 77.3-87.5%. The experimental results revealed the AFCI process advantages including low operation cost and suitability for treating hazardous waste on a small scale.