Air Pollution Control Systems For Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators

Abstract

The incineration of municipal waste by modular or mass burning units with energy recovery is being more and more accepted by the North American public. Environmental concerns of uncontrolled emissions of acid gases, organics and chlorinated dioxins have been addressed by specific testing and evaluation programs. Results from these tests have been utilized in part by governmental agencies to establish emission limits for pollutants of most concern. The Flakt dry adsorption system (DAS) with reactors and quasi dry or wet/dry lime slurry absorption systems with spray dryers (DR YPAC) achieve the high removal efficiencies required by the ever more restrictive environmental regulations in the 80s and 90s. Results of acid gas removals range up to 98 percent for HCl and 95 percent for SO2 as measured at commercial plants and over an extensive testing program at a pilot plant (summer of1985) at the muncipal incinerator in Quebec City, Canada. Organic removals for the toxic chlorinated dioxins and furans approach 99.9 percent plus under most fabric filter temperatures at the Quebec City pilot facility, while similar removal values are obtained at full size installations in Europe. The latter tests were carried out at seven MSWplants located at Busto Arsizio (Milan), Lugo (Ravenna) in Italy; Kempten and Geiselbullach (near Munich) in Germany; and Sysav, Hogdalen, Linkoping in southern Sweden. This paper presents a description of the two systems. A comparison between DAS and DR YPAC technology is presented with operating and test results for the two alternative systems. In evaluating the two systems, the completely dry injection system (DAS) has a capital and operating cost advantage for incinerators of250- 300 TM/day of MSW. No difference was determined, however, in acid gas removal efficiencies for the two alternatives. © 1988, Air & Waste Management Association.