Solid Waste Management at University Campus (Part 6/10): Preliminary Estimation of Combustibility and Energy Potential of the Waste

Abstract

This is a-sixth-piece in a-series of 10. To-examine waste-combustibility, its Moisture-Content (MC), Ash-Content, and Volatile-matter, were established, in-accordance-with the-UNEP (2015); ASTM D3174-12; and ASTM D1102: 2013 alongside-with ISO 562: 2010, respectively. A-Tanner-triangle-concept and its-combustibility-requirements informed the-study, and enable to-visualize the-combustibility potential, graphically. The-study established that, for the-waste, at the-subject-university: (a) MC ranges from 10.76 to 57.66 %, with an-average of 36. 84%.; (b) Ash-content ranges from 14.1 to 42.79%, averaging 23.11%; (c) Volatile-matter ranges from 21.78 to 51.34%, with an-average of 38.03%; (d) From the-graphical- judgment of the-Tanner triangle, it was projected that: (i)  37% by weight, of the-total-waste, is high in-moisture-content (57. 66%), and according to the-Tanner-combustibility-requirements cannot be combusted, without auxiliary-fuel (e.g., autothermic-combustion), and hence should-be composted, or vermicomposted, or anaerobically-digested, to-generate biogas, and produce a-stabilized-organic-humus, or Microbial-Fuel-Cells (MFCs) can-be-used for electricity-production; (ii) 41% of the-total-waste is combustible; and (e) 87.8% of the-solid-waste has the-capability of being-converted to heat-energy. Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technologies, alongside with selected-myths, surrounding them, were, hence, reviewed. The-current-study is largely-preliminary, therefore, further-studies, such-as: comprehensive Proximate and Ultimate-Analysis of solid-waste, generated by the-university, is further recommended. In-addition, the-study recommends to-conduct a-feasibility-assessment of WtE-technologies, at the-university, via decision-matrix.  The-findings of this-research provide a-necessary-baseline-data, for the-four-subsequent-studies, in the-series, and also, hopefully, add to-the-body of knowledge, on the-subject-matter.

Keywords: Tanner triangle; Moisture Content, Ash; Volatile matter, Waste-to-Energy (WtE), Composting, Vermicomposting.