The concept of Zero Waste MSW Processing Using Continous Pyrolysis Technology and Biogas System

How did your perspective when looking at the mounting garbage, whether it be problems or challenges that invite the opportunity?

It's no secret that the waste problem has become a common problem in many places, especially in big cities. The challenge is how to make waste processing unit that zero waste and be profitable? Integration of continuous pyrolysis technology and biogas system is the answer on this. With pyrolysis, organic waste, plastics, and tires will produce specific products with high economic value. When the processing of organic waste are the main products produced charcoal, biooil, and syngas. All of them can be used for energy applications. While the plastic is processed then the primary product is syn crude oil whose quality as petroleum. Processing of scrap tires with pyrolysis will produce syn crude oil like in plastic pyrolysis processing, carbon black, syngas and steel wire.

With the sale of the products of pyrolysis, so the activity of MSW processing is not only dependent on the tipping fee, but the majority of the profits derived from the sale of the pyrolysis products. In addition there are two thermal process beside pyrolysis which is used on MSW processing, there are gasification and incineration, but pyrolysis has many advantages over both methods, more details please click here.

In the processing of organic waste with this continuous pyrolysis technology, before the organic waste enter  into the pyrolysis unit, the moisture content of the organic waste need to be reduced to about 10% by using a mechanical device. In this process will produce leachate that rich with organic matter so that the potential for biogas system in anaerobic digestion reactor, so that gas can be produced for power generation. While the byproducts of residual water will be cleaner because the organic components decompose during the formation of biogas, thus safely discharged to the environment and the solid residue will be used as high-quality compost.

Why Use Pyrolysis to MSW Treatment?

The main difference between the pyrolysis, gasification and incineration: the amount of oxygen that is supplied to thermal reactors. Pyrolysis has advantages in producing gas or oil products from waste that can be used as fuel for its process of pyrolysis.

Quantitatively differences between the pyrolysis, gasification and combustion: based on the needs of the air needed during the process, i.e. as follows
-If the amount of air: fuel (AFR, air-fuel ratio) = 0, then the process is called pyrolysis.
-If the AFR <1.5 then the process is called gasification.
-If the AFR> 1.5 then it is called the combustion process

Pyrolysis have a number of advantages are as follows:
-Lower temperature process (400-800 C) so the smaller the investment costs
-Flue-gas emissions below the required threshold.
-All the pyrolysis products have economic value.So that the sustainability of MSW processing is not only dependent on the tipping fee, but rather on the sale of the pyrolysis products.

-Pyrolysis can adjust to the type of feedstock such as pyrolysis of plastic will result in major product syn crude oil, pyrolysis of scrap tires will be produced also syn crude oil, carbon black and syn gas, and so other feedstock. The use according to type of feedstock will increase the economic value of the resulting product significantly. In process aspects this will be considered against the availability of feedstock and selling value of products produced.

Institute of Applied Energy (Tokyo) published in 2004 an analysis of stoker incinerator and pyrolysis plants operating under the same conditions. The analysis revealed that a conventional stoker grate incinerator with a steam turbine has no performance advantage over a pyrolysis plant at any scale.