Researchers & Inventors (visit the PEOPLE webpage for more infos)

• Dr. Akhmetov Bakytzhan

• Dr. Antoni Gil Pujol

• Mr. Yang Lizhong

• Assoc. Prof. Alessandro Romagnoli

 

Contact: Assoc. Prof. Alessandro Romagnoli

 

Status

• Patent: PCT application stage 

 

Description of the technology

• With an average heating value of 10 MJ/kg from the municipal solid waste (MSW), an estimated 500 kWhe/tonne waste of energy can be generated from the incineration of MSW. This amount has the potential for higher energy recovery by using higher steam parameters (i.e. temperature and pressure), yet it is limited due to (i) corrosion of ferrous tubes at high temperature, and (ii) fluctuation in steam temperature. Our novel technology aims to solve these problems by replacing the existing water-wall technology with technology based on PCM. The PCM-technology stores and controls the thermal energy from the combustion process, providing a steady output of heat flux. This mitigates the steam fluctuation problem, and at the same time, increase the temperature of superheated steam over the current corrosion limits (450°C) without using coated superheaters.

• Our technology aims to provide a steam parameter of 40 bar and 600°C, and hence, having the potential to achieve net electrical efficiencies above 30%, while still maintaining low maintenance costs and high plant availability. Moreover, this technology can be integrated into existing water-wall technology in most plant configurations and combustion control systems.

• This technology can be employed in all waste-to-energy plants that experience steam fluctuation and ferrous tubes corrosion issue at high temperature.

 

Current state of development

• We are now doing the demonstration in our laboratory to prove and showcase this system. We are also looking for industry partners who are interested in test bedding this technology with us at their incineration plants.