Determining the biomass fraction of mixed waste fuels: A comparison of existing industry and (14)C-based methodologies

Measurement and analysis of biomass content using gas emissions from solid refuse fuel incineration

In this study, we compared the results of biomass and biocarbon content analysis of Solid Refuse Fuels using ¹⁴C method and selective dissolution method. Solid Refuse fuel Samples for biomass and biocarbon contents analysis were each collected from the silos and stack of the respective three facilities. Samples collected for 1, 10, 20, and 30 days for each method were analyzed. The analysis data were grouped into sample period, type and method and the optimum method for the detection of the biomass and biocarbon content was estimated. The biomass and biocarbon content showed a partially normal distribution. However, it does not satisfy equal variance. Therefore, we applied the parametric statistics Welch's ANOVA test and the nonparametric statistics Kruskal-Wallis test to compare the means of each sample group. The results of the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that sapmles collected over 20 days at Facility A had the same mean value. Therefore, when analyzing biocarbon content using the ¹⁴C method, conducting analyses by collecting exhaust gases for more than 20 days reduces errors in the results.

Estimation of optimal biomass fraction measuring cycle formunicipal solid waste incineration facilities in Korea

This study estimates the optimum sampling cycle using a statistical method for biomass fraction. More than ten samples were collected from each of the three municipal solid waste (MSW) facilities between June 2013 and March 2015 and the biomass fraction was analyzed. The analysis data were grouped into monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual intervals and the optimum sampling cycle for the detection of the biomass fraction was estimated. Biomass fraction data did not show a normal distribution. Therefore, the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to compare the average values for each sample group. The Kruskal-Wallis test results showed that the average monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual values for all three MSW incineration facilities were equal. Therefore, the biomass fraction at the MSW incineration facilities should be calculated on a yearly cycle which is the longest period of the temporal cycles tested.

Determining national greenhouse gas emissions from waste-to-energy using the Balance Method

Different directives of the European Union require operators of waste-to-energy (WTE) plants to report the amount of electricity that is produced from biomass in the waste feed, as well as the amount of fossil CO2 emissions generated by the combustion of fossil waste materials. This paper describes the application of the Balance Method for determining the overall amount of fossil and thus climate relevant CO2 emissions from waste incineration in Austria. The results of 10 Austrian WTE plants (annual waste throughput of around 2,300 kt) demonstrate large seasonal variations in the specific fossil CO2 emissions of the plants as well as large differences between the facilities (annual means range from 32±2 to 51±3 kg CO(2,foss)/GJ heating value). An overall amount of around 924 kt/yr of fossil CO2 for all 10 WTE plants is determined. In comparison biogenic (climate neutral) CO2 emissions amount to 1,187 kt/yr, which corresponds to 56% of the total CO2 emissions from waste incineration. The total energy input via waste feed to the 10 facilities is about 22,500 TJ/yr, of which around 48% can be assigned to biogenic and thus renewable sources.

Sample preparation for thermo-gravimetric determination and thermo-gravimetric characterization of refuse derived fuel

Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) is a useful method for characterizing fuels. In the past it has been applied to the study of refuse derived fuel (RDF) and related materials. However, the heterogeneity of RDF makes the preparation of small representative samples very difficult and this difficulty has limited the effectiveness of TGA for characterization of RDF. A TGA method was applied to a variety of materials prepared from a commercially available RDF using a variety of procedures. Applicability of TGA method to the determination of the renewable content of RDF was considered. Cryogenic ball milling was found to be an effective means of preparing RDF samples for TGA. When combined with an effective sample preparation, TGA could be used as an alternative method for assessing the renewable content of RDF.