Research project PERM
Development of methodological approaches to the waste composition analysis by dint of optical sorting equipment. Development of methodology for modelling and management of RDF composition
Partner: Consulting Engineering Center Ltd.
Funding: Perm Administrative Region
Duration: April 2014 - November 2014
Project Description:
In this project, funded by the Perm Administrative Region, methodological approaches are initially to be developed within the total project duration of three years (beginning of 2013 to end of 2015) in order to determine waste compositions by means of optical sorting systems. By analyzing physico-chemical parameters of different waste fractions, conclusions can thus be drawn about the properties of the waste mixture. At the end of the project period, a methodology is to be developed to estimate the composition and the fuel-technical parameters of a substitute fuel by means of NIR technology.
In this year's subproject, the first task was to verify which substitute fuel qualities and quantities can be generated from the residual waste composition of the city of Perm by purely optical sorting using NIR technology. Thereupon, the influence of further upstream mechanical treatment processes such as shredding or screening on the generated RDF was determined. The results show that NIR sorting without additional pre-treatment achieves the best results, since here, with a mass transfer of only a good 40 %, the approx. 60 % of the energy contained in the residual waste is transferred to the substitute fuel. Shredding to less than 80 mm and screening to greater than 40 mm also still achieve good results.
The combination of this mechanical pre-treatment is proposed especially for the waste composition of Perm to first crush the high proportion of glass and inert materials with the help of impact forces and to screen this in a further stage together with the fine fraction and part of the contained organics. The previous removal of inert materials or low-calorific fractions has hardly any influence on the transfer of the contained energy into the refuse-derived fuel, but on the other hand it significantly protects the plant technology of the downstream optical sorting.
A further task was to determine corresponding surface weights (basis weights) with the help of the detection of waste fractions via NIR technology, the readout of the scanned material surfaces and the known mass flows. With these surface weights, it should be possible in the future to draw conclusions about the material composition, especially of refuse-derived fuels. With the aid of fraction-specific fuel-technical parameters, qualitative statements on the RDF could thus be made in addition to the RDF composition.
The results generated in 2014 were presented by Dr. Wünsch at the international conference "Innovative models of International Integration in Science - International Research Groups" in Perm on December 4, 2014.