How do incinerators treat waste?
Incinerators treat waste by burning it at extremely high temperatures in a controlled combustion chamber, reducing its volume and mass while generating heat, ash, and flue gases. This heat can be captured and used to generate electricity, while the ash is typically landfilled or used in construction. The process is completed by filtering and treating the flue gases to remove pollutants such as acid gases, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter before they are released into the atmosphere.
Incineration Process
1. Loading:
Waste is loaded into a sealed combustion chamber.
2. Combustion:
The waste is heated to high temperatures, typically between 850 and 1,200 °C (1,800 and 2,200 °F), at which point it burns and breaks down into its basic components.
3. Heat Recovery:
The heat generated during the combustion process is captured and typically used to generate high-pressure steam to drive a turbine to generate electricity.
4. Ash Collection:
Inorganic matter in the waste is converted to ash, which is collected from the bottom of the incinerator. 5. Flue Gas Treatment:
The remaining flue gas (flue gas), containing pollutants, is purified through various technologies before being released into the atmosphere through a chimney.
Key Aspects and Benefits
Volume and Mass Reduction:
Incineration can significantly reduce the volume (up to 95%) and mass (80-85%) of waste.
Waste-to-Energy:
This process converts waste into valuable resources by recovering energy in the form of heat or electricity.
Pollutant Destruction:
High-temperature combustion effectively destroys many harmful chemicals in waste, such as solvents, pesticides, and pathogens in medical waste.
Incineration Products:
Heat: Used to generate steam and electricity.
Ash: An inorganic residue that can be landfilled or processed for construction use.
Treatened Flue Gas: Clean gas released into the atmosphere after filtration and purification.
