Academic literature on the topic 'Inert waste landfills'

Millions of tons of forest residues, agricultural residues, and municipal solid waste are generated in Latin America (LATAM) each year. Regularly, municipal solid waste is diverted to landfills or dumpsites. Meanwhile, forest and agricultural residues end up decomposing in the open air or burnt, releasing greenhouse gases. Those residues can be transformed into a set of energy vectors and organic/chemical products through thermochemical conversion processes, such as pyrolysis and gasification. This book chapter provides information on current examples of gasification on large scale in the world, which typically operate at 700°C, atmospheric pressure, and in a fluidized bed reactor. The produced gas is used for heat and energy generation. Whereas pyrolysis at a large scale operates around 500°C, atmospheric pressure, and in an inert atmosphere, using a fluidized bed reactor. The produced combustible liquid is used for heat and energy generation. The decision of using any of these technologies will depend on the nature and availability of residues, energy carries, techno-socio-economic aspects, and the local interest. In this regard, the particular situation of Brazil and Mexico is analyzed to implement these technologies. Its implementation could reduce the utilization of fossil fuels, generate extra income for small farmers or regions, and reduce the problem derived from the accumulation of residues. However, it is concluded that it is more convenient to use decentralized gasification and pyrolysis stations than full-scale processes, which could be an intermediate step to a large-scale process. The capabilities of numerical models to describe these processes are also provided to assess the potential composition of a gas produced from some biomass species available in these countries.

In modern society, plastic waste has become a serious environmental issue. The inability of most hydrocarbon based plastics to naturally decompose quickly causes concern. The material piles up in landfills, waterways, and along the side of the road. One way to combat this issue is the repurposing of the material. Plastic can be converted back into oil (called pyrolysis) and refined to produce fuels. To attempt this, a custom-built steel reactor is to be filled with waste plastic, and will be heated to the plastic’s boiling point in an inert (N2) environment. The resulting vapor will be reconde

Plasma arc gasification is an emerging technology for generation of renewable energy and other by-products from a variety of waste. This bold technology is under development in a number of locations around the world, although it is too early to fully know if the technology is technically feasible and economically viable on a truly heterogeneous municipal waste stream like that found in the U.S. Plasma arc technology in the United States in other applications dates back approximately 40 years when it was utilized by NASA to test heat shield materials for spacecraft. In 1989, plasma arc technolo

Fuel cells are very flexible energy conversion devices and in particular MCFC power generating system are among the most promising for stationary power generation. Potentially, MCFCs can be fed by a great variety of gaseous fuels comprising low calorific values gases like landfill gas. Thanks to fuel processing technologies, like gasification, suitable anode input gases can also be obtained from solid matters. Coal, but also RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel), industrial waste and biomasses are potential fuels for the fuel cell technology after a specific treatment aimed to yield a proper gas for the c