ABSTRACT
Most new mass burn incinerators employ a waterwall design for energy recovery and temperature control of the walls. These furnaces have closely spaced tubes in their walls through which superheated water passes. The major products of incineration of municipal solid wastes are carbon dioxide, water, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, and smaller amounts of toxic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, and heavy metals. Three factors may contribute to high particulate emissions during incineration: the entrainment of particles from the burning refuse bed; the cracking in pyrolysis; and the volatilization of metallic salts or oxides. Pyrolysis appears to be best suited for processing organic feedstocks with high heat value. In addition to the heat value, other important fuel properties are the moisture content, the combustible material content, and the ash content. Refuse-derived fuel is the combustible fraction of municipal solid waste that has been mechanically processed to produce a more homogeneous product.
