Computer Aid Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Optimization

摘要

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is an underutilized fuel source in Canada compared to most other industrialized nations. Canadian MSW incinerators use mass burn, refuse-derived fuel, and two-stage modular designs that are the most widely used types in the industrialized world. Advanced control and artificial intelligence technologies, developed at the CANMET Energy Technology Center and implemented at Canadian incinerators, help the incineration industry to optimize waste management. This results in improved energy recovery and reduction in emissions and landfill. A real-time expert system serves to detect and rectify impending process upset conditions and imminent emission excursion episodes. The artificial intelligence embodies the collective qualitative and quantitative knowledge of a group of specialized plant operators and, as a result, continuously benefits the plant with the wisdom of its best operators. The predicted emission information is then fed back into a lime control system where the optimization of lime usage is based on the predicted emissions information. The expert system also effectively reduces the plant down time thereby increasing waste volumes processed and energy recovered. Significant economic savings were achieved after the expert system was installed on a selected industrial scale demonstration unit. The expert system could, with some customization, be adapted for application at other MSW facilities at minimum cost. This paper will present the general idea, components, and technology of this expert system. Operating data from the demonstration unit will also be presented and discussed.