Cleaner Engineering and Technology (Feb 2022)
A parametric exergy and energy analysis of the municipal solid waste dryer system: With a comparative-analytic approach toward recent experimental methods
Abstract
One of the major problems of assemblies is the increasing production of waste and how to manage the waste system. One of the best ways to manage waste is to convert waste into energy. In this way, waste can be converted hygienically and away from pollution into materials used. By producing energy from waste, another problem is human beings who need energy. This study was devoted to comprehensively investigating the exergetic performance of a municipal solid waste dryer. The main aim of the current research was to reveal the reasons and sources of thermodynamic losses occurring in the plant-based on simulation data and compare the performances of several thermodynamical models. The critical design data for the analysis were collected from the Tehran municipality Tehran, Iran. After writing energy and exergy balances for all unit components, their exergetic performance parameters were measured individually. An attempt was also undertaken to quantify the contributions of the products to the overall exergetic efficiency of the plant. The most important results show that the best model for drying MSW is the logarithmic model with a corresponding R2 of 0.98. Also, the drying rate was 0.003 kg/m3s, and the dryer’s energy and exergy efficiency were 13.94% and 2.96%, respectively. The humidity of the hot inlet air has the most significant impact on the energy and exergy efficiencies of the MSW dryer. Generally, the exergetic analysis presented herein could provide important guidelines and methodological blueprints for future investigations to develop thermodynamically efficient and environmentally-benign waste-to-energy plants.
