(595h) Integration of Process Model and Life Cycle Assessment to Study Incineration and Gasification of Solid Waste

The focus of this work is to model waste to energy technologies, incineration & gasification, and study their environmental impact. Detailed process simulation of these technologies is constructed to derive mass and energy balances with municipal solid waste as feedstock. Material and energy balances for flue gas cleanup (incineration) and syngas cleanup (gasification) is also incorporated. For the incineration case, the energy recovery in the form of heat and conversion to electricity is modeled while for the gasification case syngas production and its conversion to electricity in an internal combustion engines is considered. Using the energy balances derived from the process model, we will examine the environmental impacts of these technologies through life-cycle assessment methods. We will present the process model results as well as the environmental life cycle assessment results of the two technologies: 1) advanced thermal recycling (incineration) with conversion to electricity; and 2) fluidized bed gasification with conversion to electricity.  Life cycle environmental impacts are evaluated using the Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other environmental Impacts – TRACI.