THERMODYNAMIC STUDY OF A SYSTEM FOR THE ENERGY RECOVERY OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTES

Elisangela Martins Leal¹; Maycon Xavier da Fonseca¹

¹ Brazilian Federal University of Ouro Preto

doi:10.20906/CPS/COB-2015-1386

Resumo

The accelerated process of urbanization in addition to the increasing consumption of durable and/or disposable goods has caused substantial increase in the volume and diversification of solid waste generated by the population. Thus, the cost of managing this waste has become a task that demands differentiated and coordinated actions. The challenge is to find environmentally and efficiently solutions for waste generation problems in large quantities. One of the strategies for the waste management is its energy use. Since the 1980s, several countries in Europe, North America and Japan use energy from solid waste for various purposes, among which the generation of electricity. This transformation would have two beneficial effects: the first is to encourage the correct storage of waste, which become a raw material. The second is to use waste as a renewable energy source, which can generate carbon credits and help Brazil in the negotiations on climate change. The generation of credits is due to methane burning, natural product of organic decomposition. This work aims to study through thermodynamic analysis the energy use of municipal solid wastes. First, a physico-chemical study of the characteristics of MSW of two cities in the state of Minas Gerais will be performed. After, the calculation of the lower heating value and the use of MSW in incineration system with mass burning boiler for the generation of electricity will be accomplished. The results show that the MSW can be a sustainable alternative for power generation in Brazil.

Palavras-chave: Energy use; Solid waste management; Technical analysis; Renewable resource