Continuous, self-sustaining smouldering destruction of simulated faeces. (15th February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fabris, Ivo; Cormier, Daniel; Gerhard, Jason I.; Bartczak, Tomek; Kortschot, Mark; Torero, Jose L.; Cheng, Yu-Ling
• Is Part Of: Fuel. Volume 190(2017)
• Page Start: 58
• Page End: 66
• Publication Date: 2017-02-15
• Subjects: Smouldering combustion -- Faeces -- Remediation -- Waste management; Fuel -- Periodicals; Coal -- Periodicals; Coal; Fuel; Periodicals; 662.6
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2016.11.014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0016-2361

Abstract

Abstract: A new approach for the rapid destruction of human waste using smouldering combustion is presented. Recently, self-sustaining smouldering combustion was shown to destroy the organic component of simulated human solid waste and dog faeces resulting in the sanitization of all pathogens using a batch process (Yermán et al., 2015). Here, a continuous smouldering process is demonstrated for the first time, allowing for a much smaller reactor size and much less energy input per mass of waste treated. The self-sustained smouldering of simulated human faeces mixed with sand is evaluated over long periods (more than 16 h) based on a single ignition. The key process of intermittent self-sustained smouldering, in which the reaction is terminated and restarted by only turning the air off and on, is demonstrated. Experiments examine the influence of two key operator controls: airflow rate and set elevation of the quasi-steady-state smouldering front in a 37 cm high reactor. Quasi-steady-state fuel destruction rates from 93 g/h to 12 g/h were achieved by varying the superficial flow velocity from 7.4 cm/s to 0.11 cm/s, the latter with a velocity approximately an order of magnitude lower than possible for a self-sustaining reaction in an equivalent batch system. Excess energy of up to 140 J/g of sand was recovered from the clean sand produced in each cycle, which could be used to further increase the energy efficiency of this novel waste treatment system.