Comprehensive Assessment and Optimization of a Middle-Arch Dual-Channel Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator Using Numerical Simulation Methods

Abstract

The present study focuses on a middle-arch dualchannel municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator facing issues of high NO x emission and overheating. To address these problems and optimize the incinerator, an advanced numerical simulation method was employed to comprehensively assess its bed combustion, freeboard combustion, and NO x emission characteristics. A multiphase fuel bed model considering large-particle characteristics of MSW was developed, coupled with a threedimensional (3D) model for combustion in freeboard. The analysis revealed that the observed issues stem from multiple factors, including primary-to-secondary air ratio, flame propagation in bed, release of volatiles from bed, and distribution and mixing of components in freeboard. Reducing the proportion of primary air and correspondingly increasing secondary air effectively alleviated the localized overheating in the furnace and reduced NO x emission. Further adjustments to the distribution of primary air in three stages delaying air supply toward the burnout stage, together with the decrease in the grate movement speed, can better control the amount and speciation of N released from the bed. Implementing a counterflow mixing strategy with NH 3 in the front channel and NO in the rear channel can greatly reduce the original NO x emission concentration to 95.94 mg/(N•m 3 ), as predicted by a numerical simulation. Subsequent practical adjustments to an actual incinerator led to notable improvements, clearly optimizing the localized high-temperature issues at various locations, especially the front channel suffering severe slagging problems, with the temperature reduced from 1118 to 957 °C. Meanwhile, NO x emission concentration decreased from 200 mg/(N•m 3 ) to around 50 mg/(N•m 3 ), with no negative effect on the boiler load.