Sensor Technology Options for Municipal Solid Waste Characterization for Optimal Operation of Waste-to-Energy Plants

Reuse, refurbishing, and recycling are the most sustainable options for handling waste materials. However, municipal solid (MSW) that is highly heterogenic, crude, contaminated, decrepit, thermal conversion in waste-to-energy (WtE) plants an option. In such plants, fuel quality of MSW difficult to predict substantial changes expected challenging incineration stability. Development new online sensor technologies monitoring properties prior therefore needed. Sensors may contribute increase WtE process stability, as well reducing probability stops or emissions exceeding legal limits. this work, operating principles potential systems categorized assessed be implemented providing parameters control indicators alarms process. For transmissive settings, use inductance hard X-ray sensors promising, whereas reflective utilization photonic, inductive, soft X-ray, low-frequency radiowave sensors, promising. The analytic capacity single-point measurements with inductance, radiowave, limited alarms, spectral imaging photonic techniques feasible both alarms. results obtained assessment will important a first step guiding evolution industry repeatability, performance energy production, manual labor safety controlling incineration.