SCC-CIVIC-PG Track A: Novel Fuel-Flexible Combustion to Enable Ultra-Clean and Efficient Waste-to-Renewable Energy in Changing Climate

该项目旨在同时解决韦科市(Waco)确定的两个优先事项，包括垃圾填埋场面积有限，以及能源需求，特别是在全球变暖导致的极端天气期间。目前，在垃圾填埋场中将城市固体废物(MSW)转化为燃料会产生非常粘稠的油，很难有效和清洁地燃烧。我们提出了一种无论垃圾成分如何，都将高效、清洁地运行的过程，只需最少的前处理和后处理，以帮助减少垃圾填埋场所需的表面积，提供弹性能源，并帮助对抗导致气候变化的温室气体排放(GHGs)，这些温室气体排放既来自燃烧，也来自垃圾填埋排放。二氧化碳(CO2)、其他污染物排放，如颗粒物、未燃烧的碳氢化合物、燃烧产生的氮氧化物，极大地加剧了全球变暖。此外，甲烷是第二大温室气体，20年来全球变暖潜力是二氧化碳的83倍，而垃圾填埋场中的有机垃圾是甲烷的重要排放源。因此，该项目将同时减少垃圾填埋场的温室气体，并使用新型的废物转化能源燃烧器回收废物中的能量，可再生电力和热量的排放接近零。因此，这一新概念的成功将减轻当地废物处理的负担，并提高对不断变化的气候的能源适应能力。可伸缩性和多种燃料能力将有助于满足服务不足群体的能源需求，以及极端天气事件下的整个社区。该项目将开发一种多种燃料的试点燃烧器，可以将当地的垃圾清洁地转化为液体和气体燃料，并只需最少的后处理即可燃烧。这里讨论的垃圾燃料清洁和高效燃烧的挑战是(1)适应燃料组成和性质的变化，以及(2)高粘度油/凝析油燃料的高效和低排放燃烧。第一阶段的目标包括：(1)预先选择WACO通知的废物转化为燃料的过程；(2)展示(1)产生的废物燃料的有效燃烧。预选确定了燃料柔性试点燃烧器的废物转化燃料路径和关键部件，将在第二阶段在韦科设施进行现场测试。在第二阶段，还将根据与韦科和贝勒社会工作学院合作的范例社区概况，审查比例分析。除了传统的出版物，成果还将通过非正式教育在贝勒的梅伯恩博物馆通过美国国家科学基金会的门户网站-公众计划，以及与韦科和米申韦科城市收获合作，并通过贝勒的实验室到市场团队转移到商业化。该项目是对公民创新挑战计划的回应-轨道A生活在不断变化的气候：围绕适应、复原力和缓解的灾难前行动-是国家科学基金会、国土安全部、这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to simultaneously address the two priorities defined by the City of Waco (Waco) including limited surface area for landfills, and energy demand especially during extreme weather due to global warming. Currently, converting Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in landfills to fuels for energy results in very viscous oils that are hard to burn efficiently and cleanly. We propose a process that will operate efficiently and cleanly regardless of the MSW composition with minimal pre- and post-processing to help decrease surface area needed for landfills, provide resilient energy and help combat greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) that contribute to climate change both from combustion and from landfill emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO2), other pollutant emissions such as particulate matters, unburned hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides from combustion significantly contribute to global warming. Additionally, methane is the second most important GHG with a 20-year global warming potential ~83 times higher than CO2, and organic MSW in landfills is a significant methane emission source. This project will therefore simultaneously decrease GHGs from landfills and recover energy in the waste using the novel waste-to-energy combustor with near-zero emissions for renewable power and heat. Success of this novel concept will therefore decrease local waste treatment burdens and boost energy resilience in a changing climate. The scalability and multi-fuel capability will help satisfy energy needs of underserved groups, and the communities at large under an extreme weather event. This project will develop a multi-fuel pilot combustor that can cleanly convert local MSW to liquid and gaseous fuels and combust them with minimal postprocessing. Challenges to clean and efficient combustion of waste-based fuels addressed here are (1) accommodating variations in fuel composition and properties and (2) efficient and low emission combustion of the highly viscous oils/condensates fuels. Objectives of Stage 1 include (1) preselecting a waste-to-fuels process informed by Waco and (2) demonstrating efficient combustion of waste-fuels generated in (1). The preselection defines the waste-to-fuel path and key parts for the fuel-flexible pilot combustor will be tested on site at the Waco facility in Stage 2. Scaling analysis will also be examined in Stage 2 based on example community profiles in partnership with Waco and Baylor’s School of Social Work. In addition to conventional publications, results will also be disseminated through informal education at Baylor’s Mayborn Museum through the NSF Portal-to-the-Public program, and collaboration with Waco and Mission Waco Urban Reap, and transferred to commercialization through Baylor’s lab-to-market team.This project is in response to the Civic Innovation Challenge program—Track A. Living in a changing climate: pre-disaster action around adaptation, resilience, and mitigation—and is a collaboration between NSF, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.