Electrotechnologies for Waste and Water Treatment
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8"8Rp53 1.7 Topics: y43 EPRl EM-5418 Waste processing F Project 2416-25 EPRl Water treatment Final Report Electric Power Resource recovery October 1987 Research Institute Industrial wastes Electrotechnology End use Electrotechnologies for Waste and Water Treatment Prepared by Science Applications International Corporation Los Altos, California REPORT SUMMARY ~ S U BJ ECTS Industrial electric technologies / Land and water quality / Hazardous and toxic waste management TOPICS Waste processing Industrial wastes Water treatment Electrotechnology Resource recovery End use AUDIENCE R&D engineers / Marketing managers ~ Electrotechnologies for Waste and Water meatment Recent environmental regulations have created a potential new market for electrotechnologies-treatment of industrial and mu- nicipal waste and water. This report describes a wide range of such processes and applications. BACKG R 0U N D Stricter environmental protection regulations and the decrease of available space for waste disposal have motivated an ongoing reevaluation of waste management technologies and an emerging interest in innovative waste ~ processing methods. ~ OBJECTIVES To identify and examine waste and water treatment technologies, particu- larly electricity-intensive processes. To identify specific areas where R&D could have a significant impact on the near- to intermediate-term implementation of electrotechnologies for waste and/or water treatment. APPROACH The investigators gathered information on waste and water treatment tech- nologies and processes through extensive library searches and from their own company files. They solicited similar information, including technology growth projections, from industrial sources. To compile a summary of past and present research in waste management, they examined databases con- taining EPRl reports and government documents. Discussions with govern- ment agency experts confirmed industrial sources of hazardous and non- hazardous wastes and clarified relevant regulations. Where data were available, the research team calculated the energy use of specific treatment processes. They then evaluated the processes, comparing costs of electro- technologies with present methods. ~~ RESULTS Three areas have high potential for the introduction of electrotechnologies: hazardous-waste treatment, wastewater treatment, and resource recovery. _1 -- e Among many processes under research for hazardous-waste management are pyrolysis (including plasmas and infrared heaters), electrochemical con- centration (including electrodialysis), freeze concentration, and supercritical fluid oxidation. EPRl EM-5418s Electricity-intensive processes for water treatment include ion ex- change, reverse osmosis, and ultrafiltration. Some applications of these processes are in early stages of development. For waste recycling, plasma, reverse osmosis, and electrodialysis can be employed in metals recovery and for melting both glass and metal. EPRl PERSPECTIVE Greater use of electricity for waste treatment could result in a substan- ~ tial increase in utility electrical loads, with the large quantities of waste generated annually. Relatively low energy costs presently-and for the foreseeable future-limit the use of electrotechnologies for treating mu- ~~ nicipal solid wastes and nonhazardous industrial wastes. However, es- calating costs of present disposal methods indicate that the potential for using electrotechnologies is much greater for hazardous wastes. In addition, recent regulations have created potential applications for elec- trotechnologies in wastewater treatment and resource recovery. PROJECT RP2416-25 EPRl Project Managers: Alan Karp; I. Leslie Harry Energy Management and Utilization Division Contractor: Science Applications International Corporation For further information on EPRl research programs, call EPRl Technical Information Specialists (415) 855-2411. Electrotechnologies for Waste and Water Treatment EM-5418 Research Project 2416-25 Final Report, October 1987 Prepared by SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION 5150 El Camino Real, Suite C-31 Los Altos, California 94022 Principal Investigators F! Estey H. Hampton S. Sefidpour Prepared for Electric Power Research Institute _I 3412 Hillview Avenue r-- Palo Alto, California 94304 EPRl Project Managers A. D. Karp I. L. Harry Industrial Program Energy Management and Utilization Division ORDERING INFORMATION Requests for copies of this report should be directed to Research Reports Center (RRC), Box 50490, Palo Alto, CA 94303, (415) 965-4081. There is no charge for reports requested by EPRl member utilities and affiliates, US. utility associations, US. government agencies (federal, state, and local), media, and foreign organizations with which EPRl has an information exchange agreement. On request, RRC will send a catalog of EPRl reports. .- Electric Power Research Institute and EPRl are registered service marks of Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. Copyright 0 1987 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved. NOTICE This report was prepared by the organization(s) named below as an account of work sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI). Neither EPRI, members of EPRI, the organization(s) named below, nor any person acting on behalf of any of them: (a) makes any warranty, express or implied, with respect to the use of any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report or that such use may not infringe privately owned rights: or (b) assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of, or for damages resulting from the use of, any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report. Prepared by Science Applications International Corporation Los Altos, California ABSTRACT This work identifies and examines the use of electrotechnologies in the treatment of solid and liquid wastes. The types of wastes studied were divided into five major classifications: 1) municipal solid wastes, 2) municipal wastewater, 3) non- hazardous industrial wastes, 4) hazardous industrial wastes and 5) nuclear wastes. Within each category, information was gathered on the quantities of waste generated, types of wastes generated, current disposal or treatment technologies, research on promising treatment technol ogies, and energy usage for current and promi sing technologies. Information in the above areas was also put together for the topics of drinking water and resource recovery. Current research and development programs were identified within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and private industry. In addition, current regulations were reviewed to determine effects on waste management technol ogies. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The project team at Science Applications International Corporation is grateful for the assistance and guidance provided by Mr. Alan Karp and Mr. Les Harry of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) who supported this project from its in- ception. Mr. Steve Parker of EPRI also provided valuable help in gathering an enormous number of references on waste generation and treatment technologies. At SAIC, Mr. Mark Evans must be gratefully acknowedged for providing useful assistance and advice. V CONTENTS Section Page 1 SUMMARY 1-1 Study Approach 1-1 Summary of Research Opportunities 1-4 Hazardous Waste Treatment 1-4 Treatment of Wastewater 1-6 Re so u rce Rec ov ery 1-6 Concl usi on 1-7 2 MUNICIPAL WASTES 2-1 Municipal Sol id Wastes 2-1 Characterization and Quantities of MSW 2-1 Management and Disposition of Munci pal Sol id Waste 2-1 R e so u rce R ec ov e ry 2-5 Refuse-to-Energy systems 2-7 Munici pal Wastewater 2-11 Management Technol ogies for POTWs 2-12 Activated S1 udge 2-17 Condi tioni ng/Dewatering 2-17 Thermal Conditioning 2-42 Incineration 2-42 Anaerobic Digestion 2-48 S1 udge Stabilization A1 ternat v es 2-51 Advanced Wastewater Treatment Processes 2-51 Methods of Disposal for Munic pal Sludges 2-55 References 2-57 3 NON-HAZARDOUS INDUSTRIAL WASTES 3-1 Management Technol ogies for Non-Hazardous Industrial Wastes 3-1 Industria1 Wastewater Treatment 3-18 Agr cultural Wastes 3-18 Management Technol ogies 3-18 Min ng Wastes 3-18 vii Section Page 3 Types of Waste 3-26 Management Technol ogi es 3-26 References 3-28 4 Hazardous Industrial Wastes 4-1 Characterization and Quantities of Hazardous Wastes 4-1 - Waste Management Practices 4-6 Hazardous Waste Treatment Tec hn olog ies 4-9 Air Flotation 4-13 Biological Treatment 4-16 Electrodialysis 4-21 Electrolysis 4-26 Electrophoresi s 4-33 Filtration Technologies 4-37 Freeze Crystallization 4-38 High Energy Electron Treatment 4-41 High Temperature F1 uid Wall Reactor 4-44 Incineration 4-50 Infrared Furnace 4-60 Ion Exchange 4-64 Microwave Discharge 4-66 Mol ten Glass Incinerator 4-66 P1 asma-Arc Heaters 4-69 Pyrolytic Incineration Rotary Hearth and In-drum 4-73 Ozonat ion 4-78 Reverse Osmosi s 4-83 Sol idif icati on/Stabi 1 izati on 4-87 Supercritical F1 uid Oxidation 4-98 U1 trafi 1 trati on and Microfi 1tration 4-100 U1 t raviol et Radi ation 4-111 Wet Air Oxidation 4-115 References 4-121 5 NUCLEAR WASTES 5-1 Management of Nuclear Wastes in the U.S. 5-3 Processing Technol ogi es 5-3 High-Level Waste Treatment Vitrification 5-6 viii Section Page 5 Low-Level Waste: Volume Reduction Systems 5-9 U1 t rafi 1 t ration 5-10 S u mm a ry 5-11 References 5-12 6 RESOURCE RECOVERY 6-1 Background 6-1 Waste Reduction 6-1 Cryogenic Recovery Processing 6-9 Auto and Scrap Tire Processing 6-12 Recycling & Recovery Processing