NSF Award
2228311
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. <br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.<br/><br/>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.
