On-line calorific value sensor and validation of dynamic models applied to municipal solid waste combustion

This paper deals with two aspects concerning the optimization of municipal solid waste combustion (MSWC) processes. First of all, an on-line calorific value sensor is discussed by means of which the calorific value of the waste can be estimated from actual process data. Experimental results on a MSWC process are discussed which show that the sensor performs well. By means of a proper integration in the control system of an MSW combustion process a significant improvement of the control performance is expected. The second aspect is the validation of dynamic first-principles models in general and of a dynamic first-principles model of the MSW combustion process in particular on the basis of actual process data. A validated model is a powerful tool for optimization of the process operation performance. A validated dynamic model is particularly useful for the optimization of the control system of a process. A validation method is proposed using so-called system identification techniques. The proposed method was found to be a powerful tool for the validation of the MSWC first-principles model. This model was used to develop and test a new control concept for the MSWC process. It is shown that the control performance of a MSWC process can be improved significantly by this new control concept.