Astana scientists find alternative way of obtaining solid fuel
The university's research fellows, professors, and students come to the landfill once a season and sort waste for 5 days. They take samples of paper, textiles, small-sized plastic. This material serves as the basis for experiments to obtain data while burning a dry inflammable waste residue.
"We select approximately 250-300 kg [of waste] from each machine, and sort all of it. We first collect recyclable materials, about 30%. Of the remaining 70%, we sort out paper, textiles, and plastic of very small sizes which account for 10%. At our premises, we bring this 10% of paper, plastic, and textiles into a homogeneous state, reducing the size to 1 millimeter, and conduct a thermal analysis," said Ph.D. Yerbol Sarbassov, the project manager.
The scientists concluded that the dry inflammable residue can be recycled in two ways: to gasify - obtain methane, and to burn together with coal in fluid bed furnaces. The second is more suitable for heating commercial buildings in winter.
"The idea is to partially recycle municipal solid waste we ourselves produce in the city, and see options of using it for the municipal needs, for instance, in the energy sector - to generate thermal energy in view of the fact that all our power plants are coal-fired," Sarbassov clarified.
It was a year ago when the research project was started. Consultants from Germany and Canada are participating in it. The project was supported by the Astana Mayor's Office and the operator of the Operator for Extended Obligations of Manufacturers
