Innovation in township waste management: waste incineration to generate electricity

Small-scale organic thermal decomposition technology refers to the use of heat to decompose materials, usually to produce hydrogen, carbon monoxide or other valuable products with the potential to generate electricity. This may involve the thermal decomposition of natural gas, ammonia or other compounds, sometimes using catalysts and specialized reactors. The resulting products (such as hydrogen) can be used in fuel cells or internal combustion engines to generate electricity.
Here is a more detailed classification:
1. Natural Gas Decomposition:

Decarbonization:
The thermal decomposition of natural gas (CH4) can decarbonize fossil fuels by separating the carbon (which can be stored or used as a material) from the hydrogen.

Hydrogen Production:
The reaction CH4 -> 2H2 + C (where C is solid carbon) is endothermic, meaning heat is required.
IHI's System:
IHI uses a fluidized bed system to produce high-purity hydrogen (more than 90% purity) from natural gas using iron ore as a catalyst. The byproduct solid carbon can be used for a variety of purposes.
Cost-effectiveness:
According to ScienceDirect, studies have shown that under certain conditions, the economics of hydrogen production from methane decomposition are comparable to steam reforming hydrogen production, especially when the product carbon value is higher.

2. Ammonia decomposition:

Zero CO2 power generation:
Ammonia (NH3) can be decomposed into hydrogen and nitrogen, and hydrogen can be used in fuel cells or burned to generate electricity.

Catalysts and efficiency:
According to ScienceDirect, research has explored different catalysts for ammonia decomposition (ruthenium, molybdenum nitride, etc.), and different reaction temperatures and conversion rates will affect system efficiency and power generation efficiency.

Integrated process:
The heat energy required for the endothermic ammonia decomposition reaction can be provided by the hydrogen produced by combustion, and the remaining heat can be used to generate electricity.

3. Other applications:

Thermochemical cycles:
Thermolysis is a key component of thermochemical cycles, which use a series of chemical reactions to decompose water or other substances and may use concentrated solar energy.

Waste treatment:
Thermolysis is usually carried out by high-temperature decomposition and can be used to treat various wastes (tires, plastics, etc.) and recover valuable materials or energy.

4. Key considerations:

Temperature:
Thermolysis usually requires high temperatures, which can be a challenge and affect the choice of materials and energy.

Catalysts:
Catalysts play a vital role in reducing the decomposition temperature and increasing the efficiency of the process.
Energy:
The heat required for thermal decomposition can come from a variety of sources, including fossil fuels, solar or nuclear energy.
Downstream Processing:
Separating and purifying the desired products (e.g., hydrogen) from the decomposition products often requires additional processing steps.