Exploration of Biodrying Process for Mixed Municipal Solid Waste Management

The exploitation of self-heating nature of municipal solid waste for moisture reduction, through convective evaporation reaction called 'Biodrying Process' is promising for converting municipal solid waste with high moisture content in to a renewable energy substrate. The simultaneous regulation of air flow rate and reactor feed volume in the pilot scale reactor system has brought about a significant change in the spatial and temporal distribution of self heating reaction. The constant volumetric air flow rate of 40 L/m and initial filled height of reactor matrix was 1.65 m have been maintained in the first experiment, while the air flow rate has been doubled to of 80 L/m and the filled height of reactor matrix was raised to 2.0 m in the second experiment. Weight reduction of 29.6 % and moisture loss of 24.6 % has been achieved at the end of 11 days of reaction in the first study. A considerable improvement in biodrying process has been observed in the second experiment with a weight reduction of 40.7 % and moisture loss of 38.8 % achieved after 11 days of reaction. The accelerated evaporative cooling mechanism observed in the second experiment has found to improve the biodrying process efficiency.