Surrogate biomedical waste combustion in a model incinerator: Experimental study and an Euler-Euler modelling approach

Efficient and environmentally friendly disposal of biomedical waste (BMW) is essential for the sustainable development of humankind. The centralized disposal of BMW is encouraged, however, in situ processing also demands significant attention. The current study focuses on the development of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for oxy-enriched combustion of BMW without requiring additional fuel, simulation for different oxygen enrichment levels, and validation through experimental measurements. The surrogate mixture consists of medical grade cotton, polypropylene-made PPE kit and added moisture representing the yellow biomedical waste (YBMW). The Eulerian multi-phase model coupled with turbulence, chemical reactions, and heat transport is developed for the primary combustion chamber. A partially premixed combustion model with chemical equilibrium state relation is implemented for the secondary combustion chamber with oxygen enrichment. The experiments are carried out in a combustor, having a burning capacity of 12 kg/hr. The oxygen flow rate is 150 lpm. Eight K-type thermocouples are instrumented at different axial heights to measure waste bed and flame temperatures. The model prediction replicates well with the experimentally measured temperature. Model-predicted phasic properties and interactions, reaction rates, species concentrations, and bed and flame temperatures convey significant insights into the chemistry and physics of packed bed BMW combustion.