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Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of hospital waste to energy: process development, social, environmental and techno-economic impacts
Waste to energy conversion is a critical challenge for society decarbonization and reduction of anthropogenic impacts on the environment. Hospital waste is still untapped source of energy in Israel and elsewhere and However, the development of technologies for efficient hospital waste conversion to energy is hindered by the diversity of waste streams,there is a need in technology development to use this resource. spectrum of users, available.
heterogenetic diversity of various systems scales and challenging logistics even if the technology is Extensive previous work clearly showed that successful implementation of the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process at scale requires to focus on optimization of both the product and the process. Some of them include addressing biomass with variable chemical composition and variable physical properties; lack of process optimization with continuous reactors is a serious gap if results of batch tests are not a reliable guide for continuous process; energy source for the process; environmental impact of wastewater and gases from the process; hospital waste fractionation and pretreatment impact on process outcomes; techno-economic analysis and environmental impact analysis of a process powered with renewable energy
To solve this issue of future rapid transition of the HTL technology from development to implementation we decided to focus on a single, well characterized organization- hospitals- which both produces waste that is convertible to energy, and are energy users. In this proposal, we will develop a system level model, supported by technology development, of hospital waste conversion to liquid biofuel (biocrude) with HTL. The model will provide the critical information of social, environmental, technological and economic impacts of the HTL system in the hospital and enable future establishment of a pilot system at the site
To achieve the goals of the proposal, we will map the current waste and energy streams of the Meir Hospital (our case study), determine the process parameters for liquefaction of the convertible fraction of this waste, and develop a computational model of a scaled system that will use hospital waste to produce liquid fuels that could be used for backup. The unit will use convertible waste and produce liquid biocrude (which can be used as an additive to, and partly displace, heavy fuel oil). Using the developed model, we will perform cycle optimization and conduct initial analysis of the social, economic and environmental benefits of the system