MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE TREATMENT PLANT

The Thermo-Compactor-Desiccator^®(TCD^®)
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE TREATMENT PLANT

Introduction
The TCD^® Process is an MSW treatment that heats and compresses MSW, giving an end-product consisting of a dense solid which is inert, sterile, and combustible; and which is up to 1/12th of its original volume; plus water and air which contain just fractions of allowable quantities of undesirable substances.
The TCD^® Process
The TCD^®Process compresses the MSW, then heats it to under 180 °C while simultaneously compressing it further. The raw garbage is thus desiccated and compacted, producing a dense solid, as well as water and air that are virtually clean.
At this point, the garbage has been transformed into a solid substance with completely different physical, chemical and biological properties — it is sterile — and it can be used as an RDF. The dense solid is up to 1/12th of the volume and up to 70% of the weight of the original garbage (fig. 1).

The first results are taken from test analyses made by the University of Pavia, the Polytechnic of Milan, and SGS (Societe Generale de Surveillance).
The TCD^®Process offers 8 real competitive advantages:
— Lower emissions into the atmosphere and ground water
— Reduced volumes
— Low oxidation index — IR — IRP IRR, no stench
— Low OMEI (Organic Matter Evolution Index)
— Low COD & BOD
— Great opportunity to prepare good RDF with the organic part of MSW
— Biological stability and maturity
— Biochemical stability.
The TCD^®Plant
The Plant consists of a hydraulic press, the «Cage», which is the heart of the system and which is where the garbage is heated by a circulating thermo-vectoral liquid and compacted. Auxiliary equipment mainly consists of a Pre-sorter (where necessary), a boiler for the thermo-vectoral liquid, a bio-filter for the vapours resulting from the desiccation process and a computer station which monitors the Plant's processing and maintenance requirements, and communicates by satellite with headquarters.
The TCD^®is presently available in modular form which can process 50/100 tons of garbage per day. Placed at a transit station, it completely transforms the logistics along the entire waste stream, with many important benefits for all stakeholders (fig. 2).

A battery of 4 modules processing 200/400 tpd require only 800 m². The system's flexibility also makes it an excellent producer of RDF with different specifications. The table illustrates the TCD^®and other processes.

Type of Waste	Process	Cost, euro/ton	Volume Reduction
Dry Fraction	Incinerator	150-200	5:1
	Landfill	70-150	3:1
	TCD^®	15-25	10:1- 14:1
No Selection	Incinerator	150-200	5:1
	Landfill	70-150	3:1
	TCD^®	15-25	10:1- 14:1
Wet Fraction	Incinerator	70-150	5:1
	Landfill	45	1:1
	Compost	60 Operation + 40 Equity	1:1
	TCD^®	30	10:1- 14:1

Shahverdian Abel, System Evergreen AG, Strada di Gandria 33, CH-6976 Lugano, Switzerland. Tel. (91) 973-20-90, fax (91) 973-20-99. E-mail, http://www.evergreen.eu