30 years of refuse-fired boiler experience

Abstract

The Town of Hempstead has been operating energy from refuse plants since 1950. This paper presents the experience gained from the operation of the Town's two heat recovery plants specifically in the areas of boiler tube metal wastage, boiler fouling, particulate emission control, and maintenance and availability experience.

Almost 30 years ago the Town of Hempstead began a pioneering experience in waste heat extraction from mass burning of refuse at Merrick, New York. This plant incorporated waste heat boilers and produced power so as to be totally independent of the local power system. In 1962 our firm was authorized to design a second mass burning refuse incinerator with boilers and power generation for the Town of Hempstead at Oceanside, New York. This paper outlines the experience gained at these two installations over the past 30 years.