Solid Waste Incineration and Energy Recovery in Hospitals
Leo T. Smith
Richard A. Matula
Fu-Kang Tsou
DOI: 10.2190/DB3U-PNNH-M1TX-D9X1
Abstract
Small-scale, on-site incineration is examined as one practical method for disposing of hospital solid waste. On-site incineration-energy recovery systems are reviewed and potential annual savings of conventional fuel costs are computed as a function of bed capacity and fuel costs. Potential savings in a 500 bed hospital, for example, are found to range from 19,000 to 57,000 dollars per year for a fuel price range of one to three dollars per million Btu. A market survey of 492 hospitals in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware indicates a strong potential interest in on-site incineration-energy recovery systems. Extrapolation of the survey results to the northeast and middle atlantic regions shows a potential market of 500 to 600 small-scale units. Potential blockages to the hospital market, such as particulate emissions and auxiliary fuel requirements, are discussed. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.