Utilization of Resin Wastes Generated from Wind Turbine Blades as Supplementary Fuel in Tile Manufacturing
摘要
The country currently has the fourth highest wind energy in the world with a capacity of 39.25 GW and has generated around 60.149 billion units during 2020–21. It has been estimated that a massive amount of wind turbine waste would be generated and thereby require reuse, recycling, recovering, reprocessing & disposal, etc. Wind turbine blades are composed of polymer composite reinforced with glass fiber, carbon fiber, and different kinds of polymers such as Polyurethane, Polyester, Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC). Resin wastes (styrene-based polymer) fall under the hazardous waste category (Cat. No. 23.1) of the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 (HOWM Rules, 2016). As per Rule 9 of HOWM Rules, 2016 hazardous wastes shall be utilized as a resource or after pre-processing either for co-processing or for any other use, upon successful demonstration of trial run study and compliance of the norms/standards specified under the said Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Trial run and impact assessment study was conducted for two different ratios of hazardous waste: coal (15:75 and 30:70) to assess the optimum quantum and process conditions for reutilization of the hazardous waste for energy recovery, thereby avoiding its disposal to a secured landfill. In-depth investigations reveal that, about 15% of resin waste (calorific value—7385.4 cal/g & Ash Content—0.78%) is efficient in yielding the desired temperature of 940–960 °C with good residence time (70–75 min) in the coal-based chain stove & less ash generation (cyclone & bottom ash) as compared to 30% of the resin waste with minimal emission load on the environment during its utilization.