Hillingdon Clinical Waste Incinerator: Difference between revisions

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The [[Clinical Waste Incinerator]] is located at the [[Hillingdon Hospital]] and is operated by [[Stericycle]] ([[SRCL]]) Ltd. The plant consists of a single stream process, rated at 1,000 kg per hour<ref name="SRCL">Annual Performance Report 2019, SRCL Ltd</ref> equivalent to 8,000 tonnes per annum of solid wastes. The Primary Chamber operates a conventional [[combustion]] [[grate|pulse hearth]] design with sufficient retention time to burn the wastes to a high quality ash<ref name="SRCL" />.
The [[Clinical Waste Incinerator]] is located at the [[Hillingdon Hospital]] and is operated by [[Stericycle]] ([[SRCL]]) Ltd. The plant consists of a single stream process, rated at 1,000 kg per hour<ref name="SRCL">Annual Performance Report 2019, SRCL Ltd</ref> equivalent to 8,000 tonnes per annum of solid wastes. The Primary Chamber operates a conventional [[combustion]] [[grate|pulse hearth]] design with sufficient retention time to burn the wastes to a high quality ash<ref name="SRCL" />.


==Plant==
==Plant<ref>Annual Operators Report 2020</ref>==
Waste is loaded mechanically into the Primary Chamber using a hydraulic lift and tip arrangement, to avoid any manual handling of the waste<ref name="SRCL" />. The [[combustion]] process flue gas from the Primary Chamber then passes to the Secondary Chamber to produce [[IBA|bottom ash]]<ref name="SRCL" />. The [[IBA|bottom ash]] is discharged into a ash quench pit, and from the ash quench pit it is discharged into storage skips.
Waste is loaded mechanically into the Primary Chamber using a hydraulic lift and tip arrangement, to avoid any manual handling of the waste<ref name="SRCL" />. The waste is chargeed into the [[Incineration|incinerator]] where the [[Combustion|combustion]] process commences. The [[Clinical Waste|clinical waste]] is burnt at a minimum temperature of 850°C for all categories of [[Clinical Waste|clinical waste]] except cytotoxic/cytostatic wastes which are burnt at a minimum of 1000°C, to produce an [[IBA|ash]]. The residues are then dropped into an ash quench pit at the end of the process before being transferred into a skip.


The Secondary Chamber is operated under oxygen-rich conditions to combust any [[wikipedia:Carbon monoxide|Carbon Monoxide]] and [[wikipedia:Volatile organic compound|volatile organic compounds]] produced in the Primary Chamber<ref name="SRCL" />.
The [[Flue Gas|flue gases]] from the [[Incineration|incineration]] process then pass through a secondary chamber, or afterburner, where any gaseous products of [[Combustion|combustion]] are burned out under oxygen rich conditions. This stage is designed to destroy any [[wikipedia:Carbon monoxide|Carbon Monoxide]], [[wikipedia:Volatile organic compound|volatile organic compounds]], and [[wikipedia:Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds|Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds]] and [[Wikipedia:Furan|furans]] produced by the [[Combustion|combustion]] process in the primary chamber.


The hot gases then pass through a [[wikipedia:Boiler (power generation)|boiler]] and dilution air system, before the [[Flue Gas|gases]] pass on to the [[wikipedia:Scrubber|flue gas treatment]] system<ref name="SRCL" />.
The [[Flue Gas|flue gases]] are then cooled by directing them through a waste-heat boiler and economiser, before they pass into the final, abatement section of the process.Powdered [[Wikipedia:Lime (material)|lime]] (Calcium Hydroxide) and powdered [[wikipedia:Activated carbon|activated carbon]] are added to the [[Flue Gas|flue gases]] entering the abatement process to remove acid gases, [[Wikipedia:Heavy metals|heavy metals]] and residual [[Wikipedia:Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds|dioxins]] and [[Wikipedia:Furan|furans]] before discharge to atmosphere from the stack.  The flue gases being discharged from the [[wikipedia:Chimney|stack]] are continuously monitored for [[wikipedia:Hydrogen chloride|Hydrogen Chloride]], [[wikipedia:Sulfur dioxide|Sulphur Dioxide]], [[Wikipedia:Carbon monoxide|Carbon Monoxide]], [[Wikipedia:Nitrogen oxide|Oxides of Nitrogen]], [[Wikipedia:Particulates|particulate matter]] (dust), [[Wikipedia:Volatile organic compound|Volatile Organic Compounds]], [[Wikipedia:Oxygen|oxygen]], [[Wikipedia:Ammonia|ammonia]] and [[Wikipedia:Nitrous oxide|nitrous oxide]].
 
The [[Incineration|incineration]] process produces two residues; [[Incinerator Bottom Ash|bottom ash]] and [[Fly Ash|spent lime]].
 
The 2020 annual report states that the ''[[Incineration|incinerator]] is currently off-line with the site being operated as a transfer facility agreed LEP'' and at the end of the same annual report it notes ''Plant off-line for major refurbishment. Scope of works controlled by the NHS''<ref>Annual Performance Report 2020</ref>  
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{{EAIn|EPR={{#var:epr}}}}


==References==
==References==