Infectious medical waste-to-energy (IMWtE) from a novel steam sterilization and drying room heat pump system

In this work, an infectious medical waste-to-energy (IMWtE) technology, based on a novel steam sterilization and drying room heat pump system, is presented for energy, environmental, and economic (3E) analysis. In the energy results, a steam sterilization machine of 130 kg IMW /cycle is designed to extract moisture from wet disinfect waste to produce refuse-derived fuel type 3 (RDF-3) at a moisture content below 5.65 %w wet basis. A 114.75-kW drying room at a hot air temperature of 80 °C is directly driven by an R-134a high-temperature heat pump at a maximum hot water temperature of 80 °C and a coefficient of performance (COP) of approximately 3.01 kW th /kW e . In the environmental perspective, the novel project emissions are 286.78 t CO 2 -eq/y, which can reduce the total emissions by 262.25 t CO 2 -eq/y compared with those of the normal method in Thailand of a long-distance incinerator site of 462 km. In the economic impact, RDF-3 has a specific energy consumption of 0.49 kg RDF-3 /kWh. The novel treatment system for infectious medical waste has a payback period of 4.29 y, a levelized cost of 0.19 USD/kg IMW , and an internal rate of return of 23.26 %. All 3E results are used to consider the implementation of energy technology in hospitals under the Climate Change Act of Thailand for future carbon neutrality management.