Mobile level measurement in the waste bunker
The application
Waste incineration utilises the energy contained in waste and reduces the quantity of residual material going to the landfill. Modern waste incineration plants are complex systems composed of waste bunker, combustion chamber, boiler and flue gas cleaning system. The process heat that is released is used for district heating and for generating electrical energy.
The waste bunker serves as an intermediate holding station for the arriving waste. Its task is to mix the waste uniformly and provide a continuous supply of combustible material to the incinerator. The waste is transported with a gripper crane to the feed chute of the combustion chamber. A reliable and accurate level measurement is absolutely necessary here for efficient utilisation of the waste bunker and precise control of the gripper crane.
The process data
| Medium: | Household and industrial waste |
| Container: | Bunker |
| Material: | Concrete |
| Height: | 30 m |
| Pressure and temperature: | Atmospheric |
The solution
The optimal solution for this application is the VEGAPULS SR 68 radar sensor for bulk solids. It operates reliably under the conditions typically found in the waste bunker: intense dust generation, noise, steam and gas emissions. The uneven surface and widely differing characteristics of the waste material also do not affect the measuring result. Its measuring range of 30 meters is just right for this application.
Mounted directly on the crane carriage, the sensor performs all the movements of the gripper crane itself. It provides the plant operator with up-to-date information on the volume and the height of the waste in the entire bunker. With this information he can utilise the bunker volume and mix the waste optimally. The measuring system also monitors the incinerator feed chute and ensures that it is always evenly and sufficiently filled. This protects the waste bunker against a possible blowback of flue gas from the combustion chamber.
User benefits
 | Precise control of gripper crane through up-to-date measurement data |
| Efficient utilisation of bunker volume through even filling |
| More efficient use of the energy contained in the waste thanks to uniform mixing |
| Protection against combustion gas blowback through feed shaft monitoring |
