Coupled negative-ion and HHO assistance stabilizes combustion and suppresses emissions in small-scale municipal solid waste incineration
Abstract
Small-scale municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration is constrained by transient devolatilization, non-uniform air–fuel mixing, localized hot spots, incomplete oxidation, and pollutant release. This study evaluates coupled negative-ion-conditioned combustion air and on-demand oxyhydrogen (HHO) enrichment in a two-chamber batch incinerator. Four modes were compared—Ion OFF, Ion ON, Ion OFF + HHO, and Ion ON + HHO—using a 2.0 kg MSW batch, approximately 30 mm particles, and 5.6 m³ h⁻¹ airflow. Distributed temperature measurements and time-resolved gas analysis assessed thermal behavior, carbon oxidation, hydrocarbons, nitrogen species, and sulfur emissions. Negative-ion activation produced smoother thermal histories, while HHO addition was associated with enhanced oxidation of CO and volatile intermediates. The combined mode provided the best integrated response. Total NO x decreased from 70.0 to 49.3 ppm, corresponding to 29.6%. Experimentally measured PM, VOC, HCl, and PCDD/F emissions decreased by 30.6%, 30.8%, 6.1%, and 28.6%, respectively, under Ion ON + HHO relative to Ion OFF. H/O/OH/HO₂ chemistry and electrohydrodynamic transport provide plausible mechanistic interpretations, but radicals, local charge fields, and ion-induced velocities were not measured directly. Overall, coupled ion/HHO assistance improved combustion stability and multi-pollutant performance within the investigated operating window. These findings support further optimization across airflow, HHO dosage, ion intensity, and reactor scale.
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BibTeX
@article{ismail2026coupled,
title = {{Coupled negative-ion and HHO assistance stabilizes combustion and suppresses emissions in small-scale municipal solid waste incineration}},
author = {Tamer M. Ismail and Safwat Gazal and Emad Gamal and Hussein Emad and M. Abd El-Salam},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-71095-z},
url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-71095-z},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Coupled negative-ion and HHO assistance stabilizes combustion and suppresses emissions in small-scale municipal solid waste incineration
AU - Tamer M. Ismail
AU - Safwat Gazal
AU - Emad Gamal
AU - Hussein Emad
AU - M. Abd El-Salam
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/03
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-71095-z
UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-71095-z
AB - Small-scale municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration is constrained by transient devolatilization, non-uniform air–fuel mixing, localized hot spots, incomplete oxidation, and pollutant release. This study evaluates coupled negative-ion-conditioned combustion air and on-demand oxyhydrogen (HHO) enrichment in a two-chamber batch incinerator. Four modes were compared—Ion OFF, Ion ON, Ion OFF + HHO, and Ion ON + HHO—using a 2.0 kg MSW batch, approximately 30 mm particles, and 5.6 m³ h⁻¹ airflow. Distributed temperature measurements and time-resolved gas analysis assessed thermal behavior, carbon oxidation, hydrocarbons, nitrogen species, and sulfur emissions. Negative-ion activation produced smoother thermal histories, while HHO addition was associated with enhanced oxidation of CO and volatile intermediates. The combined mode provided the best integrated response. Total NO x decreased from 70.0 to 49.3 ppm, corresponding to 29.6%. Experimentally measured PM, VOC, HCl, and PCDD/F emissions decreased by 30.6%, 30.8%, 6.1%, and 28.6%, respectively, under Ion ON + HHO relative to Ion OFF. H/O/OH/HO₂ chemistry and electrohydrodynamic transport provide plausible mechanistic interpretations, but radicals, local charge fields, and ion-induced velocities were not measured directly. Overall, coupled ion/HHO assistance improved combustion stability and multi-pollutant performance within the investigated operating window. These findings support further optimization across airflow, HHO dosage, ion intensity, and reactor scale.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -