Spokane Waste of Energy
Protecting Spokane's family joules

 

These are the rough numbers used in our estimates (2/4/1.4 CHO ratio and 20% moisture are best guesses on our part).

270,000 tons    Solid Waste  
-54,000 tons    20% Moisture  
-86,000 tons    Ash & Metals  
130,000 tons    released as hot gas  
     
65,000 tons    carbon 130 million lbs carbon
10,000 tons    available hydrogen 20 million lbs hydrogen
55,000 tons    oxygen + other 110 million lbs
     

 

Fuel Energy  
Carbon  5 kwh/lb (130m)   650 million kwh
Hydrogen 18 kwh/lb (20m)   360 million kwh
  Heat WTE produces  1010 million kwh
  Electricity WTE produced  171 million kwh
  Electricity WTE sold  141 million kwh
  Efficiency (141/1010)  14%

 
Gasoline contains about 5 pounds of carbon per gallon. WTE releases as much carbon into the atmosphere as 26,000,000 gallons of gasoline. That's enough gas to power 47,000 cars, at 10.6* gallons per week, for a year.

*Department of Transportation standard of 550 gal./year.

7.2 kcal = 9.7kwh