Team Members

First Name: Efezino

Middle Initial: M
Last Name: Elutabe
Date of Birth: 21st February 2001
Gender: Male
Name of Institution: University of Lagos
Institution Type: University
Student Identification Number: 170404048

I certify that Elutabe Efezino is a student at the University of Lagos. I began my studies in July
2017 and expect to graduate in July 2023.

Signature __________________________________

First Name: Samuel

Middle Initial: O
Last Name: Onasanya
Date of Birth: 6th January 2000
Gender: Male
Name of Institution: University of Lagos
Institution Type: University
Student Identification Number: 160407050

I certify that Samuel Onasanya is a student at the University of Lagos. I began my studies in
October 2016 and expect to graduate in October 2022.

Signature __________________________________

First Name: Oluwaremilekun

Middle Initial: D
Last Name: Olawalepade
Date of Birth: 2nd July 1999
Gender: Male
Name of Institution: University of Lagos
Institution Type: University
Student Identification Number: 170404012

I certify that Oluwaremilekun Olawalepade is a student at the University of Lagos. I began my

studies in July 2017 and expect to graduate in July 2023.

Signature __________________________________
Application: Project Proposal

Solution Name.
E-Cinerator

One-line solution summary.

Project E-Cinerator is aimed at converting non recyclable waste to useful energy while
simultaneously reducing their previous environmental impacts.

Pitch your solution.

Project E-Cinerator aims at curbing the environmental impacts of waste, which includes the
release of methane from landfills, pollution of various water bodies and obstruction of
waterways. The project plans on applying globally available technology to local areas (starting
with the University of Lagos' landfill). The project involves four stages. First is the collection of
waste from the target location. Second is the separation of waste into recyclable content and
non-recyclable content. Third is the burning of non-recyclable waste in an incinerator to
generate heat whilst controlling the gasses and solids released. Fourth is the conversion of this
heat into Electrical Energy, hence efficiently harnessing the energy in waste that would have
been completely burnt without control or allowed to naturally decay - releasing methane (a more
environmentally harmful gas than Carbon Di-Oxide). Project E-Cinerator thus provides a more
sustainable life cycle for waste while providing an alternative source for energy.

Knowledge gaps.
Project E-Cinerator would require knowledge of materials that can be locally recycled (so as to
send them to the required locations for recycling), thermal properties of various waste materials
fed into the incinerator, thermodynamic knowledge of heat cycles and how to control gasses
released and solids left behind during a burning process. Using this knowledge, we design a
scalable (such that we can scale up or down the process for the particular target location as
required) steam power plant that is centred around the heat generated from an incinerator. The
main technical skills for implementing the design phase would involve 3d modelling, Fluid,
structural and thermal simulation, Api modelling and Design drafting. The tools suitable for
accompanying these skills include Fusion 360, Autodesk inventor and Autodesk CFD mainly
because of their ability to allow for online sharing and editing of designs through Autodesk drive
and Fusion teams.

What specific problem are you solving?

Tonnes of waste are released into the environment daily and are done so in an unsustainable
manner. Despite recycling, some inorganic waste still ends up on the street, obstructing
waterways and causing various eyesores, while most of the organic waste still gets burnt or left
to decay in the open. The latter leads to the release of Methane (a more harmful gas than
Carbon Dioxide) and the former still leads to the waste of thermal energy. With lots of waste
being disposed of in such a manner, it poses an environmental as well as energy
mismanagement problem.

What is your solution?

The E-Cinerator itself works by feeding non recyclable waste into an incinerator where it is burnt
(using butane to ignite the waste) to radiate thermal energy to the walls of an enclosed
container with three main openings. One opening to collect the waste, another opening to
remove the solid waste left after burning and the last opening to guide the gasses released
during burning to a filter system before being released into the atmosphere. The enclosed
container is designed close to the burning waste so that heat can easily be radiated from the
burning pile of waste to the walls of the container where the heat exchangers reside. The heat
exchangers will convert water to steam or reheat steam to higher temperatures. The steam
travels from the heat exchangers through several valves that control flow speed and
temperature. Finally, the steam then enters the turbine where its energy is converted to
electricity that is to be distributed to a microgrid.
The solid waste collected after burning can be used as particulate matter for landfills and as
aggregate components. Whilst the gasses released into the atmosphere are filtered for toxic
fumes like Sulphur Dioxide and Carbon monoxide.

A waste to burn plant showing project Project E-Cinerator schematic

Source: DeltaWay Energy

Project E-Cinerator prevents environmental pollution which cascades into other various main
branches.
First is the release of methane. 16% of methane is released from landfills due to the natural
decay of organic waste. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with a 100-year global warming
potential 28-34 times that of CO2. Measured over a 20-year period, that ratio grows to 84-86
times. We plan to burn the materials that produce methane, hence releasing the less harmful
Carbon Dioxide. Thus, Project E-Cinerator helps curb Climate Change and Global warming by
releasing carbon dioxide instead of the 28 to 86 times more dangerous Methane Gases.
The second is to address wasted energy in the burning of refuse. Refuse all over the country is
burnt and the thermal energy is wasted in the atmosphere. Lagos generates about 14000 metric
tonnes of waste on a daily basis. Considering just the putrescible (which would always be part
of the non recyclable waste), they have a calorific value of 13,909.8 kJ/Kg (14GJ/Tonne) which
is double the 7,000kJ/kg minimum average calorific value of solid waste required for setting up
an incineration plant with energy recovery. Using values from the table below, all the putrescible
in Lagos are capable of producing 7,500 - 11,000 Megawatts hour (assuming a very low energy
efficiency of 20%).

Figure 1: Composition of Solid Wastes in Lagos State. Source: Abayomi Ibiyemi (Research Gate)

In the long term view, Project E-Cinerator plans to convert some (if not all) of this wasted energy
to electricity by converting landfills into mini power stations that will support its surrounding
locations in a microgrid. This is already done globally in some countries, however, we want to
localise this solution and modify the design to dynamically suit the local waste materials
delivered.
Lastly, Project E-Cinerator plans to address land pollution (which relieves most flooding issues)
by buying our waste material when economically feasible, thus encouraging civilians to properly
dispose of their waste as they now have a reward for it.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their
lives?
From the three main problems of environmental pollution addressed by E-Cinerator (Global
Warming due to Methane gases, Wasted energy and land pollution which cascades to flooding),
the impact of Project E-Cinerator will indirectly provide a safer life for every civilian as well as
directly provide electricity to those within its microgrid. If fully harnessed, Project E-Cinerator can
power 250,000 - 366,000 homes (which is about 20% to 30% of the total 1.2million homes in
Lagos) with a 30kwh usage per day (the average usage of the American home - we expect that
with more power supplied, Nigerian homes will cap at this value). With 10% of its potential
actualized, Project E-Cinerator can still power 25,000 to 36,600 homes within a microgrid.

Which dimension of the Categories does your solution most closely address?
Harness ignored energy
Localization
Autodesk
Micro-Grid Solutions

Explain how the problem, your solution, and your solution’s target population
relate to the competition and your selected category/categories.
Harness ignored energy: E-Cinerator will use the ignored energy in the daily burning of waste to
provide electricity for a microgrid.
Localization: converting waste to energy is a globally available technology but not used in
Nigeria. E-Cinerator brings this technology to Nigeria and modifies it to suit local constraints of
the type of waste produced in Nigeria.
Autodesk: Designing E-Cinerator will involve the use of various parametric modelling, simulation
(structural, fluid and thermal), iterative optimization and drafting software skills.
Micro-Grid Solutions: E-Cinerator provides electricity as its end effect which would be utilised in
a microgrid to help support the main grid.

How did you find out about the S2PAfrica Engineering Design Competition?
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