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At least 235 records · Page 13

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1974

Optimal and suboptimal control technique for aircraft spin recovery

An analytic investigation has been made of procedures for effecting recovery from equilibrium spin conditions for three assumed aircraft configurations. Three approaches which utilize conventional aerodynamic controls are investigated. Included are a constant control recovery mode, optimal recoveries, and a suboptimal control logic patterned after optimal recovery results. The optimal and suboptimal techniques are shown to yield a significant improvement in recovery performance over that attained by using a constant control recovery procedure.

Young, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Characteristic recovery times of Forbush-type decreases in the cosmic radiation. I - Observations at earth at different energies

Data on 30 asymmetric Forbush decreases recorded by the IMP spacecraft at 1 AU and the Mt. Washington neutron monitor over the period 1972-84 are examined to characterize the recovery characteristics of cosmic rays after the events. The spacecraft data are concentrated at energies of 1.7 GV, while the terrestrial instruments recorded events at 5 GV. Attention is paid to the relative amplitudes of the recorded transient decreases, the characteristic recovery times, and the energy dependence of the amplitudes and recovery time. The recovery times were found to be equal at both energy levels, supporting a concept of energy independence for the recoveries. Also, no correlations were found between the recovery times and the occurrences of a solar magnetic field reversal or with phase in the solar modulation cycle. A time-dependent, two-dimensional model is defined, which expresses the cosmic ray particle distributions as a function of the decay of the disturbance, with a small dependence on the transport parameters of the cosmic rays.

Lockwood, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Error recovery in asynchronous systems

Techniques for structuring forward error recovery measures in asynchronous systems are proposed, and recent ideas of atomic actions are generalized so as to support fault-tolerant interactions between processes. In particular, the proposal generalizes the form of simple recovery facilities supported by nested atomic actions in which the exception mechanisms only permit backward error recovery. It allows for construction of systems employing both forward and backward error recovery and thus allows for exploitation of the complementary benefits of the two schemes. Backward recovery, forward recovery, and normal processing activities can occur concurrently within the organization proposed.

Campbell, R. H.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Advanced space recovery systems

The design evolution of a space recovery system designed by a NASA-contracted study is described, with particular attention given to the design of a recovery system for a propulsion/avionics module (P/AM), which weighs 60,000 lb at the recovery initiation and achieves subsonic terminal descent at or above 50,000 ft msl. The components of the recovery system concept are described together with the operational sequences of the recovery. The recovery system concept offers low cost, low weight, good performance, a potential for pinpoint landing, and an operational flexibility.

Wailes, William K.↗

NASA NTRS1989

On the mechanisms responsible for high-latitude thermospheric composition variations during the recovery phase of a geomagnetic storm

The causal mechanisms for the recovery of the perturbed high-latitude thermospheric composition to the unperturbed state in the period following a geomagnetic storm are investigated. Model runs of the NCAR thermosphere/ionosphere GCM (TIGCM) and thermosphere GCM are used to calculate the averaged mass mixing ratio variations and the forcing terms responsible for these variations during the recovery phase of a geomagnetic storm. High latitude compositional recovery is found to occur in the NCAR TIGCM on a time scale of about 12 hr to 1 day. This time scale is in agreement with previously observed time scales for typical poststorm F region electron density recoveries. Neither molecular diffusion nor large-scale horizontal advection is the dominant process in determining the compositional state during the recovery period. Thermospheric compositional recovery at high geomagnetic latitudes is driven primarily by vertical advection.

Burns, A. G.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Flight guidance research for recovery from microburst wind shear

Research is in progress to develop flight strategy concepts for avoidance and recovery from microburst wind shears. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the performance of various strategies for recovery from wind shear encountered during the approach-to-landing, examine the associated piloting factors, and evaluate the payoff of forward-look sensing. Both batch and piloted simulations are utilized. The industry-recommended manual recovery technique is used as a baseline strategy. Two advanced strategies were selected for the piloted tests. The first strategy emulates the recovery characteristics shown by prior optimal trajectory analysis, by initially tracking the glideslope, then commanding a shallow climb. The second strategy generates a flight path angle schedule that is a function of airplane energy state and the instantaneous shear strength. All three strategies are tested with reactive sensing only and with forward-look sensing. Piloted simulation tests are in progress. Tentative results indicate that, using only reactive alerts, there appears to be little difference in performance between the various strategies. With forward-look alerts, the advanced guidance strategies appear to have advantages over the baseline strategy. Relatively short forward-look alert times, on the order of 10 or 15 seconds, produce a far greater recovery benefit than optimizing a recovery from a reactive alert.

Hinton, David A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Galileo spacecraft anomaly and safing recovery

A high-level anomaly recovery plan which identifies the steps necessary to recover from a spacecraft 'Safing' incident was developed for the Galileo spacecraft prior to launch. Since launch, a total of four in-flight anomalies have lead to entry into a system fault protection 'Safing' routine which has required the Galileo flight team to refine and execute the recovery plan. These failures have allowed the flight team to develop an efficient recovery process when permanent spacecraft capability degradation is minimal and the cause of the anomaly is quickly diagnosed. With this previous recovery experience and the very focused boundary conditions of a specific potential failure, a Gaspra asteroid recovery plan was designed to be implemented in as quickly as forty hours (desired goal). This paper documents the work performed above, however, the Galileo project remains challenged to develop a generic detailed recovery plan which can be implemented in a relatively short time to configure the spacecraft to a nominal state prior to future high priority mission objectives.

Basilio, Ralph R.↗

NASA NTRS1953

Investigation of a Half-Conical Scoop Inlet Mounted at Five Alternate Circumferential Locations around a Circular Fuselage Pressure-Recovery Results at a Mach Number 2.01

The effects of inlet circumferential position around the fuselage on the characteristics of a half-conical scoop inlet having a 24.6deg half-angle cone have been investigated in the langley 4- by 4-foot supersonic pressure tunnel. Pressure-recovery results have been obtained at a Mach number of 2.01 for a fixed boundary-layer-bleed height which was 60 percent of the boundary-layer thickness at an angle of attack of 0deg, and for cowling position parameters of 42.4deg and 38.0deg. inlet had a capture area equal to 24.9 percent of the basic-fuselage frontal area. The angle of attack was varied from 0deg to 12deg. The most favorable pressure-recovery characteristics at angles of attack were obtained with the Inlet located on the bottom of the fuselage where the maximum recovery increased from a value of 81 percent at an angle of attack of 0deg to 87 percent at 12deg. In general, the pressure recovery decreased with increasing angle of attack for all other inlet locations. At a given angle of attack the pressure recovery decreased as the inlet location was progressively moved from the bottom to the top of the fuselage. Stable subcritical operation of the inlet with nearly constant pressure recovery was obtained for inlet mass-flow ratios from 1.0 to about 0.76 at an angle of attack of 0deg with the central body in the design position.

Hasel, Lowell E.↗

NASA NTRS1958

An Investigation of the Free-Spinning and Recovery Characteristics of a 1/24-Scale Model of the Grumman F11F-1 Airplane with Alternate Nose Configurations with and without Wing Fuel Tanks, TED No. NACA AD 395

A supplementary investigation has been conducted in the langley 20-foot free-spinning tunnel on a l/24-scale model of the Grumman F11F-1 airplane to determine the spin and recovery characteristics with alternate nose configurations, the production version and the elongated APS-67 version, with and without empty and full wing tanks. When spins were obtained with either alternate nose configuration, they were oscillatory and recovery characteristics were considered unsatisfactory on the basis of the fact that very slow recoveries were indicated to be possible. The simultaneous extension of canards near the nose of the model with rudder reversal was effective in rapidly terminating the spin. The addition of empty wing tanks had little effect on the developed spin and recovery characteristics. The model did not spin erect with full wing tanks. For optimum recovery from inverted spins, the rudder should be reversed to 22O against the spin and simultaneously the flaperons should be moved with the developed spin; the stick should be held at or moved to full forward longitudinally. The minimum size parachute required to insure satisfactory recoveries in an emergency was found to be 12 feet in diameter (laid out flat) with a drag coefficient of 0.64 (based on the laid-out-flat diameter) and a towline length of 32 feet.

Bowman, James S., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1955

Supplementary Investigation in the Langley Free-Spinning Tunnel of a 1/20-Scale Model of the Douglas XF4D-1 Airplane Including Spin-Recovery Parachute Tests of the Model Loaded to Simulate the Douglas F5D-1 Airplane

A supplementary investigation has been conducted in the Langley 20-foot free-spinning tunnel of a l/20-scale model of the Douglas XF4D-1 airplane to determine the effect of only neutralizing the rudder for recovery from an inverted spin, and the effect of partial aileron deflection with the spin for recovery from an erect spin. An estimation of the size parachute required for satisfactory recovery from a spin with the model ballasted to represent the Douglas F5D-1 (formerly the Douglas XF4D-2) airplane was also made. Results of the original investigation on the XF4D-1 design are presented in NACA RM SL50K30a. The results indicated that satisfactory recoveries from inverted spins of the airplane should be obtained by rudder neutralization when the longitudinal stick position is neutral or forward. Recoveries from erect spins from the normal-spin control configuration should be satisfactory by full rudder reversal with simultaneous movement of the ailerons to two-thirds with the spin. For the parachute tests with the model loaded to represent the F5D-1 airplane, the tests indicated that a 16.7-foot-diameter hemispherical-tail parachute (drag coefficient of 1.082 based on the projected area) with a towline 20.0 feet long (full- scale values) should be satisfactory for an emergency spin-recovery device during demonstration spins of the airplane.

Klinar, Walter J.↗

NASA NTRS1950

Investigation of the Spin and Recovery Characteristics of a 0.057-Scale Model of the Modified Chance Vought XF7U-1 Airplane. TED No. NACA DE 311

An investigation has been conducted in the Langley 20-foot free-spinning tunnel to determine the spin and recovery characteristics of a 0.057-scale model of the modified Chance Vought XF7U-1 airplane. The primary change in the design from that previously tested was a revision of the twin vertical tails. Tests were also made to determine the effect of installation of external wing tanks. The results indicated that the revision in the vertical tails did not greatly alter the spin and recovery characteristics of the model and recovery by normal use of controls (fill rapid rudder reversal followed approximately one-half turn later by movement of the stick forward of neutral) was satisfactory. Adding the external wing tanks to cause the recovery characteristics to become critical and border on an unsatisfactory condition; however, it was shown that satisfactory recovery could be obtained by jettisoning the tanks, followed by normal recovery technique.

Berman, Theodore↗

NASA NTRS2015

Coiled Brine Recovery Assembly (CoBRA): A New Approach to Recovering Water from Wastewater Brines

Brine water recovery represents a current technology gap in water recycling for human spaceflight. The role of a brine processor is to take the concentrated discharge from a primary wastewater processor, called brine, and recover most of the remaining water from it. The current state‐of‐the‐art primary processor is the ISS Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) that currently achieves 70% water recovery. Recent advancements in chemical pretreatments are expected to increase this to 85% in the near future. This is a welcome improvement, yet is still not high enough for deep space transit. Mission architecture studies indicate that at least 95% is necessary for a Mars mission, as an example. Brine water recovery is the technology that bridges the gap between 85% and 95%, and moves life support systems one step closer to full closure of the water loop. Several brine water recovery systems have been proposed for human spaceflight, most of them focused on solving two major problems: operation in a weightless environment, and management and containment of brine residual. Brine residual is the leftover byproduct of the brine recovery process, and is often a viscous, sticky paste, laden with crystallized solid particles. Due to the chemical pretreatments added to wastewater prior to distillation in a primary processor, these residuals are typically toxic, which further complicates matters. Isolation of crewmembers from these hazardous materials is paramount. The Coiled Brine Recovery Assembly (CoBRA) is a recently developed concept from the Johnson Space Center that offers solutions to these challenges. CoBRA is centered on a softgoods evaporator that enables a passive fill with brine, and regeneration by discharging liquid brine residual to a collection bag. This evaporator is meant to be lightweight, which allows it to be discarded along with the accumulated brine solids contained within it. This paper discusses design and development of a first CoBRA prototype, and reports initial test results.

Pensinger, Stuart J.↗

NASA NTRS2020

Gila Water Resources III - Modeling the Impacts of Post-fire Restoration Methods on Vegetation Recovery in the Gila National Forest

In recent years, wildfires in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest have become increasingly common and more severe. Wildfires can have powerful impacts on hydrology and soil stability, including erosion, flooding, and debris-flows that threaten lives and infrastructure downstream. Vegetation restoration treatments like seeding and mulching can mitigate these effects and facilitate ecosystem recovery. Understanding the effectiveness of various restoration methods is vital to planning a cost-effective and successful post-fire recovery strategy. The immediate response to a fire on US Forest Service land is coordinated by a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team, a group responsible for mitigating immediate post-fire risks to human life, property, and critical natural and cultural resources. This study created a proof-of-concept methodology for a decision-support tool designed to help BAER teams identify the restoration treatments most likely to succeed in a given burned area. Leveraging random forest regression, Google Earth Engine, and Landsat 7 and 8 Earth observations, this study modeled vegetation recovery after the 2013 Silver Fire for seeded areas, seeded/mulched areas, and untreated areas. Treatment type and initial burn severity were the largest drivers of vegetation recovery across the landscape. Seeded/mulched areas showed higher recovery levels than untreated areas three months post-fire, but by four years post-fire, treated and untreated areas displayed similar recovery levels. To produce a robust predictive tool for the Gila National Forest, the model should be trained on many more fires and incorporate post-fire weather conditions into the process. Such a model will help partners ensure efficient resource use and plan effective post-fire restoration strategies.

DEVELOP Project Summary↗

DOE OSTI2013

Status Update on the NCRP Scientific Committee SC 5-1 Report: Decision Making for Late-Phase Recovery from Nuclear or Radiological Incidents - 13450

In August 2008, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued its final Protective Action Guide (PAG) for radiological dispersal device (RDD) and improvised nuclear device (IND) incidents. This document specifies protective actions for public health during the early and intermediate phases and cleanup guidance for the late phase of RDD or IND incidents, and it discusses approaches to implementing the necessary actions. However, while the PAG provides specific guidance for the early and intermediate phases, it prescribes no equivalent guidance for the late-phase cleanup actions. Instead, the PAG offers a general description of a complex process using a site-specific optimization approach. This approach does not predetermine cleanup levels but approaches the problem from the factors that would bear on the final agreed-on cleanup levels. Based on this approach, the decision-making process involves multifaceted considerations including public health, the environment, and the economy, as well as socio-political factors. In an effort to fully define the process and approach to be used in optimizing late-phase recovery and site restoration following an RDD or IND incident, DHS has tasked the NCRP with preparing a comprehensive report addressing all aspects of the optimization process. Preparation of the NCRP report is a three-year (2010-2013) project assigned to a scientific committee, the Scientific Committee (SC) 5-1; the report was initially titled, Approach to Optimizing Decision Making for Late- Phase Recovery from Nuclear or Radiological Terrorism Incidents. Members of SC 5-1 represent a broad range of expertise, including homeland security, health physics, risk and decision analysis, economics, environmental remediation and radioactive waste management, and communication. In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident of 2011, and guided by a recent process led by the White House through a Principal Level Exercise (PLE), the optimization approach has since been expanded to include off-site contamination from major nuclear power plant accidents as well as other nuclear or radiological incidents. The expanded application under the current guidance has thus led to a broadened scope of the report, which is reflected in its new title, Decision Making for Late-Phase Recovery from Nuclear or Radiological Incidents. The NCRP report, which is due for publication in 2013, will substantiate the current DHS guidance by clarifying and elaborating on the processes required for the development and implementation of procedures for optimizing decision making for late-phase recovery, enabling the establishment of cleanup goals on a site-specific basis. The report will contain a series of topics addressing important issues related to the long-term recovery from nuclear or radiological incidents. Special topics relevant to supporting the optimization of the decision-making process will include cost-benefit analysis, radioactive waste management, risk communication, stakeholder interaction, risk assessment, and decontamination approaches and techniques. The committee also evaluated past nuclear and radiological incidents for their relevance to the report, including the emerging issues associated with the Fukushima nuclear accident. Thus, due to the commonality of the late-phase issues (such as the potential widespread contamination following an event), the majority of the information pertaining to the response in the late-phase decision-making period, including site-specific optimization framework and approach, could be used or adapted for use in case of similar situations that are not due to terrorism, such as those that would be caused by major nuclear facility accidents or radiological incidents. To ensure that the report and the NCRP recommendations are current and relevant to the effective implementation of federal guidance, SC 5-1 has actively coordinated with the agencies of interest and other relevant stakeholders throughout the duration of the project. The resulting report will be an important resource to guide those involved in late-phase recovery efforts following a nuclear or radiological incident. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2012

Uranium-Loaded Water Treatment Resins: 'Equivalent Feed' at NRC and Agreement State-Licensed Uranium Recovery Facilities - 12094

Community Water Systems (CWSs) are required to remove uranium from drinking water to meet EPA standards. Similarly, mining operations are required to remove uranium from their dewatering discharges to meet permitted surface water discharge limits. Ion exchange (IX) is the primary treatment strategy used by these operations, which loads uranium onto resin beads. Presently, uranium-loaded resin from CWSs and mining operations can be disposed as a waste product or processed by NRC- or Agreement State-licensed uranium recovery facilities if that licensed facility has applied for and received permission to process 'alternate feed'. The disposal of uranium-loaded resin is costly and the cost to amend a uranium recovery license to accept alternate feed can be a strong disincentive to commercial uranium recovery facilities. In response to this issue, the NRC issued a Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) to clarify the agency's policy that uranium-loaded resin from CWSs and mining operations can be processed by NRC- or Agreement State-licensed uranium recovery facilities without the need for an alternate feed license amendment when these resins are essentially the same, chemically and physically, to resins that licensed uranium recovery facilities currently use (i.e., equivalent feed). NRC staff is clarifying its current alternate feed policy to declare IX resins as equivalent feed. This clarification is necessary to alleviate a regulatory and financial burden on facilities that filter uranium using IX resin, such as CWSs and mine dewatering operations. Disposing of those resins in a licensed facility could be 40 to 50 percent of the total operations and maintenance (O and M) cost for a CWS. Allowing uranium recovery facilities to treat these resins without requiring a license amendment lowers O and M costs and captures a valuable natural resource. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2016

Regulatory Compliance Strategy For Recovery-Driven Underground Ventilation System Changes - 16355

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility is managed and operated by Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC (NWP) for the U.S Department of Energy (DOE). On February 14, 2014, a radiological event occurred in the WIPP facility underground repository, which resulted in the release of transuranic isotopes contaminating a portion of the underground primarily along the ventilation path from Panel 7, the location of the incident. The release was initially detected by an underground continuous air monitor (CAM) which caused an automatic switch of the ventilation system to filtration mode and ventilation was directed through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration banks located in the surface exhaust building. When the HEPA filtration was engaged, the underground normal ventilation was reduced from 425,000 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) to 60,000 scfm. Since the event, all exhaust air is filtered through HEPA filters at 60,000 scfm to minimize the possibility of exposure to workers, the public and the environment. Ventilation of fresh air to the WIPP underground is a primary limitation to performing underground recovery activities; therefore, recovery-driven ventilation changes are needed. The safe recovery of the WIPP facility and resumption of normal waste emplacement activities require an increase in ventilation capacity to be accomplished in three phases: 1) Interim Ventilation System, 2) Supplemental Ventilation System and 3) Permanent Ventilation System. Each phase adds increased air flow to the underground and allows for underground activities to be performed concurrently. The regulatory strategy for ventilation recovery focuses on ensuring that needed changes to the WIPP facility are protective of human health and the environment. Recovery-driven ventilation changes are implemented using the procedures, processes, and regulations that are required by the two primary regulatory agencies for the WIPP facility: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) as well as DOE requirements. Regulatory compliance is being achieved for the three ventilation phases to restore underground ventilation by providing the regulators and stakeholders opportunities for involvement during the design and development processes. A strategy for a tiered NMED permitting process and a plan for developing required EPA documentation are under consideration. The Project's objective is to resume normal waste emplacement activities with safety, protection of the public, the worker and the environment as the highest priorities. Important elements of ensuring that WIPP facility recovery and future waste emplacement activities occur as planned are transparency and communication with the regulatory community. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2020

Radiological Recovery Logistics Tool - 20161

Argonne is building and testing a tool, the Radiological Recovery Logistics Tool (RRLT), that can be used during the response and recovery from a radiological or nuclear incident to effectively allocate appropriate commercial and public works equipment to mitigate, remove, and contain radiological contamination. The requirements for this tool - as well as development of the resulting software - is overseen by a steering committee of stakeholders from DHS's National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). One essential requirement is for RRLT to support the efficient and appropriate allocation of resources for a radiological response. Subsequent discussions between ANL and stakeholders have solidified the nature of this support to include identification of the types of resources to be allocated. The study reported in this paper has both factored fundamental concepts and connections out of this identification process and created a Knowledge Base detailing support goals, response scenarios, and efficacy information on dozens of equipment types. In short, RRLT will dynamically apply these findings to situational conditions surrounding contamination incidents. RRLT's Domain, the model of elements, ideas and relationships with which the tool will work, draws concepts from technical reports and stakeholder vocabularies to connect response goals and scenarios to types of equipment that offer utility towards those goals in those scenarios. RRLT's Knowledge Base will contain details on dozens of equipment types and facilitate the operator's discovery and consumption of these details most pertinent to a dynamically selected subset of goals. The core of its Domain Model is based on a report authored by this team. This report [1] contains a comprehensive list of proposed equipment to accomplish various missions or scenarios that might arise after a large-scale radiological contamination incident in an urban environment or critical infrastructure. The report divides potential response and recovery efforts into five support goals: Survey and monitoring of the contaminated area; Mitigation of received dose to first responders: Decontamination (gross and final) of buildings, vehicles, roadways, parks, and other surfaces: Waste management of solid waste generated during recovery operations: and Containment of wastewater and other waste generated during the response and recovery phases. RRLT's development is driven by use cases. A use case is an intention with which a user approaches the software. Use cases are grouped into delivery increments to schedule development, testing, and presentation to stakeholders. This model partitions the system into seven increments: User Arrival and Authentication, Search and Navigation, Equipment Recommendation, Plan Management, Content Management, and Expanded Access. Once a user 15 authenticated, RRLT will present the user with a dashboard that allows them to explore or search RRLT's content. The dashboard will also include a 'Plan' panel for collecting decisions and relevant observations about an incident at hand to facilitate development of an equipment list. RRLT will offer three general modes of access to items in the knowledge base: - Keyword search for direct discovery of items, - Navigation along predetermined paths from recovery goal towards equipment types, and - Interactive guidance towards equipment types by an autonomous software agent: the Equipment Recommendation Wizard. This presentation will detail progress in the development of the RRLT and also discuss opportunities for those interested in providing feedback on its content and functionality. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2011

Material and energy recovery in integrated waste management systems: Project overview and main results

Highlights: > The source separation level (SSL) of waste management system does not qualify adequately the system. > Separately collecting organic waste gives less advantages than packaging materials. > Recycling packaging materials (metals, glass, plastics, paper) is always attractive. > Composting and anaerobic digestion of organic waste gives questionable outcomes. > The critical threshold of optimal recycling seems to be a SSL of 50%. - Abstract: This paper describes the context, the basic assumptions and the main findings of a joint research project aimed at identifying the optimal breakdown between material recovery and energy recovery from municipal solid waste (MSW) in the framework of integrated waste management systems (IWMS). The project was carried out from 2007 to 2009 by five research groups at Politecnico di Milano, the Universities of Bologna and Trento, and the Bocconi University (Milan), with funding from the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR). Since the optimization of IWMSs by analytical methods is practically impossible, the search for the most attractive strategy was carried out by comparing a number of relevant recovery paths from the point of view of mass and energy flows, technological features, environmental impact and economics. The main focus has been on mature processes applicable to MSW in Italy and Europe. Results show that, contrary to a rather widespread opinion, increasing the source separation level (SSL) has a very marginal effects on energy efficiency. What does generate very significant variations in energy efficiency is scale, i.e. the size of the waste-to-energy (WTE) plant. The mere value of SSL is inadequate to qualify the recovery system. The energy and environmental outcome of recovery depends not only on 'how much' source separation is carried out, but rather on 'how' a given SSL is reached.

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