Application of Electrical Resistivity Measurements for Continuous Monitoring of the Municipal Solid Waste Biodrying Process

Waste-to-energy technology has proven effective in reducing the mass and volume of waste, thereby minimizing contamination sources and residual fractions. However, high moisture content in waste significantly reduces the efficiency of energy recovery. Biodrying has shown great potential for moisture reduction through microbial activity, enhancing the efficiency of waste-to-energy processes. While the lack of proper real-time monitoring methods hinders the optimization of the biodrying processes. This study proposes an efficient method for monitoring the biodrying of municipal solid waste based on real-time electrical resistivity monitoring. During biodrying, resistivity was measured alongside key parameters like temperature, weight, gas emissions from the biodrying process, relative air humidity, moisture, and waste density. The results indicate a good correlation between bulk electrical resistivity (441–614 Ω·m) and temperature increases above ambient within the first 36 h (r2 = 0.97–0.99). Statistical analyses also revealed the correlations of electrical resistivity with waste density (negative correlation, r2 = 0.68–0.97) and gas emissions (moderate to strong, r2 = 0.45–0.72) during different biodrying phases. These findings demonstrate the relationship between electrical resistivity and key biodrying parameters, which can be used for the development of biodrying and to enhance process control efficiency, thus enhancing sustainable waste management efficiency.