A standout innovation in intelligent combustion is the AI-integrated waste incineration system launched by Beijing Chaoyang Environment Group at the 27th Beijing Science and Technology Expo. As China’s first full-link AI + waste incineration power generation technology, the system has been fully put into operation in three production lines of a circular economy industrial park since late 2024, achieving remarkable results in energy efficiency and emission reduction. Equipped with an adaptive intelligent sensing engine, it accurately perceives key parameters such as material layer thickness, fire line position, and flame combustion state in real time, adapting stably to varying seasons, garbage compositions, and operating conditions.
“After more than half a year of iterative learning, the AI system has become as capable as an experienced senior operator,” said Pi Meng, Chairman of Chaoyang Environment Group. Operational data shows that the system has increased the stability of main steam for garbage power generation by 36% to 48%, with an automatic operation rate of over 98% and an 80% reduction in operational intensity. It also boosts steam production per ton of garbage by approximately 4.5% and on-grid electricity by 4.2%, while cutting acid and denitration consumables by more than 3%. “This technology achieves a balance between pollution reduction, carbon emission reduction, cost reduction, and efficiency improvement, setting a new benchmark for the waste incineration industry,” Pi added.
In the field of portable flame equipment, water-fuel plasma flame machines have broken through the limitations of traditional gas-fired equipment. This multi-functional device integrates welding, brazing, cutting, heating, and quenching capabilities, using only water or 50% concentration alcohol as the medium—eliminating the need for high-pressure gas cylinders, air compressors, and transformers. Weighing just 9kg and equipped with a dedicated single-shoulder bag, it is highly portable and suitable for operation in enclosed spaces without ventilation, such as offices, tunnels, basements, and mines.
The core advantage of this plasma flame machine lies in its environmental protection and efficiency. It ionizes water vapor molecules to generate plasma beams, which instantly cool and suppress metal debris, preventing them from being inhaled by operators. With a flame temperature of up to 8,000℃—three times that of propane flame and 2.5 times that of acetylene flame—it enables high-efficiency operations while avoiding material combustion and oxidation. Unlike traditional gas equipment that poses risks of leakage, poisoning, and explosion, this water-fuel system only produces water vapor as a byproduct, ensuring maximum safety. “It can save nearly 10,000 yuan in annual operating costs compared to traditional welding equipment, with even greater savings in outdoor operations,” noted a technical director of a leading equipment manufacturer.
For industrial waste gas treatment, super-enthalpy combustion technology has emerged as a game-changer. Jointly developed by Zhongke Zhuoyi Environmental Technology, Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, and major oilfields, the “methane and VOCs super-enthalpy combustion integrated treatment technology and equipment” has reached the international leading level. Relying on advanced porous medium infrared combustion radiation enhancement technology, it achieves efficient thermal oxidation of methane and VOCs below 900℃, with a treatment rate of over 99.9% and near-zero emissions. This provides a “Chinese solution” for addressing complex, volatile, and decentralized exhaust emissions in oilfield exploitation, a long-standing global challenge.
Small-scale waste incineration flame systems have also made significant progress. A team from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with enterprises, developed a stable combustion and ultra-low emission technology for small domestic waste incineration systems. By combining mechanical grates with high-heat-storage secondary combustion chambers, the technology ensures full and stable combustion of waste. A high-temperature flue gas purification tower sequentially removes sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride, while optimizing denitration efficiency to keep nitrogen oxide emissions below 50mg/Nm³. Having operated stably for a year at a waste incineration plant in Changning County, Baoshan City, it solves the industry’s key pain points of unstable operation and difficult emission compliance for small-scale facilities.
Industry experts predict that the global flame machine market will grow at a CAGR of 8.3% from 2026 to 2030, driven by strict environmental regulations and demand for intelligent upgrading. “The integration of AI, plasma technology, and super-enthalpy combustion is reshaping the industry,” said a senior analyst at a global industrial equipment research institute. “Chinese innovations are not only improving efficiency and safety but also leading the global shift toward low-carbon combustion, with broad application prospects in waste treatment, oilfields, construction, and manufacturing.”
Looking ahead, enterprises and research institutions will focus on further integrating intelligent algorithms with green combustion technologies. Plans are underway to enhance the self-learning capability of AI flame control systems and expand the application of water-fuel plasma technology to high-precision fields such as gem processing and aerospace component manufacturing. As technological iterations accelerate, flame machines are evolving from simple combustion tools to multi-functional, intelligent, and eco-friendly core equipment, powering the low-carbon transformation of various industries.
