Hüseyin Topal

Techno-Environmental Assessment Of Co-Gasification Of Low-Grade Turkish Lignite With Biomass In A Trigeneration Power Plant

Abstract Trigeneration or Combined Cooling, Heat and Power (CCHP) which is based upon combined heat and power (CHP) systems coupled to an absorption chiller can be recognized as one of the best technologies recovering biomass effectively to heat, cooling and power. Co-gasification of the lignite and biomass can provide the possibility for safe and effective disposal of different waste types as well as for sustainable and environmentally-friendly production of energy. In this article, a trigeneration system based on an IC engine and gasifier reactor has been simulated and realized using Thermoflex simulation software. Performance results suggest that utilization of sustainably-grown biomass in a Tri-Generation Power Plant (TGPP) can be a possibility for providing cooling, heat and power demands with local renewable sources and reducing the environmental impacts of the energy conversion systems.

Emission Characteristics of Co-combustion of Sewage Sludge with Olive Cake and Lignite Coal in a Circulating Fluidized Bed

Abstract In this study, a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) of 125 mm diameter and 1800 mm height was used to find the combustion characteristics of sewage sludge (SS) produced in Turkey. Sludge + olive cake, and sludge + lignite coal mixtures were burned separately. Various sludge-to-lignite coal and sludge-to-olive cake ratios (5/95, 10/90, 15/85, 20/80) were tried. On-line concentrations of major components (O2, SO2, CO2, CO, NO x , C m H n ) were measured in the flue gas, as well as temperature and pressure distributions along the bed. Combustion efficiencies of sludge + olive cake and sludge + lignite coal mixtures were calculated, and the optimum conditions for operating parameters were discussed. The results have shown that the combustion mainly takes place in the upper regions of the main column where the temperature reaches 900°C. SS + Coal burn in the CFB with an efficiency of 95.14% to 96.18%, which is considered to be quite good. When burning sludge mixed with olive cake, appreciable amounts of CO and unburned hydrocarbons are formed and the combustion efficiency drops to 92.93%. CO and C m H n emissions are lower when lignite coal is mixed with various amounts of SS than the emissions when the coal is burned alone. As the %SS is increased in the fuel mixture, the SO2 emission decreases. NO x emissions are slightly higher. When burning sludge mixed with olive cake, SO2 and NO x emissions are slightly higher. CO and C m H n emissions decrease sharply when SS is mixed with 5%wt. olive cake. With increasing sludge ratio these emissions increase due to the unburned hydrocarbons. As a result of this study, it is believed that SS can be burned effectively in a CFBC together with other fuels, especially with olive cake (OC). OC will be a good additive fuel for the combustion of lower quality fuels.

Design and Economic Analysis of a Heating/Absorption Cooling System Operating with Municipal Solid Waste Digester: A Case Study of Gazi University

Abstract Recovering energy from municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the most important issues of energy management in developed countries. This raises even more interest as world fossil fuel reserves diminish and fuel prices rise. Being one of main processes of waste disposal, anaerobic digestion can be used as a means to reduce fossil fuel and electricity consumption as well as reducing emissions. With growing demand for cooling in Turkey, especially during warm seasons and considering the energy costs, utilizing heat-driven absorption cooling systems coupled with an anaerobic digester for local cooling purposes is a potentially interesting alternative for electricity driven compression cooling. The aim of this article is to study the viability of utilizing biogas obtained from MSW anaerobic digestion as the main fuel for heating facilities of Gazi University, Turkey and also the energy source for an absorption cooling system designed for the central library of the aforementioned campus. The results prove that the suggested system is sustainably and financially appealing and has the potential to replace the conventional electricity driven cooling systems with a reasonable net present worth; moreover, it can notably reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Energy Production from Municipal Solid Waste Using Plasma Gasification

The increasing quantity of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is one of the most serious environmental problems in Turkey. In order to solve this problem the government has failed to introduce any sustainable and environmental-friendly remedies. However, among several MSW treatment technologies, plasma gasification may be an alternative and reliable solution. Plasma gasification is a novel technology which does not fire the MSW as Conventional combustors do. It converts organic ingredients of the waste into a combustible gas (syngas). This paper deals with the feasibility study of utilizing plasma gasification and also co-gasification (i.e., gasification of waste with coal) for energy production from MSW. For this purpose, two methods were used; first determining the contents of the released syngas by mathematical modeling of the gasification process, and second, simulating the same process with the help of a simulation software (VMGSim). Finally, the results obtained by both methods are compared. Comparing the results revealed that calculation results from mathematical model were consistent with those outlined from simulation software.

Determination of some important emissions of poultry waste co-combustion

Abstract Poultry Wastes (PW) are rich biomass types which can be utilized as renewable energy sources in energy conversion systems. The PW is a mixture of poultry litter and organic materials spread on the poultry houses ground. In this paper, combustion of the poultry waste alone and mixed with coal in a combustor set up are implemented, and emissions are monitored. Experimental results reveal that, co-combustion of PW in an existing combustor firing coal can be considered as the best environment-friendly remedy to dispose the facility wastes while reducing the combustion emissions of the system.