Monika Kosowska-Golachowska

Experimental research of sewage sludge with coal and biomass co-combustion, in pellet form

Increased sewage sludge production and disposal, as well as the properties of sewage sludge, are currently affecting the environment, which has resulted in legislation changes in Poland. Based on the Economy Minister Regulation of 16 July 2015 (Regulation of the Economy Minister, 2015) regarding the criteria and procedures for releasing wastes for landfilling, the thermal disposal of sewage sludge is important due to its gross calorific value, which is greater than 6MJ/kg, and the problems that result from its use and application. Consequently, increasingly restrictive legislation that began on 1 January 2016 was introduced for sewage sludge storage in Poland. Sewage sludge thermal utilisation is an attractive option because it minimizes odours, significantly reduces the volume of starting material and thermally destroys the organic and toxic components of the off pads. Additionally, it is possible that the ash produced could be used in different ways. Currently, as many as 11 plants use sewage sludge as fuel in Poland; thus, this technology must be further developed in Poland while considering the benefits of co-combustion with other fuels. This paper presents the results of experimental studies of the mechanisms and kinetics of sewage sludge, coal and biomass combustion and their co-combustion in spherical-pellet form. Compared with biomass, a higher temperature is required to ignite sewage sludge by flame. The properties of biomass and sewage sludge result in the intensification of the combustion process (by fast ignition of volatile matter). In contrast to coal, a combustion of sewage sludge is determined not only burning the char, but also the combustion of volatiles. The addition of sewage sludge to hard coal and lignite shortens combustion times compared with coal, and the addition of sewage sludge to willow Salix viminalis produces an increase in combustion time compared with willow alone.

Mechanisms and kinetics of granulated sewage sludge combustion

This paper investigates sewage sludge disposal methods with particular emphasis on combustion as the priority disposal method. Sewage sludge incineration is an attractive option because it minimizes odour, significantly reduces the volume of the starting material and thermally destroys organic and toxic components of the off pads. Additionally, it is possible that ashes could be used. Currently, as many as 11 plants use sewage sludge as fuel in Poland; thus, this technology must be further developed in Poland while considering the benefits of co-combustion with other fuels. This paper presents the results of experimental studies aimed at determining the mechanisms (defining the fuel combustion region by studying the effects of process parameters, including the size of the fuel sample, temperature in the combustion chamber and air velocity, on combustion) and kinetics (measurement of fuel temperature and mass changes) of fuel combustion in an air stream under different thermal conditions and flow rates. The combustion of the sludge samples during air flow between temperatures of 800 and 900°C is a kinetic-diffusion process. This process determines the sample size, temperature of its environment, and air velocity. The adopted process parameters, the time and ignition temperature of the fuel by volatiles, combustion time of the volatiles, time to reach the maximum temperature of the fuel surface, maximum temperature of the fuel surface, char combustion time, and the total process time, had significant impacts.

Oxy-fuel Combustion of Wheat Straw Pellets in a Lab-Scale Fluidized Bed Combustor

This paper presents an experimental study on agro biomass pellets combustion in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) under three oxy-fuel conditions (21%O2/79%CO2, 30%O2/70%CO2 and 40%O2/60%CO2) and air–fuel condition. The combustion of wheat straw pellets was conducted at a temperature of 850 °C in a 12 kW lab-scale CFB combustor. The main objective of this study was to investigate the combustion behaviour of wheat straw, in terms of particle temperature profiles, ignition time, volatiles combustion time and burnout time. The results of the tests show that the composition of the oxidizing atmosphere highly influences the combustion process of biomass fuels. Replacing N2 in the combustion environment by CO2 caused slight delay in the combustion of wheat straw pellets. The combustion process in O2/CO2 mixtures at 30 and 40% O2 is faster and shorter than that at lower O2 concentrations.