Gasification Tests With Sewage Sludge and Coal/Sewage Sludge Mixtures in a Pilot Scale, Air Blown, Spouted Bed Gasifier

Author(s):  
N. Paterson ◽  
G. P. Reed ◽  
D. R. Dugwell ◽  
R. Kandiyoti

A series of tests have been done in a pilot scale air blown gasifier, to assess the performance of sewage sludge pellets and sewage sludge pellet/coal mixtures. The aim has been to compare the performances with that achieved with coal alone and to assess the suitability of the sewage containing fuel as a candidate fuel for the Air Blown Gasification Cycle (ABGC). The co-gasification of sewage sludge with coal raised both the CV of the fuel gas and the fuel conversion compared with values achieved with coal alone. The mixtures were operated under very similar conditions to those needed with coal and no adverse operational problems were encountered. A lower fluidising velocity was needed with the neat pellets to enable a stable bed height to be achieved. However, the conversion of the pellets to gas was very high and the fuel gas CV was higher than that achieved during the co-gasification tests. Overall, the results suggest that sewage based materials are suitable for use in the ABGC and that their use can improve the process performance.

Author(s):  
G. P. Reed ◽  
D. R. Dugwell ◽  
R. Kandiyoti

Gasification has attracted considerable interest from water utilities as a sewage sludge disposal option, with the advantages of waste volume reduction, pathogen destruction and energy recovery. Co-gasification with coal in a larger plant (>10 MWt) employing a gas turbine for energy recovery may reduce the risk and cost of this option. However, controlling the release of trace elements such as Pb and Zn in the gas produced may be necessary to avoid corrosion, and to meet environmental requirements. A thermodynamic equilibrium model has been used to make predictions of the speciation of trace elements in the fuel gas from co-gasification of sewage sludge with coal. Experimental data from a pilot scale 2 MWt sewage sludge/coal co-gasification plant with a hot gas filter was used to test the validity of these predictions. No significant amount of Be, Co, Cu, V and Zn was predicted to be in the form of gaseous phase species, and this was confirmed by the experimental data. On the other hand, Hg and Se were predicted to be only present in gas phase species, and this was also confirmed experimentally. The elements As, B, Cd, Pb, Sb and Sn were all predicted to form a larger amount of gaseous species than was observed in the experimental measurements. Refinement of the predictions for As and B by inclusion of specific minor/trace element interactions with Ni and Ca respectively gave a better agreement with the experimental data. Whilst the experimentally-observed lowering of Pb emissions by reduction of the gas cleaning temperature from 580 °C to 450 °C was qualitatively predicted, the concentration of Pb in the fine dust removed by the hot gas filter indicates condensation at higher temperatures than predicted. The absence of thermodynamic data for the more complex minerals and adsorbed species that may be formed is thought to account for some of these differences.


Author(s):  
N. Paterson ◽  
Y. Zhuo ◽  
D. R. Dugwell ◽  
R. Kandiyoti

High NH3 concentrations were measured in the fuel gas produced by a pilot scale, air blown gasifier that was operated by British Coal. A laboratory scale gasifier has subsequently been developed to investigate the reactions that produce these potentially high concentrations. It has been found that in addition to the NH3 formed through pyrolytic processes, the introduction of steam (or H2 produced by its decomposition) increases the amount formed. The latter reaction produced the higher proportion of the total NH3. The effect of the gasifier operating conditions on the amount of NH3 formed has been studied. The main control options to minimise the NH3 formed are using an alternative method of bed temperature control (i.e. avoid the use of steam), operating with higher bed temperatures and operation at lower pressures.


1991 ◽  
Vol 23 (10-12) ◽  
pp. 2011-2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Murakami ◽  
K. Sasabe ◽  
K. Sasaki ◽  
T. Kawashima

The possible volume reduction and stabilization of the sewage sludge associated with the melting process are expected to be greater than with the incineration process. In addition, melted slag can be utilized. However, since the melting process requires a very high temperature to melt inorganics (ash) in the sludge, the technologies to minimize energy consumption, to establish system operation and to prolong durability of facilities should be developed. This paper discusses the auxiliary fuel consumption as follows.(1)Preparation of a model that provides the auxiliary fuel consumption of the melting system on the basis of the mass and heat balances.(2)Evaluation of the auxiliary fuel consumption in the above model using the cake moisture content, the volatile solids of the cake, the dried cake moisture content and the melting temperature as parameters.(3)Examination of the operational conditions for an energy saving melting system based on the results of (1) and (2) above.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Mateus Paiva ◽  
Admilson Vieira ◽  
Helder T. Gomes ◽  
Paulo Brito

In the evaluation of gasification processes, estimating the composition of the fuel gas for different conditions is fundamental to identify the best operating conditions. In this way, modeling and simulation of gasification provide an analysis of the process performance, allowing for resource and time savings in pilot-scale process operation, as it predicts the behavior and analyzes the effects of different variables on the process. Thus, the focus of this work was the modeling and simulation of biomass gasification processes using the UniSim Design chemical process software, in order to satisfactorily reproduce the operation behavior of a downdraft gasifier. The study was performed for two residual biomasses (forest and agricultural) in order to predict the produced syngas composition. The reactors simulated gasification by minimizing the free energy of Gibbs. The main operating parameters considered were the equivalence ratio (ER), steam to biomass ratio (SBR), and gasification temperature (independent variables). In the simulations, a sensitivity analysis was carried out, where the effects of these parameters on the composition of syngas, flow of syngas, and heating value (dependent variables) were studied, in order to maximize these three variables in the process with the choice of the best parameters of operation. The model is able to predict the performance of the gasifier and it is qualified to analyze the behavior of the independent parameters in the gasification results. With a temperature between 850 and 950 °C, SBR up to 0.2, and ER between 0.3 and 0.5, the best operating conditions are obtained for maximizing the composition of the syngas in CO and H2.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 210
Author(s):  
Viktor Stenberg ◽  
Magnus Rydén ◽  
Tobias Mattisson ◽  
Anders Lyngfelt

Oxygen carrier aided combustion (OCAC) is utilized to promote the combustion of relatively stable fuels already in the dense bed of bubbling fluidized beds by adding a new mechanism of fuel conversion, i.e., direct gas–solid reaction between the metal oxide and the fuel. Methane and a fuel gas mixture (PSA off-gas) consisting of H2, CH4 and CO were used as fuel. Two oxygen carrier bed materials—ilmenite and synthetic particles of calcium manganate—were investigated and compared to silica sand, an in this context inert bed material. The results with methane show that the fuel conversion is significantly higher inside the bed when using oxygen carrier particles, where the calcium manganate material displayed the highest conversion. In total, 99.3–99.7% of the methane was converted at 900 °C with ilmenite and calcium manganate as a bed material at the measurement point 9 cm above the distribution plate, whereas the bed with sand resulted in a gas conversion of 86.7%. Operation with PSA off-gas as fuel showed an overall high gas conversion at moderate temperatures (600–750 °C) and only minor differences were observed for the different bed materials. NO emissions were generally low, apart from the cases where a significant part of the fuel conversion took place above the bed, essentially causing flame combustion. The NO concentration was low in the bed with both fuels and especially low with PSA off-gas as fuel. No more than 11 ppm was detected at any height in the reactor, with any of the bed materials, in the bed temperature range of 700–750 °C.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.N.M. Batista ◽  
R.C. Brito ◽  
R. Béttega

The spouted bed presents limitations in terms of scale-up. Furthermore, its stability depends on its geometry as well as the properties of the fluid and solid phases. CFD provides an important tool to improve understanding of these aspects, enabling a wide range of information to be obtained rapidly and at low cost. In this work, CFD simulation was used to evaluate the effects of different inlet air distributors (Venturi and straight tube) and the effects of static bed height on the fluid and solid dynamics of a conical spouted bed. Simulations were performed using the two-dimensional Euler-Euler approach. In order to evaluate the fluid dynamics model, static pressure data obtained by simulation were compared with experimental data obtained with the Venturi distributor. The fluid and solid dynamics of the conical spouted bed were obtained by CFD simulation. The results showed that the pressure drop was lower for the straight tube air distributor, while the Venturi air distributor provided higher stability and a more homogenous air distribution at the bed entrance.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 265-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don Augenstein ◽  
Donald L. Wise ◽  
Nghiem Xuan Dat ◽  
Nguyen Duc Khien

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