Technology

As known, olive cake presents problems related to its ash content and its low melting point, so a specific design of an industrial multi-pass water-tube steam boiler has been developed to counteract the effect of fouling on the heat exchange body.

Alongside the heater, the manufacturer supplied other components for the complete installation of the plant, including the combustion system with a pusher step grate, the control system and the smoke treatment system to guarantee the quality of emissions in the atmosphere. San Miguel Arcángel is the largest olive marc producer in Europe.

Dirbeba, M.J., Brink, A., Lindberg, D., Hupa, M., Hupa, L., 2021. Thermal Conversion Characteristics of Molasses. ACS Omega 6, 21631–21645. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c03024

Guo, S., Gao, J., Zhao, D., Zhao, C., Li, X., Li, G., 2022. Co-combustion of sewage sludge and Zhundong coal: Effects of combustion conditions on gaseous pollutant emission and ash properties. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 54, 102836. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2022.102836

Ma, M., Liang, Y., Xu, D., Sun, S., Zhao, J., Wang, S., 2022. Gas emission characteristics of sewage sludge co-combustion with coal: Effect of oxygen atmosphere and feedstock mixing ratio. Fuel 322, 124102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2022.124102

Manwatkar, P., Dhote, L., Pandey, R.A., Middey, A., Kumar, S., 2021. Combustion of distillery sludge mixed with coal in a drop tube furnace and emission characteristics. Energy 221, 119871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.119871

Romanov, D.S., Vershinina, K.Yu., Dorokhov, V.V., Strizhak, P.A., 2022. Rheology, ignition, and combustion performance of coal-water slurries: Influence of sequence and methods of mixing. Fuel 322, 124294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2022.124294

Strandberg, A., Skoglund, N., Thyrel, M., 2021. Morphological characterisation of ash particles from co-combustion of sewage sludge and wheat straw with X-ray microtomography. Waste Management 135, 30–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2021.08.019

Wang, T., Lou, Y., Jiang, S., Wang, J., Zhang, Y., Pan, W.-P., 2022. Distribution characteristics and environmental risk assessment of trace elements in desulfurization sludge from coal-fired power plants. Fuel 314, 122771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122771

Wang, Y., Jia, L., Guo, B., Wang, B., Zhang, L., Zheng, X., Xiang, J., Jin, Y., 2022. Effects of CaO-Fe2O3-Fe3(PO4)2 in sewage sludge on combustion characteristics and kinetics of coal slime. Fuel 322, 124267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2022.124267

Zhang, D., Ma, T., 2022. Study on slagging in a waste-heat recovery boiler associated with a bottom-blown metal smelting furnace. Energy 241, 122852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.122852

Zheng, L., Jin, J., Liu, Z., Kou, X., He, X., Shen, L., 2022. Ash formation characteristics in co-combusting coagulation sludge and Zhundong coal. Fuel 311, 122571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122571

Zhou, A., Ma, W., Ruan, R., Li, Y., Zhang, Q., Mao, R., Yu, S., Deng, S., Tan, H., Wang, X., 2022a. Experimental study on PM10 formation characteristics of co-combustion with pulverized coal and sludge. Fuel Processing Technology 236, 107438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuproc.2022.107438

Zhou, A., Wang, X., Magdziarz, A., Yu, S., Deng, S., Bai, J., Zhang, Q., Tan, H., 2022b. Ash fusion and mineral evolution during the co-firing of coal and municipal sewage sludge in power plants. Fuel 310, 122416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2021.122416

The ENI magazine in this number is proposing different papers on the role of forestry and agro-sector in the energy scenario. A global overview. Enjoy the reading! 

All issues: eni.com/en-IT/media/world-energy-magazine.html. Image: all rights to eni spa.

Download the construction program: https://www.templeboroughbiomass.com/templeborough-biomass-power-plant/

Download here slides of the presentations: https://bit.ly/3v4fgQP

A greenhouse pepper grower in The Netherlands was in need of a sustainable alternative for his energy requirements. A biomass boiler manufacturer provided the solution with plant for heat and energy from wood-waste. Check the virtual tour!

https://www.vgbe.energy/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/VGB-flexibility-toolbox_update29-04-18.pdf

https://www.vgbe.energy/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/vgbe-RP-FLEXI-I2022-FINAL-EXT.pdf

Where will the dispatchable power come from, after the coal phase-out?

• Conventional -> Natural gas.
• Storage -> Pumped storage hydro; Battery storage.
• Renewables -> Biomass, biogas, green gases (H2, CH4, etc.).

What about the coal phase out in the EU, from the regulator perspectives (data and animation courtesy of Climate Analytics)?

Detail for Italy (example)

The EU funded project Biofficiency developed some tests on pre-treated fuels and a blueprint for the modern biomass cogeneration plants. We summarize the key conclusions which relate to fuel ash.

• Additives and materials
  • Deposits tests in PF boilers to reduce deposition showed that the additive amount has a greater important than the type of additive. In particular, within the 4 MW CFB tests, elemental S was found to be the most cost-effective additive (with respect to kaolin). 200 kW tests showed that in PF beech wood combustion with 1% kaolin decreased PM1 emissions by 33%; by 75% with 2.4% kaolin.
  • 800 MWth CHP Avendore U2 and Studstrup U3 tests showed that coal fly ash addition decreased the submicron aerosol particles, but kept the K-Ca-S sintered downstream deposits (sootblowing was maintained). SH Cl corrosion on TP347H/HFG, SUPER 304H, Esshete 1250 was mitigated with 2,5% coal fly ash addition, but corrosion by sulphidation was observed.
  • With lab tests to test high steam temperature, at 650°C, only the austenitic SS TP310HCbN survived to heavy KCl corrosion.
• Pre-treatments
  • Torrefaction increased the ash content without causing compositional changes, but if followed by a washing step it decreased alkali and Cl content, consequently increasing ash melting temperatures.
  • Steam explosion did not induce significant ash compositional changes, a slightly decreased ash melting temperature was found.
  • Hydrothermal carbonization decreased alkali and Cl content, yielded high Si-ashes and higher melting temperatures.
  • Detailed fuel and ash data are now publicly available and those could be used in our numerical modelling.
• State of the art PF power plant design expected at 2.7 k€/kWel: 300 MWth, 560°C steam temperature and 92-94% efficiency, fuelled by wood pellets, dry de-ashing with ash recirculation, additivation with coal fly ash for SH and Denox SCR reactor protection including ash utilization oriented plant operation.