☆ 4.7 Article

Effects of dry and hydrothermal carbonisation on the properties of solid recovered fuels from construction and municipal solid wastes

ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT (2021)

Journal

ENERGY CONVERSION AND MANAGEMENT

Volume 237, Issue -, Pages -

Publisher

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2021.114101

Keywords

Construction and demolition waste; Municipal solid waste; Solid recovered fuel; Dry carbonization; Hydrothermal carbonization; Waste valorization

Funding

Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia of Ministerio da Ciencia, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior [SFRH/BD/111956/2015]
Programa Operacional Potencial Humano and Uniao Europeia - Fundo Social Europeu [POCI-01-0145-FEDER024020]
COMPETE 2020 Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao
Portugal 2020
Uniao Europeia through FEDER
FCT Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia within the RD Units Project [UIDP/04077/2020]
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BD/111956/2015] Funding Source: FCT

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Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate dry and hydrothermal carbonisation technologies for converting solid recovered fuel (SRF) from construction and municipal solid wastes to biochars or hydrochars with improved fuel quality. Results showed that hydrothermal carbonisation produced hydrochars with better fuel characteristics.

The growing production of non-recyclable urban wastes generates environmental problems that impose new alternatives for their energetic valorisation. Nonetheless, some of these wastes do not have adequate properties to be directly used in waste-to-energy technologies, thus requiring adequate pre-treatments to improve their fuel properties. This work aimed to evaluate dry and hydrothermal carbonisation (DC and HTC) as technologies to convert solid recovered fuel (SRF) from construction and municipal solid wastes to biochars or hydrochars with improved fuel quality. The operational parameters evaluated were temperature, mass ratio of SRF:water, and incorporation of a liquid additive (used cooking oil, UCO). The chars were characterised for chemical composition, calorific value, TGA profiles and surface functional groups. The chemical oxygen demand (COD), concentration of total phenols, pH, conductivity and the main components in process waters were determined. Results showed an improvement of fuel characteristics in terms of hydrophobicity and calorific value, enabling the use of chars for waste-to-energy technologies. HTC produced hydrochars with better fuel characteristics, presenting calorific values of 28-33 MJ/kg db, and lower average ash and chlorine contents (2.8 wt% db and 3.1 wt% db, respectively). The addition of UCO improved these fuel characteristics. However, the generation of an effluent that needs further decontamination and the lower amount of moisture present in SRF possibly made DC more attractive in terms of energy and costs requirements. A treatment at 350 degrees C during 30 min was recommended for a good compromise among process costs and char properties.

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Landfill leachate as an alternative moisture source for hydrothermal carbonization of municipal solid wastes to solid biofuels

Saikrishna Venna, Hari Bhakta Sharma, P. Hari Prasad Reddy, Shamik Chowdhury, Brajesh Kumar Dubey

Summary: The study demonstrates that using landfill leachate as an alternative moisture source for hydrothermal carbonization can significantly enhance the sustainability of the technology. The resulting hydrochars have comparable fuel characteristics to conventional solid fuels, making them potential inexpensive alternatives to fossil fuels.

BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY (2021)