PLASMA-ASSISTED GASIFICATION OF REJECTED WASTE FROM AN MBT PLANT FOR SYNGAS PRODUCTION
Keywords:
Rejected waste mechanical and biological treatment, energy production, plasma, gasification, waste-to-energyAbstract
Municipal solid waste (MSW) becomes a very critical issue in many regions of the world. Various technologies, either alone or in combination, have been used to solve this problem. Mechanical and biological treatment (MBT) is one of the most effective methods for MSW management to divide MSW into different fractions, including rejected waste which presently requires landfill disposal. A waste-to-energy process like gasification is an alternative to landfills but requires feedstock with a homogeneous form and low moisture content. This work aims to study whether rejected waste can be used for energy production through the gasification process with assistance from an external heat source from a plasma torch. The syngas characteristics and system performance were tied to the different feedstock moisture content levels ranging from 10 to 40 wt% (wb). The results showed that the plasma torch could reduce the limits of the feedstock properties in traditional gasification. However, an increase in the moisture content resulted in a reduction of the temperature inside the gasifier, causing a variation in the syngas characteristics. The calorific values were found to decrease proportionally from 8.26 to 4.82 MJ N-1m-3 when there was an increase in the moisture content from 10 to 40 wt% (wb). The performance evaluation of the plasma-assisted gasification system, i.e. the syngas yield, energy yield, and gasification efficiency, were negatively influenced by the moisture content in the rejected waste. Overall, rejected waste can serve as a feedstock for quality syngas production using the plasma-assisted gasification system.
References
Arena, U. (2012). Process and technological aspects of municipal solid waste gasification. A review. Waste Manage., 32:625-639.
Arjharn, W., Hinsui, T., Liplap, P., and Raghavan, G.S.V. (2012). Evaluation of electricity production from different biomass feedstocks using a pilot-scale downdraft gasifier. J. Biobased Mater. Bio., 6(3): 309-318.
Arjharn, W., Hinsui, T., Liplap, P., and Raghavan, G.S.V. (2013). Evaluation of an energy production system from sewage sludge using a pilot-scale downdraft gasifier. Energ. Fuel., 27(1):229-236.
ASTM. (1963). Standard Test Method for Gross Calorific Value of Solid Fuel by the Adiabatic Bomb Calorimeter. ASTM: D2015-77 (Reapproved 1978). ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, USA.
ASTM. (2013). Standard Test Method for Chemical Analysis of Wood Charcoal. ASTM: D1762-84. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, USA.
Bhattacharya, S.C., Shwe Hla, S., and Pham, H.-L. (2001). A study on a multi-stage hybrid gasifier engine system. Biomass Bioenerg., 21(6):445-460.
Cao, Y., Wang, Y., Riley, J.T. and Pan, W.-P. (2006). A novel biomass air gasification process for producing tar-free higher heating value fuel gas. Fuel Process. Technol., 87(4):343-353.
Chiemchaisri, C., Charnnok, B., and Visvanathan, C. (2010). Recovery of plastic wastes from dumpsite as refuse-derived fuel and its utilization in small gasification system. Bioresource Technol., 101(5): 1522-1527.
Dalai, A.K., Batta, N., Eswaramoorthi, I., and Schoenau, G.J. (2009). Gasification of refuse derived fuel in a fixed bed reactor for syngas production. Waste Manage., 29(1):252-258.
Devi, L., Ptasinski, K.J., and Janssen, F.J.J.G. (2003). A review of the primary measures for tar elimination in biomass gasification processes. Biomass Bioenerg., 24(2):125-140.
Di Lonardo, M., Lombardi, F., and Gavasci, R. (2012). Characterization of MBT plants input and outputs: a review. Rev. Environ. Sci. Biotechnol., 11:353- 363.
Galvagno, S., Casciaro, G., Casu, S., Martino, M., Mingazzini, C., Russo, A., and Portofino, S. (2009). Steam gasification of tyre waste, poplar, and refuse-derived fuel: A comparative analysis. Waste Manage., 29:678-689.
Janajreh, I., Raza, S.S., and Valmundsson, A.S. (2013). Plasma gasification process: Modeling, simulation and comparison with conventional air gasification. Energ. Convers. Manage., 65:801-809.
Kaupp, A. and Goss, J.R. (1981). State of art for small scale (50 kW) to gas producer-engine systems. Final Report to the USDA USFS on Contract No. 53-319R-0-141. University of California, Davis, CA, USA, 278p.
Kim, S.C., Lim, M.S., and Chun, Y.N. (2013). Hydrogen-rich gas production from a biomass pyrolysis gas by using a plasmatron. Int. J. Hydrogen Energ., 38(34): 14458-14466.
Kirubakaran, V., Sivaramakrishnan, V., Nalini, R., Sekar, T., Premalatha, M., and Subramanian, P. (2009). A review on gasification of biomass. Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev., 13(1):179-186.
Kwak, T.H., Maken, S., Lee, S., Park, J.W., Min, B.R., and Yoo, Y.D. (2006). Environmental aspects of gasification of Korean municipal solid waste in a pilot plant. Fuel, 85:2012-2017.
Larson, E.D. (1998). Small-scale gasification-based biomass power generation. Proceedings of the Biomass Workshop; January 12-13, 1998; Chang¬chun, Jilin Province, China, p. 1-26.
Li, J., Liao, S., Dan, W., Jia, K., and Zhou, X. (2012). Experimental study on catalytic stream gasification of municipal solid waste for bioenergy production in a combined fixed bed reactor. Biomass Bioenerg., 46:174-180.
Malkow, T. (2004). Novel and innovative pyrolysis and gasification technologies for energy efficient and environmentally sound MSW disposal. Waste Manage., 24:53-79.
Marrero, T.W., McAuley, B.P., Sutterlin, W.R., Morris, J.S., and Manahan, S.E. (2004). Fate of heavy metals and radioactive metals in gasification of sewage sludge. Waste Manage., 24(2):193-198.
McKendry, P. (2002). Energy production from biomass (part 3): gasification technologies. Bioresource Technol., 83:55-63.
Montejo, C., Costa, C., Ramos, P., and Márquez, M.D.C. (2011). Analysis and comparison of municipal solid waste and reject fraction as fuels for incineration plants. Appl. Therm. Eng., 31(13):2135-2140.
Nithikul, J., Karthikeyan, O.P., and Visvanathan, C. (2011). Reject management from a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant in Bangkok, Thailand. Resour. Conserv. Recy., 55(4):417-422.
Ojha, A., Reuben, A.C., and Sharma, D. (2012). Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries through Plasma Arc Gasification- An Alternative Approach. APCBEE Procedia, 1:193-198.
Pinto, F., André, R.N., Lopes, H., Dias, M., Gulyurtlu, I., and Cabrita, I. (2008). Effect of experimental conditions on gas quality and solids produced by sewage sludge cogasification. 2. sewage sludge mixed with biomass. Energ. Fuel., 22(4):2314- 2325.
Quakk, P., Knoef, H., and Stassen, H. (1999). Energy from Biomass: a Review of Combustion and Gasification Technologies. World Bank Publica¬tions, Washington, DC, USA, 78p.
Rajvanshi, A.K. (1986). Biomass gasification. In: Alternative Energy in Agriculture. Goswami, Y.D., (ed). CRC Press, LLC, Boca Raton, FL, USA, p. 83-102.
Raveendran, K., Ganesh, A., and Khilar, K.C. (1995). Influence of mineral matter on biomass pyrolysis characteristics. Fuel, 74:1812-1822.
Reed, T. and Bryant, B. (1978). Densified Biomass: A New Form of Solid Fuel. Solar Energy Research Institute, Golden, CO, USA, 47p.
Rutberg, P.G., Bratsev, A.N., Kuznetsov, V.A., Popov, V.E., Ufimtsev, and A.A., Shtengel, S.V. (2011). On efficiency of plasma gasification of wood residues. Biomass Bioenerg., 35(1):495-504.
Seggiani, M., Vitolo, S., Puccini, M., and Bellini, A. (2012). Cogasification of sewage sludge in an updraft gasifier. Fuel, 93:86-91.
Sharma, A.K. (2008). Equilibrium modeling of global reduction reactions for a downdraft (biomass) gasifier. Energ. Convers. Manage., 49(4):832-842.
Velis, C.A., Longhurst, P.J., Drew, G.H., Smith, R., and Pollard, S.J.T. (2010). Production and quality assurance of solid recovered fuels using me¬chanical—biological treatment (MBT) of waste: A comprehensive assessment. Crit. Rev. Env. Sci. Tec., 40(12):979-1105.
Vervaeke, P., Tack, F.M.G., Navez, F., Martin, J., Verloo, M.G., and Lust, N. (2006). Fate of heavy metals during fixed bed downdraft gasification of willow wood harvested from contaminated sites. Biomass Bioenerg., 30(1):58-65.
Yoon, S.J., Yun, Y.M., Seo, M.W., Kim, Y.K., Ra, H.W., and Lee, J.-G. (2013). Hydrogen and syngas production from glycerol through microwave plasma gasification. Int. J. Hydrogen Energ., 38(34):14559-14567.
Zainal, Z.A., Ali, R., Lean, C.H., and Seetharamu, K.N. (2001). Prediction of performance of a downdraft gasifier using equilibrium modeling for different biomass materials. Energ. Convers. Manage., 42(12):1499-1515.
Zhang, Q., Dor, L., Fenigshtein, D., Yang, W., and Blasiak, W. (2012). Gasification of municipal solid waste in the Plasma Gasification Melting process. Appl. Energ., 90(1):106-112.
