Abstract
Sewage sludge is a common form of municipal solid waste, and can be utilized as a renewable energy source. This study examines the effects of different key operational parameters on sewage sludge pyrolysis process for pyrolytic oil production using the Taguchi method. The digested sewage sludge was provided by the urban wastewater treatment plant of Tainan, Taiwan. The experimental results indicate that the maximum pyrolytic oil yield, 10.19% (18.4% on dry ash free (daf) basis) by weight achieved, is obtained under the operation conditions of 450 °C pyrolytic temperature, residence time of 60 min, 10 °C/min heating rate, and 700 mL/min nitrogen flow rate. According to the experimental results, the order of sensitivity of the parameters that affect the yield of sludge pyrolytic oil is the nitrogen flow rate, pyrolytic temperature, heating rate and residence time. The pyrolysis and oxidation reactions of sludge pyrolytic oil are also investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. The combustion performance parameters, such as the ignition temperature, burnout temperature, flammability index and combustion characteristics index are calculated and compared with those of heavy fuel oil. For the blend of sludge pyrolytic oil with heavy fuel oil, a synergistic effect occurs and the results show that sludge pyrolytic oil significantly enhances the ignition and combustion of heavy fuel oil.
Highlights
Even a large part of the global energy supply still depends on fossil fuels, resulting in rapid depletion of these resources and enormous GHG emissions
Method method was used to find the maximum yield of sludge pyrolytic oil from the The Taguchi pyrolysis experiments
The results show that the dried sewage sludge contained 1.28% sulfur and the sludge pyrolytic oil contained 1.25% sulfur
Summary
A large part of the global energy supply still depends on fossil fuels, resulting in rapid depletion of these resources and enormous GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions. In order to mitigate the problems associated with this fossil fuel depletion and climate warming, it is necessary to either improve the efficiency of fossil fuel utilization [1,2], or partially replace the use of such fossil fuels with zero or neutral carbon footprint alternative energy supplies [3,4]. Among the alternative fuels that are being considered, biomass is widely recognized as a promising, eco-friendly source of renewable energy, which has the advantage of being readily available around the world. Ordinary sources of biomass include agricultural solid waste, forestry residues, municipal waste, energy crops, and biological waste. The major municipal waste from the wastewater treatment plants, is a complicated mixture of undigested organics, inorganic materials, and moisture
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