Biomass–Coal Cocombustion

Coal–biomass co-combustion: An overview

The monograph "Energy systems and resources: optimisation and rational use" is devoted to topical issues in the field of energy, materials science and sustainable development, including the study of magnetic field effect on silicon microstructure, development of innovative designs of solar concentrators, use of solid domestic waste in the energy balance of Ukraine, as well as the prospects and technologies of co-combustion of coal and biomass at thermal power plants. In 1 Section "Magnetic treatment of semiconductor silicon", within the framework of research on the influence of magnetic field on the microstructure of silicon grown by the Czochralsky method (Cz-Si), doped with elements Al, Mg, Cu, Fe, Zr, Hf, the influence of these impurities on the interaction energy of silicon atoms in the crystal lattice is considered for the first time. It is found that doping with elements reducing the interaction energy leads to an increase in defects during magnetic treatment for 240 hours, while 720 hours of treatment reduces their number. In 2 Section "Support frame of solar concentrator with flat triangular mirrors" of the monograph is devoted to the development of improved designs of solar concentrators used in the field of green energy. The research is aimed at reducing production costs and increasing efficiency by reducing the number of metal elements and introducing automated assembly processes. The developed new design with fewer elements contributes to cheaper production and faster assembly process. The prototypes can find wide application in agriculture, organic waste recycling and energy supply of residential buildings within the concept of "green" buildings. In 3 Section "Technological aspects of producing refuse derived fuel" special attention is paid to the issues of involvement of solid domestic waste in the energy balance of Ukraine by creating alternative solid fuel (RDF - refuse derived fuel). The kinetics of convective drying of RDF of different compositions depending on temperature and speed of the heat carrier is investigated. Drying coefficients, rates of thermal decomposition of organic and mineral substances, as well as calorific value of RDF are determined. The results obtained are the basis for the development of energy-efficient RDF production technologies to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The 4 Section "Choice optimization of the type of energy resource for the region" considers the current state and prospects of the energy complex of Ukraine. Based on the analysis of available energy resources, the methodology of selection and justification of priority fuels for regional energy supply is proposed. Environmental aspects of utilisation of traditional resources such as coal, oil, gas and nuclear fuel are considered, as well as the possibilities of transition to alternative energy sources. The 5 Section "Scientific and technical solutions for implementing biomass combustion at coal-fired TPP in Ukraine" is devoted to the development of technologies for co-combustion of coal and biomass, which is a promising direction for reducing emissions of harmful substances, diversifying fuel sources and improving combustion conditions at thermal power plants. The technologies of biomass combustion and gasification are considered, experimental studies of co-combustion of gas coal and biomass are carried out, thermal calculations of boiler plants using ANSYS FLUENT are performed. Recommendations for implementation of these technologies at Ukrainian TPPs were developed. Thus, the results presented in the monograph are an important contribution to the solution of urgent problems in the field of sustainable energy, material science and environmental safety. The monograph will be useful for engineers, researchers, designers and specialists working in the field of energy, waste processing and development of "green" technologies.

Co-combustion of coal and sewage sludge: Chemical and ecotoxicological properties of ashes

Coal combustion is one of the most significant anthropogenic CO2 and air pollution sources globally. This paper studies the atmospheric emissions of a power plant fuelled with a mixture of industrial pellets (10.5%) and coal (89.5%). Based on the stack measurements, the solid particle number emission, which was dominated by sub-200 nm particles, was 3.4×1011 MJ-1 for the fuel mixture when electrostatic precipitator (ESP) was cleaning the flue gas. The emission factor was 50 mg MJ-1 for particulate mass and 11 740 ng MJ-1 for the black carbon with the ESP. In the normal operation situation of the power plant, i.e., including the flue-gas desulphurisation and fabric filters (FGD and FF), the particle number emission factor was 1.7×108 MJ-1, particulate mass emission factor 2 mg MJ-1 and black carbon emission factor 14 ng MJ-1. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis supported the particle number size distribution measurement in terms of particle size and the black carbon concentration. The TEM images of the particles showed variability of the particle sizes, morphologies and chemical compositions. The atmospheric measurements, conducted in the flue-gas plume, showed that the flue-gas dilutes closed to background concentrations in 200 sec. However, an increase in particle number concentration was observed when the flue gas aged. This increase in particle number concentration was interpret as formation of new particles in the atmosphere. In general, the study highlights the importance of detailed particle measurements when utilizing new fuels in existing power plants.Implications: CO2 emissions of energy production decrease when substituting coal with biofuels. The effects of fuels changes on particle emission characteristics have not been studied comprehensively. In this study conducted for a real-scale power plant, co-combustion of wood pellets and coal caused elevated black carbon emissions. However, it was beneficial from the total particle number and particulate mass emission point of view. Flue-gas cleaning can significantly decrease the pollutant concentrations but also changes the characteristics of emitted particles. Atmospheric measurements implicated that the new particle formation in the atmospheric flue-gas plume should be taken into account when evaluating all effects of fuel changes.” Are implication statements part of the manuscript?

Power is needed for the growth and development of any country. The Nigerian power sector continues to face tremendous challenges, especially in the areas of power generation and sustainability in the electricity value chain. Successive governments have carried out several reforms, but these problems persist. The major causes are tied to the lack of diversity in the country’s energy mix and over-dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels for power generation. With Nigeria’s growing power demand and the Federal Government’s commitment to renewable energy for reduced carbon emission, the potential of biomass in power generation can no longer be overlooked. Biomass is a renewable resource that is abundant in supply in Nigeria. Biomass resources can be obtained from multiple sources and has very low net carbon emission. Its immediate addition to Nigeria’s energy mix would aid the country in meeting its 2030 goal of increasing renewable power generation by 45% and reducing greenhouse emissions by 20%. This paper therefore studies the history of power generation in Nigeria and the challenges encountered so far. It then looks at biomass resources availability in the country, their viability as feedstocks for power generation, and biomass-to-power conversion processes. The challenges of this alternative power solution are identified and recommendations given. If these can be implemented, the biomass-to-power solution can significantly address the issues of low power generation and carbon emission. It would help improve energy security, environmental sustainability, circular economy, and economic opportunities for those in the biomass and power supply chain in Nigeria.

Soil physical and chemical properties do affect forests (plant) growth and soil management systems. Some key and important physical and chemical properties of soil are mineral content, texture, cation exchange capacity, bulk density, structure, porosity, organic matter content, carbon-to-ni- trogen ratio, color, depth, fertility, and pH. Sustainable forest management and soil quality parameters may include such terrestrial functions as carbon sequestration, land use management, erosion control, plant productivity and a soil’s capacity to produce biomass. Sustainable forest management consistently requires enhancement of both the chemical and physical properties of forest soil quality. Land use and change in land use as well as forest management systems, are main indicators that may determine which soil properties induce changes in any forest site. Forest management and crop yield are key issues of environmental/productivity quality in addressing carbon mitigation and absorption in plant species and agricultural productivity. Five distinct forest soils under major physical properties and chemical properties were evaluated at the forest ecology laboratory. The results were determined while considering regional forest management regimes. Correlation analysis in Deqing forest soil showed that higher correlation of NMC at 25-50cm depth, BD at 0-25cm as well as 25-50cm while EC was high on 0-40 and 0.60 At the Guangzhou site, acidic levels (pH 0-25cm) indicated minor correlation and soil salinity (EC 25-50cm) also showed minor correlation. The trend was same the at the Changtan forest site where soil salinity showed only minor significant relationship (0-25cm). A percentage assessment of SOC (g/kg) among the forest sites by plot observation showed that Deqing forest site, Changtan and Nanling were well distributed which confers best forest management regimes that yield to good forest soil chemical and physical properties. This study gave scientific insight and boast plant functional nutrient interaction as well as stability towards better agricultural productivity and forest management systems. This is in agreement that good management and less disturbance in forest soils are major component of physical and chemical properties interaction, thereby for effective integrated forest and agricultural management systems.

Global warming caused by anthropological emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) is now an inconvenient reality. CO2, the largest contributor, was emitted at the rate of 6 Gt C y-1 by burning fossil fuels in 1990, which are projected to rise to around 10 Gt C y-1 by 2020. Using bio-fuels, such as bio-ethanol or bio-diesel in transportation, or biomass in power generation reduces CO2 emissions as the carbon is fixed by the plants from the atmosphere and saves the equivalent fossil fuel. The biospheric flux of carbon from the soil and terrestrial biota to the atmosphere is about 120 Gt C y-1 and is roughly balanced by the fixation of carbon by photosynthesis. However, anthropological land use change, through increased agriculture and forestry, resulted in atmospheric emissions of 1.1 Gt C in 1990, projected to rise to 1.5 Gt C in 2020, so the production of biofuels is not GHG emission free if land use change is involved. This paper explores the GHG emission cost of the production of bio-fuels derived from energy crops and compares them to fossil fuels used in transport and electricity generation. The bio-fuels emission cost are presented for several land use scenarios showing that highest sequestration can be achieved by using existing arable land for bio-fuel production and not land with a currently undisturbed ecosystem. Considering these drivers and the GHG emissions, we model the future potential of Europe to produce bio-fuels with four different future land use and climate change scenarios and conclude that up to 20% of Europe's current primary energy consumption could be provided by bio-fuels by the year 2080 with a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions, taking into account the GHG cost of production. Introduction The global pattern of energy use is changing with the successive industrialization of the economies of South East Asia and Brazil, and more recently with the increasing pace of the industrialization of China and India. This has driven an increase in the demand for energy, and hence for fossil fuel, at the rate of 2–3% per year 1. The rate at which conventional oil production can be increased has been reduced by the lack of refining capacity, and the fact that nearly 50% of the world's proven and probable conventional light crude oil reserves have already been consumed 2. This flat-topping in the availability of oil has been compensated for by the increased availability of natural gas and new reserves of cheap coal. Natural gas has been increasing its share of the energy supply mix as the infrastructure and technology of its transportation is put into place both by pipelines, liquefaction and conversion to methanol. In developed economies, gas has displaced both oil and coal, whilst coal use has increased in developing economies, particularly in China. At the same time the use of nuclear energy has stagnated due to public concerns about waste storage and disposal. Globally, biomass currently provides around 46 EJ of bio-energy in the form of combustible biomass and wastes, liquid bio-fuels, renewable municipal solid waste, solid biomass/charcoal, and gaseous fuels. This share is estimated to be 13.4% of global primary energy supply 3 but this is mainly from "traditional biomass" estimated to provide 32EJ in 2002 of non-commercial firewood, charcoal and dung used for cooking and heating in developing countries 4. Such low-grade biomass provides around 35% of primary energy in many developing countries, but more than 70% in Africa 5.

Biomass plants are facilities that generate electricity by harnessing the energy stored in organic materials such as wood, agricultural residues, and dedicated energy crops. They provide a sustainable and renewable source of energy by utilizing biomass, which is a carbon-neutral fuel. Biomass plants convert biomass materials into heat, which then drives a turbine to produce electricity. These plants help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by diverting organic waste from landfills and utilizing it for energy production. They play a crucial role in promoting energy independence and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Biomass plants also contribute to rural development by creating jobs and supporting local economies through the cultivation and processing of biomass materials. They can be designed to co-generate heat and power, maximizing the efficiency and utilization of the biomass feedstock. Biomass plants can be integrated with existing energy infrastructure, making them flexible and adaptable to different energy systems. As renewable energy sources, biomass plants play a vital role in combating climate change and transitioning to a more sustainable and lowcarbon future. Their ability to provide baseload power makes them a reliable and resilient option in the energy mix. Renewable Energy Transition: Biomass plants offer a significant pathway for transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Their ability to convert organic waste and biomass materials into electricity provides an alternative to fossil fuel-based power generation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change. Sustainable Waste Management: Biomass plants play a vital role in sustainable waste management by diverting organic waste from landfills and utilizing it as a valuable resource for energy production. This reduces the environmental impact of waste disposal and promotes a circular economy approach. Energy Security and Independence: Biomass plants contribute to energy security by diversifying the energy mix and reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels. They provide a domestic and renewable energy source, helping to stabilize energy prices and enhance energy independence. Methodology refers to the systematic and structured approach used to conduct research or study a particular subject. It outlines the methods, techniques, and procedures employed to gather, analyze, and interpret data in order to address research questions or objectives. The methodology provides a clear roadmap for researchers, ensuring that their study is conducted in a rigorous and systematic manner, leading to reliable and valid results. A1 Energetic cultivation, A2 Forest and agricultural wastes, A3 Farming industrial waste, A4 Forest industrial waste. Power (Gwh/year), NPV (Euros ∗ 106), Maturity (1–5), Emissions(tCO2/y), Jobs. shows graphs and tables under topsis method Their ability to provide baseload power makes them a reliable and resilient option in the energy mix

The development of rapid, accurate, cost effective methods to determine soil physical and chemical properties is important for sustainable land management. In the last two to three decades, the interest in using visible and near infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy as an alternative method for determining soil properties has increased. To obtain reliable predictions of soil properties, multivariate calibration techniques such as Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) are commonly used to correlate the spectra with the chemical, physical and mineralogical properties of soils.The objective of the paper was to assess the potential of Vis-NIR spectroscopy coupled with PLSR to determine soil chemical and physical properties such as organic carbon (SOC), sand, silt, clay, and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) contents in a sample site of southern Italy.Spectral curves showed that the soils could be spectrally separable on the basis of chemical and physical properties. PLSR calibration models were derived for each of the soil properties and were validated with an independent data set. The optimum number of factors to be retained in the calibration models was determined by leave-one-out cross-validation. The accuracy of the calibration and validation models for the different soil properties was evaluated with the coefficient of determination (R2) and the root mean squared error (RMSE). The results showed that predictions were satisfactory for all soil properties analyzed with high values of R2 > 80.A combination of Vis-NIR spectroscopy and multivariate statistical techniques, therefore, can be used as a rapid, low cost and quantitative means of characterizing the soils of southern Italy.

The energy transformation requires a change in the structure of the energy used. The article aims to determine the role of natural gas as a transition fuel in the European Union and Poland’s energy policy in the context of the promoted sustainable development policy. In the analysed documents presenting visions of energy policy, a differentiated approach to the effects of using natural gas is observed. The possible effects of using natural gas in Poland’s energy mix were analysed and evaluated. The study used the method of research document analysis. Six attributes of sustainable energy management and the relations between them were considered. The main results are as follows: 1. natural gas as an energy carrier does not fulfil the requirements of sustainable energy management, 2. from the point of view of utilisation effects, the use of natural gas for power generation purposes is better than using other fossil fuels, 3. in RES and nuclear energy development conditions, using natural gas for power generation will decrease, which should bring positive results for sustainable energy management. The main conclusion is the energy transition is mainly driven by political factors. Therefore, the energy carriers’ sustainable management issue shall be approached comprehensively.

Etude des perspectives de croissance de la consommation energetique au 21 e me siecle, des sources d'energie qui seront disponibles pour la satisfaire et de la part du petrole et du gaz naturel. Analyse des perspectives de consommation du petrole et du gaz naturel en fonction de trois scenarios : poursuite de l'augmentation de la consommation actuelle, faible demande due a l'arret de l'utilisation du moteur a combustion interne et demande moyenne due a l'utilisation d'autres sources d'energie moins polluantes. Etude de l'evolution de la politique industrielle du secteur energetique qui devra etre plus respectueuse de l'environnement et qui sera sans doute moins axee sur les hydrocarbures en raison de l'emergence d'autres sources d'energie.

China began entering the 14th Five-Year Plan period in 2021. With the proposed carbon-neutral long-term goal, the strategic position of clean energy is becoming increasingly prominent. using biomass power generation is one of the main application ways. In order to study the mixed combustion process of coal and biomass, this paper takes 300MW lignite boiler as the research object and uses Fluent software to explore the influence of biomass types and the location of biomass nozzle on the mixed combustion, and obtains the corresponding temperature field, flue gas component field and the distribution of pollutant NO. The results showed that when the biomass particles were sprayed into a fixed position with a certain proportion, the NO emission of wheat, corn and cotton straw was reduced, and the effect of wheat straw was the most obvious. When a certain proportion of wheat straw and coal are co-fired, the higher the biomass nozzle position, the higher the peak temperature in the main combustion zone, and the better the emission reduction effect of NO.

Chemical and ecotoxicological properties of ashes produced in the co-combustion of coal and meat and bone meal in a fluidized bed reactor

Combined resource utilization of ash from biomass power generation and wheat straw biochar for soil remediation

Biomass and coal co-combustion power generation, due to the little transformation work and small investment attracts more and more interest. Serials of experiments have to be conducted in determining whether a biomass and a coal are suitable for blending. There is already plenty study on the co-combustion characteristics and ash slagging problems, but few research on the co-combustion curve simulation. In this paper, through the combustion experiments of biomass and coal on Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG) with different ratios, the method of co-combustion curve-fitting and predicting based on the individual fuel combustion TG curve are studied.