Energy Valorization of Edible Organic Matter for Electrical, Thermal and Cooling Energy Generation: Part Two

Abstract

This work focuses on energy recovery from residual organic biomass, particularly from food products in large distribution centers beyond their sell-by date and edibility, emphasizing the valorization of material originally considered as waste. Its recovery makes a valuable contribution to resources rationalization and to environmental sustainability.An integrated system anaerobic reactor, primary plants for electricity and heat production (micro gas turbines, internal combustion engines and solid oxide fuel cells), refrigeration plants for cooling energy generation (absorption and compression cooling plants), fed with the aforementioned organic matter, is presented. The procedure of an integrated system designing is proposed in the first paper: Part One.This second paper, Part Two, applies the previously mentioned procedure to a case study and presents the results of the various analyzes. Downstream, the matching “energy system-user” analysis is then carried out to assess the most appropriate energy supply strategy and therefore the choice of the most efficient primary plant. Finally, the knowledge of the global energies, of the consumption of biogas, and of the characterization of the organic fraction, allows the dimensioning of the anaerobic reactor and the determination of the quantity of organic matter to be processed for user purposes.