Evaluation of municipal wastes as secondary fuels through co-combustion with woody biomass in a fluidized bed reactor

Abstract

Co-combustion of two municipal waste materials (food waste and bio-solids) with an agricultural residue was carried out in a fluid bed unit, for investigating the thermal exploitation of these wastes for energy production. The reactivity of the fuels was studied by thermogravimetric analysis, while temperature profiles, gaseous emissions and combustion efficiency were determined under different operating conditions of the fluid bed reactor. By blending municipal solid waste or sewage sludge with olive stone burnout was improved, nevertheless even at high percentages of these wastes in the mixture combustion efficiency was very good, ranging between 98.5 and 99.5%. A reduction in excess air from 50 to 30%, or an increase in fuel feeding, resulted in higher SO2 and NOx emissions. SO2 levels from olive stone/municipal solid waste blends were negligible, while those of NOx exceeded emission guidelines. To meet legislation without any extra measures, generally the share of municipal solid waste in the mixture should be up to 10%, reactor loading for all mixtures below 0.72 kg/h and excess air over 40%.