Co-Combustion of Municipal Solid Waste and Animal Waste : Experiment and Simulation Studies

Sammanfattning: Co-combustion of animal carcasses and slaughterhouse waste products (animal waste), which are classed as high-risk infectious waste, has been considered as a “fuel opportunity” for waste-to-energy boilers. In this study, the impact of co-combustion of animal waste with municipal solid waste (MSW) on operational issues such as bed agglomeration, deposit formation and emission was investigated, employing experimental and theoretical methods. In the experimental section, a series of full-scale tests in a bubbling fluidised-bed boiler were carried out, to determine the effects of animal waste co-combustion on the issues addressed. Two combustion scenarios were considered, identified as the reference (Ref) case and the animal waste (AW) case. In the Ref case, a solid-waste fuel mix, consisting of sorted and pretreated industry and household waste was combusted. In the AW case, 20 wt% AW was added to the reference fuel mix. The collected samples, which included super-heater deposits, fuel mixes and bed and fly ashes, were analysed, using chemical fractionation, SEM-EDX and XRD. In addition, the flue gases´ emission rate were continuously analysed, using FTIR spectrometry. The results showed positive effects from co-combustion of AW, indicating decreased deposit formation and lower risk of bed agglomeration, as well as reduced emissions of NOx and SO2. Moreover, it was found that the concentrations of P, Ca, S and Cl were enriched in the bed materials. In the theoretical section, thermodynamic calculations, with respect to experimental data, were performed to provide greater understanding of the ash transformation behaviour and the related melting temperature. The calculations mainly focused on bed agglomeration, where addition of AW to the MSW considerably reduced the risk of agglomeration. The results of equilibrium products and phase diagram information for the bed ashes suggested melt-induced agglomeration as a possible cause of the formation of sticky layers on the bed particle in the Ref case. Moreover, it was concluded that higher amounts of calcium phosphate and sulfates increased the first melting temperature of the bed ashes in the AW case.