Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) have developed a strategy of combined industrial and municipal waste recovery by burning it as part of composite fuels, which, they believe, will help save at least 1.5 times more money than using traditional coal.
The study results were published in the journal Energies.
Composite fuels are a modern perspective energy resource for thermal power plants (TPPs), which are used instead of coal to generate electric and thermal energy. Usually, these are mixtures of various components (low-grade coal, combustible solid municipal waste, waste oils, wastewater, or biomass), the share of which varies widely, depending on specific tasks.
The advantages of composite fuels compared to coal are its low cost (the main costs are associated with the preparation of fuel mixtures and transportation of components) and lower sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions through flue gases.
Using new energy resources, unclaimed waste, in the fuel and energy industry allows the consumption of coal to be reduced, especially since TPPs use less than 30% of coal’s energy potential; and it’s much more efficient to use it, for example, in the metallurgy and chemical industry.
The scientist noted that in most countries with a developed raw materials sector, mining regions are surrounded by regions with a high level of industrial and social development. This creates favourable conditions for extracting raw materials and energy resources, developing enterprises, as well as population growth.
At the same time, one of the major environmental tasks for regions with a developed raw materials sector is to reduce the negative environmental impact from factories and oil enterprises when stockpiling combustible waste at industrial landfills.
In this Sunday, September 30, 2018 photo water vapour clouds rise from the cooling towers of the Jaenschwalde lignite-fired power plant of Lausitz Energie Bergbau AG (LEAG) in Jaenschwalde, Germany.
In regions with a high standard of living, it’s very important to process and recover municipal solid waste (MSW); its annual production volume is comparable to the volume of industrial waste of enterprises (millions of tonnes per year).
Adding MSW to composite fuels helps reduce the growth rate of landfill areas, as well as prevent vast areas from being excluded from agricultural use, Dmitry Glushkov explained.
According to the researcher, the positive economic effect will be up to $6.9 billion, or 78% of the main costs of three thermal power plants operating on coal within 25 years.
To further develop industrial technology and apply it practically, it is necessary to solve several engineering problems and conduct full-scale field experiments at thermal power facilities.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
