O carvão mineral nacional representa uma alternativa atraente para a solução do problema energético do Brasil. Os maiores problemas técnicos associados à queima dos carvões minerais brasileiros referem-se à emissões de gases poluentes de enxofre e nitrogênio e a problemas causados por fusão de cinzas. Por outro lado, a queima eficiente e limpa de biomassa e resíduos industriais entre outros materiais combustíveis, pode trazer benefícios ambientais consideráveis. O processo de combustão em leito fluidizado é reconhecidamente flexível quanto ao uso de combustível, trabalha com baixas temperaturas que evitam a fusão de cinzas e diminuem a emissão de NOx e permite a remoção de SOx ainda dentro do leito, por meio da adição de calcário o que dispensa tratamento adicional para este gás. Considerando o exposto acima, uma planta piloto de combustão em leito fluidizado foi projetada e construída no NETeF da EESC/USP e utilizada inicialmente para testes de remoção de SO2 durante a queima de carvão. A concepção e construção do reator e de seus periféricos são discutidas e os resultados são apresentados. Na absorção de SO2 duas variáveis foram consideradas; a relação molar Ca/S e o excesso de ar de combustão. Os resultados mostram eficiência de remoção de SO2 de até 94% para relação Ca/S = 4 e excesso de ar de 21%. Para a relação Ca/S = 1, a mais baixa utilizada neste trabalho e que representa a condição estequiométrica, este valor cai para 55%. O excesso de ar mostrou um papel claro, porém mais modesto. A redução do excesso de ar de 21% para a condição estequiométrica levou a eficiência de 94 para 84%. / The utilization of coal is an attractive way to reduce some of the energy problems in Brazil. Major problems associated with coal combustion are polutant emissions, mainly SOx and NOx and ash fusion. Additionally, the efficient combustion of biomass and industrial hazardous wastes, among other fuels, can bring a significant environmental benefit. Fluidized bed combustion is recognized to be flexible in the use of fuel, produce low temperature that avoid ash fusion and reduce NOx emissions, and allow SOx absorption by limestone inside the bed, what makes unnecessary additional gas treatment for this pollutant. Considering that, a fluidized bed combustion pilot plant was projected and built in NETeF at EESC/USP and initially used for investigations of the SO2 absorption by limestone during coal combustion. The concept and construction of the plant are presented and discussed and the results are shown. Regarding the absorption of SO2, two variables were investigated, namely the molar ratio Ca/S and the excess of combustion air. An absorption efficiency of up to 94% was achieved with Ca/S = 4 and excess air of 21%. When Ca/S = 1 was used - what represents the stoichiometric ratio and was the lowest used in this work, this efficiency dropped to 55%. Excess air showed a clear but more modest role. The decrease of excess air from 21% to the stoichiometric condition decreased the efficiency from 94 to 84%.

Co-firing of biomass with coal in fluidized bed combustors is a promising alternative which leads to environmentally friendly use of coal by reducing emissions and provides utilization of biomass residues. Therefore, effect of biomass share on gaseous pollutant emissions from fluidized bed co-firing of various biomass fuels with high calorific value coals have extensively been investigated to date. However, effect of co-firing of olive residue, hazelnut shell and cotton residue with low calorific value lignites having high ash and sulfur contents has not been studied in bubbling fluidized bed combustors to date. In this thesis study, co-firing of typical Turkish lignite with olive residue, hazelnut shell and cotton residue in 0.3 MWt METU Atmospheric Bubbling Fluidized Bed Combustion (ABFBC) Test Rig was investigated in terms of combustion and emission performance and ash behavior of different fuel blends. The results reveal that co-firing of olive residue, hazelnut shell and cotton residue with lignite increases the combustion efficiency and freeboard temperatures compared to those of lignite firing with limestone addition only. O2 and CO2 emissions are not found sensitive to increase in olive residue, hazelnut shell and cotton residue share in fuel blend. Co-firing lowers SO2 emissions considerably while increasing CO emissions. Co-firing of olive residue and hazelnut shell has no significant influence on NO emissions, however, reduces N2O emissions. Co-firing cotton residue results in higher NO and N2O emissions. Regarding to major, minor and trace elements partitioning, co-firing lignite with biomasses under consideration shifts the partitioning of these elements from bottom ash to fly ash. No chlorine is detected in both EDX and XRD analyses of the ash deposits. In conclusion, olive residue, hazelnut shell and cotton residue can easily be co-fired with high ash and sulfur containing lignite without agglomeration and fouling problems.

O carvão mineral nacional representa uma alternativa atraente para a solução do problema energético do Brasil. Os maiores problemas técnicos associados à queima dos carvões minerais brasileiros referem-se à emissões de gases poluentes de enxofre e nitrogênio e a problemas causados por fusão de cinzas. Por outro lado, a queima eficiente e limpa de biomassa e resíduos industriais entre outros materiais combustíveis, pode trazer benefícios ambientais consideráveis. O processo de combustão em leito fluidizado é reconhecidamente flexível quanto ao uso de combustível, trabalha com baixas temperaturas que evitam a fusão de cinzas e diminuem a emissão de NOx e permite a remoção de SOx ainda dentro do leito, por meio da adição de calcário o que dispensa tratamento adicional para este gás. Considerando o exposto acima, uma planta piloto de combustão em leito fluidizado foi projetada e construída no NETeF da EESC/USP e utilizada inicialmente para testes de remoção de SO2 durante a queima de carvão. A concepção e construção do reator e de seus periféricos são discutidas e os resultados são apresentados. Na absorção de SO2 duas variáveis foram consideradas; a relação molar Ca/S e o excesso de ar de combustão. Os resultados mostram eficiência de remoção de SO2 de até 94% para relação Ca/S = 4 e excesso de ar de 21%. Para a relação Ca/S = 1, a mais baixa utilizada neste trabalho e que representa a condição estequiométrica, este valor cai para 55%. O excesso de ar mostrou um papel claro, porém mais modesto. A redução do excesso de ar de 21% para a condição estequiométrica levou a eficiência de 94 para 84%. / The utilization of coal is an attractive way to reduce some of the energy problems in Brazil. Major problems associated with coal combustion are polutant emissions, mainly SOx and NOx and ash fusion. Additionally, the efficient combustion of biomass and industrial hazardous wastes, among other fuels, can bring a significant environmental benefit. Fluidized bed combustion is recognized to be flexible in the use of fuel, produce low temperature that avoid ash fusion and reduce NOx emissions, and allow SOx absorption by limestone inside the bed, what makes unnecessary additional gas treatment for this pollutant. Considering that, a fluidized bed combustion pilot plant was projected and built in NETeF at EESC/USP and initially used for investigations of the SO2 absorption by limestone during coal combustion. The concept and construction of the plant are presented and discussed and the results are shown. Regarding the absorption of SO2, two variables were investigated, namely the molar ratio Ca/S and the excess of combustion air. An absorption efficiency of up to 94% was achieved with Ca/S = 4 and excess air of 21%. When Ca/S = 1 was used - what represents the stoichiometric ratio and was the lowest used in this work, this efficiency dropped to 55%. Excess air showed a clear but more modest role. The decrease of excess air from 21% to the stoichiometric condition decreased the efficiency from 94 to 84%.

In this study, flue gas emissions and combustion efficiencies during combustion and co-combustion of olive cake and coal are investigated in a bubbling fluidized bed with an inside diameter of 102 mm and a height of 900 mm and 1900 mm. Tun&ccedil / bilek lignite coal and Edremit olive cake were used in the experiments as fuels. Temperature distributions along the combustion column were continuously measured. Flue gas concentrations of O2, CO, SO2 and NOx were measured during combustion experiments. Four sets of experiments were performed in order to examine the effect of fuel composition, excess air ratio, freeboard extension and limestone addition on flue gas emissions and combustion efficiency. The olive cake addition to coal were 25, 50, 75 % by wt. The bed temperature on the average was 850 oC. The results of the experiments showed that coal combustion occurs at lower parts of the combustion column whereas olive cake combustion takes place more in the freeboard region. As olive cake percentage in the fuel mixture increased, CO emissions increased, SO2 and NOx emissions decreased. The reason for the decrease of NOx emissions with increasing percentage of olive cake in the fuel mixture was due to a reducing atmosphere created in the combustion column. Mostly combustion losses resulted mainly from the unburnt carbon in the fly ash. With the freeboard extension, noticeable decrease in CO emissions and slight increase in combustion efficiencies were observed. Among the limestones tested, &Ccedil / an limestone gave the best result with Ca/S = 3 at an optimum bed temperature of 850 oC. The SO2 reduction was 87% at this Ca/S ratio. For co-combustion experiments, it was observed that SO2 adsorption efficiency of limestone increased with the addition of olive cake to the fuel mixture.