Through biomass gasification, biomass can be converted at high temperature to a product gas rich in carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methane. After cleaning and upgrading, the product gas can be converted to biofuels such as hydrogen; methanol; dimethyl ether; and synthetic diesel, gasoline, and natural gas. Particulate matter (PM) is formed as a contaminant in the gasification process, and the aim of this work was to develop and apply a method for sampling and characterization of PM in the hot product gas.   A particle measurement system consisting of a dilution probe combined in series with a bed of granular activated carbon for tar adsorption was developed, with the aim of extracting a sample of the hot product gas without changing the size distribution and composition of the PM. The mass size distribution and concentration, as well as the morphology and elementary composition, of PM in the size range 10 nm to 10 µm in the product gas from a bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) gasifier, a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) gasifier and an indirect BFB gasifier using various types of biomass as fuel were determined.   All gasifiers and fuels displayed a bimodal particle mass size distribution with a fine mode in the <0.5 µm size range and a coarse mode in the >0.5 µm size range. Compared with the mass concentration of the coarse mode the mass concentration of the fine mode was low from all gasifiers. The evaluation of the results for the fine-mode PM was complicated by condensing potassium chloride for the CFB gasifier when using miscanthus as fuel and by condensing tars for the indirect BFB gasifier when using wood C as fuel. The mass concentration of the coarse-mode PM was higher from the CFB gasifier than from the two BFB gasifiers. The coarse-mode PM from the BFB gasifier when using wood A as fuel was dominated by char. In the CFB gasifier the coarse-mode PM was mainly ash and bed material when using all fuels. The coarse-mode PM from the indirect BFB gasifier when using wood C as fuel was mainly ash.

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The ever-increasing quantity of by-products generated from burning coal in the production of electricity has brought about the need for new areas of utilization. This study examined the use of FGD gypsum and fluidized bed combustion ash along with Class F fly ash in the production of low-energy, 100% by-product cement blends. The cement blends used the advantageous properties of the by-product materials to create cementing properties rather than energy intensive clinker used in ordinary portland cement. The FGD gypsum was converted to hemihydrate which rapidly hydrated to provide the cement with early strength gains, whilst the fluidized bed combustion ash reacted with the Class F fly ash to form pozzolanic cementitious phases which provided the longer-term compressive strength and possibly resistance to weathering. The rate of compressive strength gains and minimizing detrimental expansion were two properties of particular interest in the study. Chemical admixtures were used to improve the compressive strengths of the cement mortars and decrease their solubility.

Global warming is an unequivocal fact proved by the persistent rise of the average temperature of the earth. IPCC reported that scientists were more than 90 % certain that most of the global warming was caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG) produced by human activities. One alternative to combat the GHG is to explore technologies for utilizing CO2 already generated by current energy systems and develop methods to convert CO2 into useful combustible gases. Two-step conversion of CO2 with catalysts is one of the most promising methods. Ceria (CeO2) is chosen as the main catalyst for this conversion in the thesis. It releases O2 when it is reduced in a heating process, and then absorbs O2 from CO2 to produce CO when it is re-oxidized in a cooling process. To make the conversion economic, solar power is employed to drive the conversion system. In this thesis, a flexible system with fluidized bed reactors (FBRs) is introduced. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was carried out to examine the performance of ceria during its reduction and oxidation. Subsequently, the exergy analysis was used to evaluate the system’s capability on exporting work. The theoretical fuel to chemical efficiency varied from 4.85 % to 43.2 % for CO2 conversions. To investigate the operation mechanism of the system, a mathematical model was built up for the dynamic simulation of the system. Variables such as temperatures and efficiencies were calculated and recorded for different cases. The optimum working condition was found out to be at 1300 ⁰C for the commercial type of ceria. Finally, an experimental system was set up. The hydrodynamics and heat transfer in the fluidized bed reactor were studied. A CFD model was built up and validated with the experimental trials around 120 ⁰C. The model was then used as a reliable tool for the optimization of the reactor. The entire work in the thesis follows the procedure of developing an engineering system. It forms a solid basis for further improvements of the system to recycle CO2. / <p>QC 20141006</p>

Umeå Energi AB har bestämt att en kontroll av pannverkningsgraden för kraftvärmepannan Dåva 2 skall genomföras. I dagsläget genomförs en beräkning av verkningsgraden månadsvis med den direkta beräkningsmetoden. Resultatet varierar dock kraftigt månad till månad varav en undersökning med indirekt beräkningsmetod är av intresse. Arbetet genomförs för att ge en mer noggrant beräknad verkningsgrad samt utreda förlustfaktorer kopplad till pannan. Då pannverkningsgraden i vanliga fall inte inkluderar rökgaskondensering beräknades också totalverkningsgraden för att ge en mer rättvis bild av pannan samt för att illustrera dess relevans. Arbetet genomfördes för två olika driftsfall, hög och låg last, för att undersöka hur verkningsgraden varierar beroende på driftsfall. Arbetet inleddes genom att studera de standarder som finns inom området för att utreda vilka faktorer som skulle beräknas samt vilka kriterier som skulle följas. Det framgick att en hel del provtagningar och analyser skulle genomföras på bland annat bränsle, aska och rökgaser. Detta krävde i sin tur en noggrann planering varav ett provtagningsschema skapades. Samtliga provtagningar genomfördes vid bägge driftsfallen och proverna skickades på analys, därefter kunde verkningsgraden beräknas. Resultatet tyder på hög totalverkningsgrad med något lägre pannverkningsgrad. Beroende på driftsfall varierar pannverkningsgraden mellan 74% vid hög last och 72% vid låg last. Totalverkningsgraden ligger på 92% vid hög last och 91% vid låg last. Den förlustfaktor som är av störst magnitud är rökgasförluster som beror av rökgasernas fukthalt och temperatur. Rökgasförlusterna varierar mellan 24% till 26% för pannverkningsgraden och 6.6% till 7.2% för totalverkningsgraden. Utöver rökgasförlusterna ligger strålningsförlusterna på runt 0.7% vid bägge driftsfallen. Förbränningsförlusterna är mycket låga och varierar mellan 0.52% och 0.53% vilket i kombination med de låga askförlusterna (0.006%-0.04%) tyder på mycket bra förbränning. På grund av de höga verkningsgraderna framkom inga självklara effektiviseringsåtgärder. Då rökgasförlusterna är de största förlustfaktorerna är därför åtgärder mot dessa av störst betydelse för verkningsgraden. Ett alternativ för att öka verkningsgraden ytterligare är att minska fukthalten på de utgående rökgaserna. De är i dagsläget runt 9% och står för majoriteten av rökgasförlusterna. En sänkning av denna fukthalt kan erhållas genom att sänka temperaturen på rökgaserna och på så vis kondensera mer fukt ur rökgaserna. Detta innebär att temperaturen på kondensatet i rökgaskondenseringsanläggningen måste sänkas, vilket i sin tur innebära att antingen sänka fjärrvärmereturen som kyler kondensatet, alternativt installera en värmepump mellan kondensatet och fjärrvärmereturen. Detta kräver dock en djupare utredning för att fastställa om dessa effektiviseringsåtgärder är genomförbara rent tekniskt samt om de är ekonomiskt försvarbara. / Umeå Energi AB has decided that an evaluation of boiler efficiency should be performed on their CHP-plant Dåva 2. Calculation of the efficiency using the input-output method is currently carried out monthly but the results vary greatly over time whereby an evaluation of the efficiency using the energy balance method was of interest. This was done to give a more accurate efficiency and to evaluate boiler losses. Due to the fact that the boiler efficiency doesn’t usually include flue gas condensation two different efficiency were calculated, boiler efficiency and total efficiency.  The boiler and total efficiency was determined for the CHP during two different loads, high and low. This was done to investigate how the efficiency varies with different loads. The work was initiated by studying the standards in the field of efficiency calculations to evaluate which factors and criteria to be calculated and followed.  It was shown that a lot of samplings and analysis was to be performed which demanded accurate sampling interval. A sampling schedule was therefore constructed to be followed. All sampling was then performed at both loads and the efficiency calculations could begin. The results indicate a high total efficiency with somewhat lower boiler efficiency. The boiler efficiency varied depending on the load by 74% on high load and 72% on low load. The total efficiency was 92% on high load and 91% on low load. The greatest losses were all connected to flue gas losses. Losses like moisture in flue gas or hot dry flue gas. The flue gas losses varied between 24% to 26% for the boiler efficiency and 6.6% to 7.2% for the total efficiency on high and low loads. Besides flue gas losses the next greatest loss is radiation losses, about 0.7% for both high and low loads. Losses due to incomplete combustion were very low and varied between 0.52% and 0.53% for high and low load which in combination with the low ash loses (0.006%-0.04%) indicates very good combustion. Due to the relatively high efficiencies, no obvious solutions for decreased energy losses were found. The greatest energy losses are flue gas losses and a solution to this will influence the efficiency the most. One solution to increase the efficiency is to reduce the moisture content of the flue gas. At this time the moisture content is at 9% and contributes the most to the flue gas losses. Reducing the moisture content can be done by lowering the flue gas temperature. This will increase the amount of moisture that is condensed in the flue gas condenser. To achieve this, the flue gas condensate temperature needs to be decreased. This can be done by either lowering the temperature on the district heating return which is cooling the flue gas condensate or install a heat pump between the flue gas condensate and the district heating return. These solutions require a more in depth analysis to evaluate if this is technically possible and if it is economically viable.

The main aim of this work was to investigate the propensity of bed materials to retain ash-forming elements from biomass under conditions relevant to dual fluidized bed gasification (DFBG). The investigation was carried out in a laboratory-scale bubbling fluidized bed reactor in which biomass was gasified with steam and the unconverted char was combusted in the temperature range 800–900 ° C. Three bed materials (sand, olivine and bauxite) and two biomass fuels (forestry residue and wheat straw) were studied. From the results obtained and literature on the ash transformation chemistry during thermal conversion of biomass, it was found that the extent to which ash-forming elements from biomass are retained on bed materials depend among other factors on (1) the abundance of ash-forming elements in the fuel, (2) the ability of the bed material to react and form compounds with ash-forming elements and (3) the atmosphere surrounding the fuel in the reactor. For example, Ca, P and K (which were among the most abundant ash-forming elements in the forestry residues) were also the main ashforming elements retained on sand, olivine and bauxite during thermal conversion of the forestry residues. However, the retention of these elements differed on the three bed materials. With respect to reactor atmosphere, Ca and P were retained on olivine primarily during char combustion while the retention of K on olivine was somewhat similar during gasification and char combustion. In addition to the experimental results, the effect of the retention of ash-forming elements on bed agglomeration tendency and the composition of the product gas is discussed as well as the relevance of the obtained results for the DFBG process.

De-inking sludge generated from pulp and paper industry is considered hazardous since it may contain heavy metals such as Cd, Cr, and Pb. Hence, the de-inking sludge needs to be treated before being disposed of. Sludge combustion is a proven disposal technology, which generates fly ash containing a portion of the heavy metals that may leach out under uncontrolled conditions. The aim of this thesis is to implement a new multi-zone temperature combustion technique (Low-High-Low temperature combustion, LHL) to help contain and immobilize the heavy metals within fly ash particles. During the LHL, the waste will be initially fed into a low-temperature zone (<1100 K) and then subjected to the high-temperature treatment (~1480 K) that will be followed by another low-temperature zone (~1100 K). / This dissertation describes the detailed design and construction of a novel pilot-scale combustion facility, called the Multi-Mode Combustion Facility (MCF), used as a multidisciplinary research tool for investigating the thermal remediation of contaminated solid residues. The MCF is capable of operating in two different modes: Fluidized-Bed combustion mode (FBC) and Single burner furnace mode (SBF). However, this project focuses on the FBC mode (minimum fluidization velocity of 0.42 m/s and bed temperature of 1073 K). / This research compares the combustion characteristics of de-inking sludge obtained in the LHL and in the conventional combustion techniques. The following properties of particulates were studied: morphological evolution of solid particles, structural porosity, metals interactions with fly ash particles, and leachability. / The LHL's final supermicron spherical fly ash went through a molten phase with submicron particles attached to the fly ash particles surfaces. Thus, reducing its porosity to 19%. However, the amorphous final fly ash obtained in the conventional technique reveals 32% porosity. It was found that the physical characteristics of the final LHL's fly ash are the main cause for the reduced heavy metals leachability rates of 0.18, 0.046, and 0.92% for Cd, Cr, and Pb, respectively. The conventional technique had 53.28, 16.79, and 5.20% of Cd, Cr, and Pb respectively, leaching out due to the high porosity percentages. In conclusion, the LHL technique allows for controlling the heavy metals emission from FBCs, while using a waste to energy approach and maintaining environmentally acceptable gas emission levels.

In this study, new methods and processing equipments for sesame dehulling were investigated. First, water absorption of sesame seed was studied at 20, 30, and 40&deg / C. The data could be modeled using Peleg equation where it was found that the constant k1 was inversely related to temperature but the effect of temperature on k2 was negligible. In the second phase of the work a lab scale continuous screw conveyor as dehuller and two equipments, (1) fluidized bed dryer and (2) hull separator to function as agitator, dryer and separator, for hull separation were designed. Fluidized bed unit was unsuccessful as it caused rapid drying of seeds before hulls can be removed. Using designed dehuller and hull separator, seeds at 30.5, 50.4 and 70.7 % db moisture contents were processed at dehuller speeds of 420, 840, and 1150 rpm. It was found that the percentage of dehulled seeds was linearly dependent on moisture content, optimal speed of designed dehuller was 840 rpm, and results for the efficiency of dehulling the seeds were significantly the same at 420 and 1150 rpm. Repeated passes of seeds through dehuller not only increased the efficiency of dehulling but also the percentage of damaged seeds. A dehulling efficiency of about 92.5 % was attained after four passes. The possibility of soaking seeds in an enzyme solution before dehulling was also investigated. By this means, after soaking in 0.2 % (v/v) Peelzyme-I solution for 15 min, a dehulling efficiency of 95 % was achieved.

A comprehensive model, previously developed and tested for prediction of behavior of continuous fluidized bed combustors is extended to incorporate NOx formation and reduction reactions and applied to the simulation of METU 0.3 MWt Atmospheric Bubbling Fluidized Bed Combustor (ABFBC) burning lignites with high volatile matter in their own ashes. The predictive accuracy of the model was assessed by comparing its predictions with measurements taken previously on the same rig. Favorable comparisons are obtained between the predicted and measured temperatures and concentrations of gaseous species along the combustor. Results show that determination of partitioning of coal nitrogen into char nitrogen and volatile nitrogen, and release of volatile nitrogen along the combustor are found to be the most important parameters that affect NOx formation and reduction in bubbling fluidized bed combustors. The system model proposed in this study proves to be a useful tool in qualitatively and quantitatively simulating the processes taking place in an atmospheric fluidized bed combustor.

Hydrogen is considered to be an important potential energy carrier; however, its advantages are unlikely to be realized unless efficient means can be found to produce it without generation of CO2. Sorption-enhanced steam methane reforming (SE-SMR) represent a novel, energy-efficient hydrogen production route with in situ CO2 capture, shifting the reforming and water gas shift reactions beyond their conventional thermodynamic limits. The use of fluidized bed reactors for SE-SMR has been investigated. Arctic dolomite, a calcium-based natural sorbent, was chosen as the primary CO2-acceptor in this study due to high absorption capacity, relatively high reaction rate and low cost. An experimental investigation was conducted in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor of diameter 0.1 m, which was operated cyclically and batchwise, alternating between reforming/carbonation conditions and higher-temperature calcination conditions. Hydrogen concentrations of &gt;98 mole% on a dry basis were reached at 600°C and 1 atm, for superficial gas velocities in the range of ~0.03-0.1 m/s. Multiple reforming-regeneration cycles showed that the hydrogen concentration remained at ~98 mole% after four cycles. The total production time was reduced with an increasing number of cycles due to loss of CO2 -uptake capacity of the dolomite, but the reaction rates of steam reforming and carbonation seemed to be unaffected for the conditions investigated. A modified shrinking core model was applied for deriving carbonation kinetics of Arctic dolomite, using experimental data from a novel thermo gravimetric reactor. An apparent activation energy of 32.6 kJ/mole was found from parameter fitting, which is in good agreement with previous reported results. The derived rate expression was able to predict experimental conversion up to ~30% very well, whereas the prediction of higher conversion levels was poorer. However, the residence time of sorbent in a continuous reformer-calciner system is likely to be rather low, so that only a fraction of the sorbent is utilized, highlighting the importance of the carbonation model at lower conversions. A dual fluidized bed reactor for the SE-SMR system was modeled by using a simple two-phase hydrodynamic model, the experimentally derived carbonation kinetics and literature values for the kinetics of steam reforming and water gas shift reactions. The model delineates important features of the process. Hydrogen concentrations of &gt;98 mole% were predicted for temperatures ~600°C and a superficial gas velocity of 0.1 m/s. The reformer temperature should not be lower than 540°C or greater than 630°C for carbon capture efficiencies to exceed 90%. Operating at relatively high solid circulation rates to reduce the need for fresh sorbent, is predicted to give higher system efficiencies than for the case where fresh solid is added. This finding is attributed to the additional energy required to decompose both CaCO3 and MgCO3 in fresh dolomite. Moreover, adding fresh sorbent is likely to result in catalyst loss in the purge stream, requiring sorbents with lifetimes comparable to those of the catalyst. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study the reversible CO2-uptake of sorbents. In general, the multi-cycle capacity of the dolomite was found rather poor. Therefore, synthetic sorbents that maintain their capacities upon multiple reforming-calcination cycles were investigated. A low-temperature liquid phase co-precipitation method was used for synthesis of Li2ZrO3 and Na2ZrO3. Li2ZrO3 showed a superior multi-cycle capacity compared to Arctic dolomite in TGA, but the rate of reaction in diluted CO2 atmospheres was very slow. The synthesized Na2ZrO3 proved to have both fast carbonation kinetics and stable multi-cycle performance. However, regeneration in the presence of carbon dioxide was not easily accomplished. The findings of this thesis suggest that the bubbling fluidized bed reactor is an attractive reactor configuration for SE-SMR. Low gas throughput is the major disadvantage for this configuration, and operation in the fast fluidization regime is most likely to be preferred on an industrial scale of the process. Future work should focus on developing sorbents and catalysts that are suited for high velocity operation, with respect to reactivity and mechanical strength.