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Classification of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and Model Development of a Novel Thermal Utilization Concept Through Air-Gasification

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Abstract

The need for refuse derived fuels (RDF) standardization gets rapidly essential in the EU-member states and especially in regions where a specific market for such fuels is currently under development. The promotion of standardization practices facilitates public acceptance, supports the development of quality assurance mechanisms and enhances the marketability of selected waste streams as fuels with high biogenic content. In the present work the results of an extensive RDF sampling and characterization campaign are reported, along with the results of process calculations for the potential energy utilization of this fuel in an air blown gasifier. The studied materials recovery facility produces ~15,000 t RDF/y, derived from packaging waste, and is mainly composed of plastic and paper. Given that the produced material is not currently thermally utilized for commercial purposes, it is believed that such standardization will drastically enhance fuel marketability and public acceptance. The current work classified the aforementioned RDF as 4, 2, 1 according to the European Standard EN 15359:2011. Moreover, thermodynamic calculations on the gasification process found that the optimum operational temperature for any air gasification process that utilizes the studied RDF, in terms of carbon conversion rate and gasification efficiency, lies between 850 and 900 °C. The extended sampling average fuel composition determined the operating conditions for autothermal operation; the process simulations reveal that the ER may range from 0.27 to 0.42.

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Abbreviations

MBT:

Mechanical biological treatment

MRF:

Materials recovery facility

RDF:

Refuse derived fuel

SRF:

Solid recovered fuel

MSW:

Municipal solid waste

λ :

Equivalence ratio

CGE:

Cold gas efficiency

LHV:

Lower heating value (MJ/kg)

HHV:

Higher heating value (MJ/kg)

T:

Temperature (°C)

P:

Pressure (bar)

PVC:

Polyvinyl chloride

Sam.Size:

Sample size

Incr.Size:

Increment size

eff:

Effective

min:

Minimum

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Acknowledgments

The support of the European Commission on the Life09 co-financing instrument for environmental actions through the project LIFE09/ENV/GR/000307—Energy Waste is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, 4th km. N.R. Ptolemais – Kozani, 50200, Ptolemais, Greece

    Panagiotis Vounatsos, Konstantinos Atsonios, Michalis Agraniotis, Panagiotis Grammelis & Emmanouil Kakaras

  2. School of Engineering, Nazarbayev University, 53 Kabanbay Batyr Ave., Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan, 010000

    Grigorios Itskos

Authors
  1. Panagiotis Vounatsos
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  2. Konstantinos Atsonios
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  3. Grigorios Itskos
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  4. Michalis Agraniotis
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  5. Panagiotis Grammelis
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  6. Emmanouil Kakaras
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Correspondence to Panagiotis Vounatsos.

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Vounatsos, P., Atsonios, K., Itskos, G. et al. Classification of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and Model Development of a Novel Thermal Utilization Concept Through Air-Gasification. Waste Biomass Valor 7, 1297–1308 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-016-9520-6

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