IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v226y2021ics0360544221005454.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The feasibility of solar assisted pyrolysis of sewer sludge and its potential for CO2 emissions reductions

Author

Listed:
  • Eldredge, T.V.

Abstract

This paper proposes using solar energy to facilitate pyrolysis of sewer sludge with a solar PTC (parabolic trough collector). Analysis of the proposed process resulted in predicting significant reductions in both electricity requirements and CO2 emissions over conventional methods of sewer sludge processing and disposal. The predicted CO2 reductions result from using carbon neutral pyrolysis gas to replace fossil fuels, and from energy savings associated with wastewater sludge processing. Steam was chosen as the pyrolysis medium based on availability, cost, and its lower overall energy demand. Although kinetic data is not available for sludge pyrolysis using steam, the available literature suggests that using steam is feasible and the pyrolysis kinetics may be similar, to those using nitrogen. The technical feasibility of using a solar trough collector for pyrolysis of sewer sludge was evaluated using a one-dimensional model. The model suggests that using steam as a pyrolysis medium has significant thermal benefits. The receiver tube emissivity was found to have a substantial effect on both the PTC reactor thermal efficiency and the maximum achievable pyrolysis temperature. The findings suggest that the proposed process for sewer sludge pyrolysis is technically feasible and merits further research.

Suggested Citation

  • Eldredge, T.V., 2021. "The feasibility of solar assisted pyrolysis of sewer sludge and its potential for CO2 emissions reductions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 226(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:226:y:2021:i:c:s0360544221005454
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2021.120296
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544221005454
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2021.120296?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Voyant, Cyril & Notton, Gilles & Kalogirou, Soteris & Nivet, Marie-Laure & Paoli, Christophe & Motte, Fabrice & Fouilloy, Alexis, 2017. "Machine learning methods for solar radiation forecasting: A review," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 569-582.
    2. Sánchez, M. & Clifford, B. & Nixon, J.D., 2018. "Modelling and evaluating a solar pyrolysis system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 116(PA), pages 630-638.
    3. Sobek, Szymon & Werle, Sebastian, 2019. "Solar pyrolysis of waste biomass: Part 1 reactor design," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 1939-1948.
    4. Fuqiang, Wang & Ziming, Cheng & Jianyu, Tan & Yuan, Yuan & Yong, Shuai & Linhua, Liu, 2017. "Progress in concentrated solar power technology with parabolic trough collector system: A comprehensive review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1314-1328.
    5. Manikandan, G.K. & Iniyan, S. & Goic, Ranko, 2019. "Enhancing the optical and thermal efficiency of a parabolic trough collector – A review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 1524-1540.
    6. Atienza-Martínez, María & Ábrego, Javier & Mastral, José Francisco & Ceamanos, Jesús & Gea, Gloria, 2018. "Energy and exergy analyses of sewage sludge thermochemical treatment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 723-735.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yang, Honglun & Wang, Qiliang & Zhong, Shuai & Kwan, Trevor Hocksun & Feng, Junsheng & Cao, Jingyu & Pei, Gang, 2020. "Spectral-spatial design and coupling analysis of the parabolic trough receiver," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    2. Ajbar, Wassila & Parrales, A. & Huicochea, A. & Hernández, J.A., 2022. "Different ways to improve parabolic trough solar collectors’ performance over the last four decades and their applications: A comprehensive review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    3. Moosavian, Seyed Farhan & Borzuei, Daryoosh & Ahmadi, Abolfazl, 2021. "Energy, exergy, environmental and economic analysis of the parabolic solar collector with life cycle assessment for different climate conditions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(P1), pages 301-320.
    4. Cheng, Ze-Dong & Men, Jing-Jing & Liu, Shi-Cheng & He, Ya-Ling, 2019. "Three-dimensional numerical study on a novel parabolic trough solar receiver-reactor of a locally-installed Kenics static mixer for efficient hydrogen production," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 250(C), pages 131-146.
    5. Liang, Huaxu & Wang, Fuqiang & Yang, Luwei & Cheng, Ziming & Shuai, Yong & Tan, Heping, 2021. "Progress in full spectrum solar energy utilization by spectral beam splitting hybrid PV/T system," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    6. Hachicha, Ahmed Amine & Yousef, Bashria A.A. & Said, Zafar & Rodríguez, Ivette, 2019. "A review study on the modeling of high-temperature solar thermal collector systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 280-298.
    7. Zaharil, H.A. & Hasanuzzaman, M., 2020. "Modelling and performance analysis of parabolic trough solar concentrator for different heat transfer fluids under Malaysian condition," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 22-41.
    8. Liu, Shuaishuai & Yang, Bin & Hou, Yutian & Yu, Xiaohui, 2022. "Effects of geometric configurations on the thermal-mechanical properties of parabolic trough receivers based on coupled optical-thermal-stress model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 929-942.
    9. Gharat, Punit V. & Bhalekar, Snehal S. & Dalvi, Vishwanath H. & Panse, Sudhir V. & Deshmukh, Suresh P. & Joshi, Jyeshtharaj B., 2021. "Chronological development of innovations in reflector systems of parabolic trough solar collector (PTC) - A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    10. Liu, Peng & Dong, Zhimin & Xiao, Hui & Liu, Zhichun & Liu, Wei, 2021. "Thermal-hydraulic performance analysis of a novel parabolic trough receiver with double tube for solar cascade heat collection," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    11. Agga, Ali & Abbou, Ahmed & Labbadi, Moussa & El Houm, Yassine, 2021. "Short-term self consumption PV plant power production forecasts based on hybrid CNN-LSTM, ConvLSTM models," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 101-112.
    12. Mousavi, Navid & Kothapalli, Ganesh & Habibi, Daryoush & Das, Choton K. & Baniasadi, Ali, 2020. "A novel photovoltaic-pumped hydro storage microgrid applicable to rural areas," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    13. Varun, K. & Arunachala, U.C. & Elton, D.N., 2020. "Trade-off between wire matrix and twisted tape: SOLTRACE® based indoor study of parabolic trough collector," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 478-492.
    14. Erik Heilmann & Janosch Henze & Heike Wetzel, 2021. "Machine learning in energy forecasts with an application to high frequency electricity consumption data," MAGKS Papers on Economics 202135, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    15. Ke Yan & Xudong Wang & Yang Du & Ning Jin & Haichao Huang & Hangxia Zhou, 2018. "Multi-Step Short-Term Power Consumption Forecasting with a Hybrid Deep Learning Strategy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-15, November.
    16. Ping-Huan Kuo & Chiou-Jye Huang, 2018. "A Green Energy Application in Energy Management Systems by an Artificial Intelligence-Based Solar Radiation Forecasting Model," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-15, April.
    17. Ábrego, J. & Atienza-Martínez, M. & Plou, F. & Arauzo, J., 2019. "Heat requirement for fixed bed pyrolysis of beechwood chips," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 145-157.
    18. Paik, Chunhyun & Chung, Yongjoo & Kim, Young Jin, 2021. "ELCC-based capacity credit estimation accounting for uncertainties in capacity factors and its application to solar power in Korea," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 833-841.
    19. Li, Xueling & Chang, Huawei & Duan, Chen & Zheng, Yao & Shu, Shuiming, 2019. "Thermal performance analysis of a novel linear cavity receiver for parabolic trough solar collectors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C), pages 431-439.
    20. Gong, Jing-hu & Wang, Jun & Lund, Peter D. & Zhao, Dan-dan & Xu, Jing-wen & Jin, Yi-hao, 2021. "Comparative study of heat transfer enhancement using different fins in semi-circular absorber tube for large-aperture trough solar concentrator," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 1229-1241.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:226:y:2021:i:c:s0360544221005454. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.