GASIFICATION This is thermal decomposition of combustion of atmospheric gases at elevated temps(>600) in an atmosphere of limited oxygen to produce gaseous fuel.

It is a thermal chemical conversation process of dried solid organic materials and the product fuel is known as producer gas a mixture of combustible and non-combustible specific gases. The principle combustible gas component i.e. specific gases in producer gas are carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Others include; methane, ethylene and ethane. The non combustible components are carbon dioxide CO2 H2o, N2( in case of gasification) and hydrogen sulphate (H2S) (in case the biowaste used has an Selement). Hence in total the specific gases in producer gas are CO, H2, CH2, C2H4, CO2, N2 & H2O. The final product gas (producer gas) has a calorific value of 6mj/m3 and can be used in the following energy demanding operations; Electricity generation Power I.C. engines for mechanical applications Process heat for various industrial applications Cooking gas stores Suitable waste Include dry small particles sized solid bio-wastes and coal particles. They include; saw dust, wood shavings, rice husks, maize cobs, coconut shells, bagasse, coffee husks. They must be very dry to be suitable for thermo chemical processes. Converter system; They are known as gasifies. COMBUSTION Is the series of free radical reaction, whereby carbon and hydrogen (H) elements in fuel react with oxygen gas (O) to form CO2 and H2O in gaseous form while releasing useful heat energy. The elements in the fuel react with O2 at elevated temp. to form the gaseous emissions while releasing heat energy as the main target product. SUITABLE WASTE Are dry organic solid wastes (thats low moisture content). Examples; saw dust, wood shavings, coffee husks, bagasse, wood off cuts, rice hulls, low moisture content animal manure e.g. cow dung of MSW. Coal dusk, crop residue ( maize stalks, maize cobs, coconut husks, coconut shell). The commonly used combustion devices for

small particle size biowaste, and other small particle size fuels like coal is a fluidized bed combustor, with energy recovery system.

COMBUSTION PROCESS Stage 1: Heating & Drying Through the primary raw material are dry at ambient temp. they are not 0% MC, hence the need to drive-off the present moisture to make it suitable for subsequent stages. The wet waste are heated to the point when the moisture is driven off. These takes place at about 100-200%. The amount of heat energy needed for there process will depend on the moisture content of the bio-waste being combusted. Wet Bio-Wastes dry bio-waste + H2O

Stage 2; dry-solid-particle Devolatilization Devolatilization is a general term meaning removal of volatiles from dry biomass materials and any other solid fuel with the volatile matter fraction e.g. coal. It take place at elevated temp.(225-500). It is similar to pyrolysis, in this context. Once the solid biowaste has dried and temp. elevated to 225-325C, devolotilization begins. When the temp. in the combustor uses to 500C or the volatile matter are driven off and the solid Char remains (mainly fixed carbon ) Dry bio-waste char + volatiles ( gases & liquids)

Stage 3: Combustion of Volatiles In stage two combustion volatiles i.e. the gaseous ones react with O2, while some of liquid volatiles are fragmented further to gaseous form before undergoing actual combustion sequences. e.g.(acetic acid) CH3COOH CH3CHO CH4 + CO CH4 + CO2

Finally, the combustible gases volatiles react with O2 above the fuel-bed to undergo flaming combustion. It takes place in excess air and burned with a yellowing flame radiating heat. e.g. 2CO + O2 CH4 + 2O2 2CO2 + HEAT CO2 +2H2O +HEAT

However, fluid temp. of 1100-1480C can be achieved when combustion in accomplished with low level of excess air. Stage 4: Char Combustion Subsequent to dry and devolitization the remaining char (which is predominantly carbon element) undergoes complete combustion in presence of sufficient oxygen. This is glowing combustion, releasing heat energy. It takes place at around 800C. C + O2 = CO + HEAT In case of insufficient oxygen, incomplete combustion would occur. C + O2 = CO + HEAT The product gas would then undergo flame combustion or be emitted from the combustion as waste. FLUIDIZED-BED COMBUSTOR Is a special incinerator for combustion of small particle size solid bio-waste such as saw-dust, wood shavings, coffee husks, rice husks etc. and coal dust( i.e., small particle size coal dispersed as waste. He waste is burned continuously in an atmospheric fluidized bed of inert solid particle at high temp. Consist of a collector of a mass of powdered material (i.e., particles) such as sand, silica, limestone or any other inert non-combustible, suspended on a perforated plate, known as distributor plate. Operation The bed is fluidized by subjecting the bed material e.g. sand to an upward flow of air. Sand particles become suspended in various stream in air resembling a bubbling mass of liquid. The fluidizing agents should be at a velocity that the bed particles are not carried out of the combustor, but instead, continue to circulate vigorously within the containment vessels(combustor). The bed is heated to the required operating temp at 750-950c . preheating is done via the fluidizing air, which is prepared. The waste is introduced to the bed after pre-heating. The solid waste is continuosly fed to the fluidized bed combuster consisting of noncombustible particles. The feed, in small particles is introduced at the top or at the bottom of the bed. It is rapidly distributed throughout the bed. The hot bed particles act as heat resoivor and stimulate combustion, making the fluidized-bed a very desirable device to burning combustible waste material. ENERGY RECOVERY

Hat gases, combustor product, have at the operating temp. about half of heat generated is removed/ carried by hot gases. Energy is recovered by: -immersing boiler tube in the bed -recovering heat/energy from hot gases after leaving the bed Heat transfer surfaces are immersed within the bed (e.g., steam raising tubes known as boiler tubes), which contains either water or air to act as a medium to transfer the heat energy to the end application. The furnace and the heat exchanger together are known as boilers. The system has a part , such as bio-waste pretreatment, feeding system (loading system), automatic control system, waste heat recovery system, air pollution control devices(gas cleaning equipment), and waste (ash and fire) dispose system. In such system the bio-waste combustion can result in 65-80% of the heat content of the fuel being transferred to the air or water in the boiler tubes within the combustor. Hence the need for waste heat recovery system.

PYROLYSIS This is the thermal conversion process taking place in an oxygen-free environment. It is a thermal decomposition of organic matter in the absence of free oxygen at moderate to high temp. to form a range of gaseous, liquids, and solid products fuel. It is an irreversible chemical change brought about by the action of heat energy in the atmosphere devoid of oxygen gas (oxidizing agent). A wide range of organic waste can be subjected to pyrolysis and a variety of useful products can be obtained from the process. SUITABLE WASTE Dry organic waste (<10%MC). Includes; animal manure, organic MSW, agricultural residues waste. Wet organic waste must be dried to less than 60%MC. Waste under appropriate conditions can be converted to gaseous, liquid(oil), or high grade solid fuel(charcoal) through pyrolysis. Pyrolysi is dived into 3 techniques based on operating conditions and final product fuel. Carbonization Fast pyrolysis Flash pyrolysis solid fuels (charcoal) 54% gaseous fuel(pyrolytic gas) - 84% - liquid fuel (pyrolytic oil) - 80 %.

OPERATING CONDITIONS

Which can be controlled based on the form of product fuel of interest are: Temperature Heating rate Residence time of the process Product in the reaction In case of carbonization, dry small particle bio-waste are originally compacted to enlarge particle size then carbonized. Alternatively, it can be carbonized as is on the product charcoal particle compacted using a fluidized bed combuster. Converter devices/reactors Different pyrolytic reactors are used to convert organic waste to charcoal, gaseous and/or liquid bio-fuels. Vertical bed pyrolitic reactors known as retorts are used for conversion of organic solid waste such as agricultural residue, agro-industrial waste, forestry residue, timber industry waste and MSW into charcoal, oil and gaseous fuel then the energy recovered in the process product (charcoal, gas, oil>95%) of input energy of the feed material on dry basis.

COMPACTING Also known as pelletisation. Is the physical conversion method used principally to enlarge small particles size organic solid waste by binding them to small particle size organic solid waste. Can be used directly as a fuel through direct combustion to generate heat energy for various utilization. Alternatively, they can be converted to secondary bio-fuel through appropriate thermochemical conversion method. E.g. carbonization to produce a high grade solid fuel known as charcoal. Suitable waste for this technology include; saw dust, coffee husks, MSW, rice husks, the combined and compacted organic waste known as fuel pellets or refuse derived fuel are used as fuel for boilers to produce stem or electricity. RDF is frequently combusted in utilizing boilers and specially designed combustor system. The calorific value of this product is slightly less than coal and therefore can be a good substitute of coal

and wood which are used as fuel. When coffee husks are compacted and carbonized the product fuel is known as kahawa coal. SELECTION OF ENERGY RECOVERY TECHNOLOGY Based on; a) The nature of organic waste at hand Physical x-tic; solid, liquid form with solid particles. If solid form with little MC or dry, a thermalchemical conversion method would be relevant. If in liquid form with organic solid content(with high MC, a bio chemical conversion method would be viable. Particle size; in case of dry organic waste. The particle size would determine the conversion devise. In case of gasification or combustor or conversion method. b) The form of fuel of interest; gaseous, liquid or high grade solid fuel or heat energy. c) Economic limitation d) Technical knowledge based on the technical knowledge in mind one can select an appropriate method to use to convert the organic waste at hand to fuel or energy of interest.