Sunday, May 4, 2008
1-32

Evaluation of Energy Cogeneration System Using Urban Wastes in Brazil

Juliana Q. Albarelli1, Diego T. Santos2, Boutros F. Sarrouh2, Silvio S. Silva2, and Marcelo R. Holanda1. (1) Basic Department, Escola de Engenharia de Lorena, Universidade de São Paulo, Estrada Municipal do Campinho, s/n, Lorena, 12602-810, Brazil, (2) Department of Biotechnology, Escola de Engenharia de Lorena, Universidade de São Paulo, Estrada Municipal do Campinho, s/n, Lorena, 12602-810, Brazil

Urban solid residues and organic wastes from animals are considered potentially useful for clean energy production. Transformation processes of these lignocellulosic resources and urban solid wastes in useful energy, biofuels and diverse chemical products are world widely investigated. Pyrolysis, for example, can produce electrical energy and products that can be found in the form of solids (vegetal carbon), liquids and gasses. Brazil produces daily an amount of 242,000 tons of wastes, in which 90,000 tons corresponds to municipal solid residues (MSR). Almost 76 % of these residues are not being properly treated and processed for energy production. In this context, an energy cogeneration system is proposed as a solution of this problem through the generation of electricity and useful heat using MSR as raw material, and at the same time leading in the reduction of 80% of its accumulated mass as well as undesirable effects on the environment. This work studied the viability of a cogeneration system by using energy and exergy balances and computational tools to analyze the influence of different mass fluxes of MSR. The combined system was consisted of a gas turbine responsible for natural gas burning as well as a steam cycle responsible for MSR burning. The results showed that for any mass fluxes of MSR this system was viable, where a high amount of electrical energy was produced and also the excess energy could be used by other industries. Therefore, combined cogeneration system presents a promising alternative for energy generation from biomass.

Acknowledgments: FAPESP


See more of Poster Session One
See more of General Submissions

See more of The 30th Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals (May 4 -- 7, 2008)