Estimation of Lower Heating Value and Higher Heating Value of Syngas from Carbonized Sewage Sludge Gasification

One of the methods of sewage sludge management may be its gasification with prior torrefaction. Simulation results of gasification of the carbonized sewage sludge obtained in the process of torrefaction were presented. Modeling of the carbonized sludge gasification process was performed in temperatures ranging from 973 K to 1473 K with air applied as a gasifying agent. Ten simulations were performed at each temperature, during which the molar ratio of oxygen to carbon (O/C) was varied. The results showed that the carbonized sludge obtained by torrefaction for 60min at 533K allowed for production of syngas with the highest heating value (16.44 MJ/m(3)) at gasification temperature of 973 K and the molar ratio O/C=0.1. Multiple regression analysis allowed for determination of statistical significance of technological parameters (temperature, concentration of gasifying agent) on both the lower heating value (LHV) and the higher heating value (HHV) of syngas produced. The obtained results demonstrated that a variable that significantly influenced the gasification process was the gasification agent concentration. With its increase, the fuel properties of syngas deteriorated There were no more significant changes in calorific value of the obtained syngas with the increase in temperature, therefore temperature was the technological parameter considered to affect the process in a less significant manner.