Utilization of distillery slop for sugar cane production and environmental pollution reduction

The research aimed to study the effect of distillery slop and chemical fertilizer on soil fertility, growth and yield of sugar cane. The field experiment was conducted on Mahasarakam soil series, using the K 88-92 variety of sugar cane. The results showed that distillery slop significantly increased some nutrients in soil, particularly potassium, magnesium, sulfur and chloride. The results also showed that application of distillery slop did not affect most of the physical properties of soil. Only the saturated hydraulic conductivity was significantly decreased under non-application of fertilizer. Under the application of distillery slop, chemical fertilizer had no significant effect on the yield and the juice quality of sugar cane for both crop years. However, under non-application of distillery slop in the first crop year, application of 21-0-0 and 20-20-0 fertilizer had a significant effect on cane yield. With the application of chemical fertilizer, distillery slop had an influence on the yield of sugar cane in both crop years while different doses of slop did not make any significant difference on cane yield. The average yields of the first crop year were 126.7, 195.6, 203.0 and 187.2 ton/hectare and those of the second crop year were 85.0, 150.0, 150.8 and 142.4 ton/hectare after the application of 0, 187.5, 375 and 562.5 m3/hectare, respectively. The results also showed that application of distillery slop did not have any significant effect on juice quality for both crop years. Investigation of slop trace under the ground surface indicated that application of distillery slop did not affect the quality of underground water as the deepest level of trace was only 50 centimeters

The Use of Amine Reclaimer Wastes as a NOx Reduction Agent

AbstractAmine reclaimer wastes (ARW) generated in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is categorized as a hazardous waste which needs proper disposal. The proposal described in this paper can bring about a multi-effective solution to the problem of CCS waste handling. Both the pilot scale and the full scale experimental trials carried out in this study using ARW and pure monoethanolamine (MEA) confirmed the possibility of utilizing ARW as a potential reagent for the selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) of NOx in combustion flue gases. Even though the effectiveness of ARW is lower than that of aqueous ammonia, i.e. the most common SNCR chemical reagent used in industry (above 60% NOx reduction efficiency), ARW is nonetheless shown to possess valuable SNCR qualities (at least 20% NOx reduction efficiency) considering its availability as a waste product which has to be safely disposed. A series of thermo-gravimetric analyses provided important information on vaporization characteristics of amine reclaimer bottom wastes. The proposed methodology can lead to simultaneous energy and material resource recovery while primarily solving two environmental pollution problems, i.e. toxic ARW wastes generated in CCS, and emission of NOx a class of highly active greenhouse gases

Dynamic operation of post-combustion CO2 capture in Australian coal-fired power plants

Flexible operation of post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC) plants can improve efficiency through coordinating the balance between consumer demands for electricity and CO2 emission reductions. This strategy however, will impose process disturbances and the immediate and long term impact is unclear. There is a justified need for the development of accurate dynamic PCC models, as well as practical experience in dynamic operation of PCC pilot plants. This paper presents CSIRO PCC pilot plant data from the 2012 and 2013 dynamic campaigns using MEA solvent. The step-change approach to dynamic plant operation was implemented and the use of density meters to instantaneously measure CO2 loading instantaneously was investigated

Integration of the environmental management aspect in the optimization of the design and planning of energy systems

The increasing concerns regarding the environmental pollution derived from anthropogenic activities, such as the use of fossil fuels for power generation, has driven many interested parties to seek different alternatives, e.g. use of renewable energy sources, use of “cleaner” fuels and use of more effective technologies, in order to minimize and control the quantity of emissions that are produced during the life cycle of conventional energy sources. In addition to these alternatives, the use of an integrated procedure in which the environmental aspect will be taken into account during the design and planning of energy systems could provide a basis on which emissions reduction will be dealt with a life cycle approach. The work presented in this paper focuses on the examination of the possibilities of integrating the environmental aspects in the preliminary phase of the conventional design and planning of energy systems in conjunction with other parameters, such as financial cost, availability, capacity, location, etc. The integration of the environmental parameter to the design is carried out within a context where Eco-design concepts are applied. Due to the multi-parameter nature of the design procedure, the tools that are used are Life Cycle Analysis and Multi-criteria Analysis. The proposed optimization model examines and identifies optimum available options of the use of different energy sources and technologies for the production of electricity and/or heat by minimizing both the financial cost and the environmental impacts, with regard to a multiple objective optimization subject to a set of specific constraints. Implementation of the proposed model in the form of a case study for the island of Rhodes in Greece revealed that an optimized solution both cost and environmental-wise, would be an almost balanced participation of renewables and non-renewable energy sources in the energy mix