SOLID FUEL COMBUSTION MODIFIER AS A WAY TO REDUCE OR CONTROL THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE

SOLID FUEL COMBUSTION MODIFIER AS A WAY TO REDUCE OR CONTROL THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE

Dinara Orazalina

PhD candidate, Almaty technological university,

Kazakhstan, Almaty

ABSTRACT

To date, the trend to contribute to climate change is gaining momentum and is being considered at the state level. The impact of humanity on emissions into the atmosphere and environmental pollution is enormous. This dynamically reflects climate change, as a result - an increase in air temperature. In developing countries, they pay special attention to individual sustainable development goals. Keeping the industrial sector in phase is "environmentally friendly" without increasing greenhouse gas emissions into the earth's atmosphere, one of the goals of sustainable development. Responding to the challenges of the current trend of containment and development of technological solutions is the fundamental goal of combating climate change. Thus, we can conclude that the quality of life of mankind at present directly depends on the environmental situation in the country as a whole. 

Keywords: SDGs, climate change, air pollution, modifier, combustion. 

1. INTRODUCTION

The industrial sector in Kazakhstan is the basis of economic development. According to the official statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Bureau of National Statistics: "amounted to 103.6% In the mining industry and quarrying in 2021, the IPP amounted to 101.9%, due to an increase in coal production (102.6%), metal ores (105.1%), volumes for the provision of services in the mining industry ( 102.1%). In the supply of electricity, gas, steam, hot water, and air conditioning, the IPP amounted to 105.9%, mainly due to an increase in the volume of production, transmission, and distribution of electricity by 6.5%". The Paris Agreement is " a legally binding international treaty on climate change. The main task of which is to keep the increase in the global average temperature " [2]. This agreement provides for the action of the state on practical and high-tech solutions for joint efforts to combat climate change. Document Ratified by the Law of the  Republic of Kazakhstan dated November 4, 2016 No. 20-VI[3]. In Kazakhstan, the arrangement of environmental issues is one of the needs of the state approach. In a developing state, densely populated areas imply the development of many technological processes that affect the self-healing of the natural environment. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are globally accepted goals focused on improving the quality of human life. As globalization progresses, the Republic of Kazakhstan monitors the SDGs, this is confirmed by the annual bulletin"[4]. The urbanization of the city of Almaty increases waste and emissions, polluting the environment, which in turn has a direct impact on the health of the city's residents. The official website of Kazhydromet (national hydrometeorological service) states: "Taking into account the area of Kazakhstan and its vast region, the climate change conditions in various regions of the Republic can have both negative and positive impacts on biophysical systems, financial action, and society. The climatic conditions supposed to be assessed and also the changes are necessary to describe the consequences and take convenient and satisfactory adjusted measures, eventually, ensures the sustainable development of Kazakhstan."

In the article “Air Quality and Industrial Emissions in the Cities of Kazakhstan”, the authors Daulet Asanov, Valeriy Zapasny, and Ayymgul Kerimrai raise the issue of air quality and industrial emissions in the cities of Kazakhstan. The article also provides statistics on emissions and some statistics [5].

On July 14th, 2021, the European Commission launched the "Fit for 55% package", designed to step up EU action to address climate change decisively. The package, of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) proposal, aims to reduce emissions in the aviation, marine, energy, and industrial sectors. However, the whole picture shows some weak actions on climate change solutions and a concession to the industry lobby [6].

It is assumed that there is an opportunity to stop climate change, it is necessary to stop the increase in greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Over the past 150 years, burning fossil fuels and deforestation, which naturally absorb carbon dioxide from the air, have led to an increase in greenhouse gases. There are two ways to stop the increase in greenhouse gases: eliminate the use of fossil fuels or climate mitigation [7].

The heat and water supply systems of the city contributed to an increase in building density. The climatic features of the city determine the low ability of ecological systems to self-heal: green spaces, soils, and microbiological systems of water bodies are capable of active assimilation of pollutants and self-purification for only 5-6 months in a year.

The need to create comfortable living conditions for the residents of the city of Almaty and improve the environmental situation in the city requires an integrated approach and active work simultaneously in all areas of environmental protection, affecting all-natural environments and all branches of the urban economy. Air quality is an indicator of comfortable living in big cities.

2. THE PROBLEM

The new wave of being in the trend of environmental issues is making many researchers reproduce the future portrait of the situation in Kazakhstani ecology, at glance. The most common issue is in the production industries. Where the waste is monitored by the state.

According to the official information resource of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2019: "The Industrial Zone of Almaty operates for the development of the industrial sector. The total area of the territory is 490 hectares. According to the statistics department of Almaty, 1.5 thousand companies are operating industrial enterprises.  Industrial enterprises produce reinforced concrete products, asphalt, concrete, aluminum profiles, paint and varnish products, etc. In 2019, building materials enterprises produced products worth 54.3 billion tenges, or 107.7%. [8]. The main sources of air pollution in the city of Almaty are heating enterprises, which are provided by 3 heat sources through the line of "Almaty electric station” (JSC AlES) (CHPP-1, CHPP-2, Western Heating Complex) and 83 boilers of "Almaty Heat and utility energy" LLP, these are 76% of the townspeople, the remaining 24% receive heat from autonomous heat sources and private houses are heated by gas. High air pollution index: 7 (normal up to 5). Exceeding the maximum permissible concentration of NO2 by 2 times, PM2.5 by 3 times. Growth in the volume of waste, out of 430 thousand tons of MSW, only 17% is recycled.  

The key issue for the current development challenges of the city of Almaty is the environment, in particular, the clean air of the city for the residents of the metropolis. Thus, it is planned to switch the thermal power plant from the consumption of thousands of fossil solid fuels to gas in  2024. This solution will reduce harmful emissions. For example, CHP-2 accounts for a quarter of the city's carbon dioxide emissions, which is about 35,000 tons per year. Its gas conversion will reduce them by 15 times to 2,3 thousand tons. Toxic substances such as sulfur dioxide and soot will disappear completely [9]. 

The scientific paper named "Waste gasification processes for SNG production" which was researched by Hermann Hofbauer, and Massimiliano Materazzi - provides an overview of the state of waste gasification and presents promising technologies for further development. This could also be considered for a proposal to convert solid or liquid feedstocks into useful and convenient synthetic gas (or syngas) that can be burned to release energy or used to produce valuable chemicals and fuels, including synthetic natural gas (SNG). When biomass or waste is used as feedstock for gasification, most of the biogenic carbon remains in the final product, making it an ideal renewable (i.e. "bio") alternative to fossil fuels [10].

The article by Massimiliano Materazzi, Pier Ugo Foscolo "The role of waste and renewable gas to decarbonize the energy sector" describes the process of renewable gas or Green Natural Gas, which can be produced and is produced by upgrading biogas as a result of anaerobic digestion of many types of raw materials. A significant shift to renewable sources, along with improved technologies and better waste management solutions, are among the proposed solutions that could soon reduce dependence on traditional fossil sources, leading to slow but gradual decarbonization of the global energy sector[11].

The article by Iwa Garniwa, Ginas Alvianingsih, and Vendy Antono in their work “Waste to energy implementation using gasification technology in Tinggi Island" describes the situation with the electricity on the island. And some of the problems can occur with the decision of the state to reuse the wastes of remote areas [12].

More and more people are getting involved in environmental issues in the megacity, and climate change training and education are gaining in popularity. Note the CLT-ECOS climate literacy and action training course. Under the guidance of instructors, the training offers various ways, IT platforms for learning about the current situation on environmental issues. A variety of tools and materials. It gives you the tools to change your professional and social environment effectively - you gain knowledge to reduce your carbon footprint and meet many other sustainability goals. For example, this course looks at the negative impact models of urbanism and significant environmental degradation.

A positive environment is not only an additional financial burden, it is a required condition for the competitiveness of the individual enterprise, city, and country as a whole. At the international level, the environmental condition of metropolitan cities is under monitoring. According to the bp Statistical Review of World Energy: "The sharp rise in emissions in 2021 was attributed to economic growth. As economic activity recovered from lockdowns and other measures related to COVID-19, energy consumption increased dramatically. Carbon intensity and, to a lesser extent, energy intensity were largely unchanged in 2021."[13]

All possible tools for the present day describe in detail the current situations in the world. We would like to highlight the tools demonstrating the prospects and further development of scenarios on climate change. The developed platforms are indicative and reflect the dynamics of individual countries. The contribution of each country against the backdrop of global warming is a necessary measure for the positive well-being of mankind.

A platform for studying and visualizing the latest data on carbon flows from human activities and natural processes developed by the BNP Paribas Foundation, under the auspices of the Foundation of France, which has been a key representative and expert in the field of corporate philanthropy since 1984.

This platform visualizes the global carbon project - a scientific program whose goal is a complete picture of the carbon cycle on the planet. The platform reflects the indicators referring to the data on CO2 emissions from fossil fuels for the year 2021.[14] Thus, Kazakhstan according to the platform Global Carbon Atlas in 2020, is reflected in the graphical figure below:

Figure 1. Territorial emissions. The average annual growth rate of emissions from fossil fuel consumption in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2020 in million thousand CO2 published data on the Global Carbon Atlas platform for 2020

3. PROBLEM-SOLVING

An alternative way to reduce greenhouse gases emitted on an industrial scale by CHP should be explored. It is possible to consider some products on the market. Study of solid fuel combustion modifier "EFFECTOR", the purpose of which is described in detail on the information site.  This product has been analyzed and tested in several European countries. The product is used in the combustion process, it provides fuel savings and reduction of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxide emissions when using solid fuel in power plants for various purposes in the production of thermal and electrical energy. The effects of using the product will reduce the cost of heat and electricity production. As well as reducing the impact of harmful substances on the environment and people during the operation of power plants on solid fuels.

The composition of the modifier is a mixture of high-energy-dense minerals. Physical and mechanical properties: powder, fraction size - 100 microns (+/-20), bulk density - 1730 kg/m3, it is not toxic, not radioactive, not explosive, not combustible; Due to the lack of an acid-alkaline modifier in the composition, it does not create corrosion in boiler equipment.

The basis of the invention solves the problem of implementation of energy extraction processes from minerals using conventional fuel in the property of a wick initiating the process of energy extraction from minerals, bringing an impressive increase in calorific value of the mixture due to the additionally obtained energy and increasing the comprehensiveness of combustion of conventional fuel. When interacting with organic fuel appears to be an additional source of energy, which creates circumstances for more absolute oxidation of carbon and other volatile substances, and with a lack of oxygen in the combustion zone and reduces the consumption of the main fuel while maintaining the degree of heat release.

4. ANALYSIS

In March 2021 tests were conducted in a research boiler (fluidized combustion) in the National Energy Institute "TUBITAK" in Istanbul (Turkey) and the conclusion on the feasibility of using the combustion modifier "Effektor" in coal-fired power plants and utilities in Turkey was obtained.

The tests were also carried out on the boiler, which is designed for testing and equipped with special measuring instruments. All laboratory measurements of the samples are made per the following international standards. With the reduction of CO from 50 mg/Nm3 (which is a good indicator) to 20 mg/Nm3, the process is stable and at low temperatures.

By reducing the fuel supply by 43% (from 41.5 kg/h to 23.7 kg/h), it is assumed that at least 43% of the transmitted power and CO will increase due to the lower temperature in the combustion chamber (from 730°C to 550°C). The result is a reduction of only 32% of the transmitted power and an absolute constant CO.

Table 1.

Record of  changes

The coal ash samples were taken after completion of the fire test. Two sets of samples were independently analyzed by Bharathi Cement Corporation LTD and RPCN Labs [15].

Figure 2.  Results of ash analysis

4. CONCLUSION

As a result of tests, it is possible to make preliminary calculations of economic efficiency of application of combustion modifier "Effektor", and having studied the material on conducted testing, it is possible to conclude, that there are no significant complications for daily boiler operation and safety protocols. The combustion catalyst is easy and safe to handle. The control monitoring and recording period showed an average efficiency of about 15% as the fuel feeder turns down in boiler №3, which reflects an improvement in the calorific value of fuel, more complete and cleaner combustion of less fuel in the boiler. Reduced fuel consumption in boiler 3 (with catalyst) compared to boiler 1 (without adding catalyst). Approximately 50% improvement in combustion losses (Appendix B: Ash Record of Changes shown). Each test day, after two hours of operation, the color of the flame changed from reddish-orange to yellowish, as expected by the combustion equipment suppliers. The color change indicates that complete ionization of the catalyst along with the coal in the combustion chamber improved combustion.

Estimated improvement in emissions (not measured due to lack of monitors). Reasonable assumption based on reduced fuel volume per calorie, combustion rate data, and ignition losses. The RPCN team is convinced that a properly aligned expanded Catalyst feed combined with proper boiler mode selection will control the existing boiler for 20%-25% fuel savings, 50% reduction in combustion losses, and more than 25% reduction in emissions.

Thus, we can conclude that the gradual conversion of cogeneration plants to gas, does not exclude the use of coal, which naturally affects the emission of greenhouse gas emissions.

It is necessary to conduct research activities in the field of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, studying in detail ways to reduce and control carbon dioxide emissions from industrial enterprises. Since this topic will be relevant in the coming years.

For sufficient and complete research, it is necessary to analyze the combustion modifier "Effektor" on Kazakhstani coal. Possible use and further development are necessary for the country to contribute to the fight against climate change, which includes the principle of reducing the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere of the earth.

Pay special attention to public education by involving the public in the process of combating climate change. It is necessary to introduce educational programs consistent with the goals of sustainable development. As well as conduct widespread seminars to educate the public about carbon dioxide literacy. 

References:

1. Agency for Strategic planning and reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bureau of National statistics. (2022). Expertise - information (No. 16–5-10/4001-VN). https://www.stat.gov.kz
2. United Nations. (2015). The Paris Agreement. https://Unfccc.Int/Sites/Default/Files/English_paris_agreement.Pdf.  https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement
3. Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. (2016, November 15). About ratification of the Paris agreement. Kazakhstanskaya Pravda, №219-(28345).
4. “Annual bulletin of monitoring the state and climate change of Kazakhstan.” (2020). Office of Climate Research of the Research Center. https://www.kazhydromet.kz/ru/klimat/ezhegodnyy-byulleten-monitoringa-sostoyaniya-i-izmeneniya-klimata-kazahstana
5. Assanov, D.; Zapasnyi, V.; Kerimray, A., (2021). Air Quality and Industrial Emissions in the Cities of Kazakhstan. Atmosphere, 12, 314. https://doi.org/10.3390 atmos12030314
6. University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. (2020). CENTER FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION. https://wwfeu.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/eu_ets_reform_2022___wwf_recommendations.pdf
7. UCAR. (2020). How do we reduce greenhouse gases? https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-solutions/reduce-greenhouse-gases
8. Official information resource of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan. (2019). Almaty in 2019: Industrial growth, investor support, and educational success. https://primeminister.kz/ru/news/reviews/almaty-v-2019-godu-rost-promyshlennoy-produkcii-podderzhka-investorov-i-uspehi-v-obrazovanii
9. Almaty development center. (2022). The main priorities of the development plan of Almaty are until 2025 and the medium-term prospects until 2030. https://almatydc.kz
10. Hofbauer, H., & Materazzi, M. (2019). Waste gasification processes for SNG production. Substitute Natural Gas from Waste, 105–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-815554-7.00007-6
11. Materazzi, M., & Foscolo, P. U. (2019). The role of waste and renewable gas to decarbonize the energy sector. Substitute Natural Gas from Waste, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-815554-7.00001-5
12. Garniwa I. & Alvianingsih G. & Antono V. (2020). Waste to energy implementation using gasification technology in Tinggi Island. The 1st JESSD Symposium 2020. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202021103005
13. BP p.l.c. (2021). Bp statistical review of world energy. BP. https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/business-sites/en/global/corporate/pdfs/energy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2021-full-report.pdf
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15. Solid fuel combustion modifier “EFFECTOR.” (2021). Economic Eco-Friendly Fuel Modifier. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://fuel-eco.com/information_eng