Technical assessment of discarded tires gasification as alternative technology for electricity generation

Abstract

Concern about contamination associated with the disposal of tires has led to the search for technologies to reuse discarded tires, which include the use of Tire Derived Fuel (TDF) as fuel in advanced thermal-conversion processes, this allows the energy use of these wastes at affordable costs and reduces the environmental impact on scrap tires disposal. A theoretical assessment of the technical viability of TDF gasification for electric and thermal power generation, from the producer gas combustion in an internal combustion engine and in a gas turbine, was performed. The combustion of producer gas derived from the gasification of TDF in an internal combustion engine driving a generator (ICE-G) appears as the more efficient route for electricity generation when compared with the efficiency obtained with the use of gas turbine (GT-G). A higher global efficiency, considering the electric and thermal generation efficiency can be expected with the use of TDF producer gas in GT-G, where is expected an overall efficiency of 77.49%. The assessment shows that is possible produces up to 7.67MJ and 10.62MJ of electric and thermal energy per kilogram of TDF gasified using an ICE-G and up to 6.06MJ and 13.03MJ of electric and thermal energy respectively per kilogram of gasified TDF using a GT-G.

Waste tyre valorization by catalytic pyrolysis – A review

“…Gasification is a thermochemical conversion process consisting in a partial oxidation of the organic material at high temperatures to produce a syngas and char (adulterated carbon black), with tar being the main undesired byproduct, and product yields and their composition depending on the gasifying agent used (air, O2, steam or their mixtures). Thus, waste tyre gasification has been regarded as a suitable valorization route [25][26][27][28][29]. In fact, this waste material has high carbon and hydrogen content, and therefore a remarkable potential for syngas production.…”

Thermogravimetric and Kinetic Analysis of Co-Combustion of Waste Tires and Coal Blends

“…Compared with coal combustion, tire combustion has lower emissions to ensure that its combustion in cement kilns is safe for the environment. − Waste tires can also be used as fuel for the production of electricity, paper, lime, and steel because the co-combustion of waste tires and coal can improve the thermal efficiency of the boiler . Recently, researchers from various countries have conducted many experiments on the combustion of waste tires. − Atal et al compared the combustion behavior of coal and waste tire powder, and the effects of heating rate and particle size on combustion were also analyzed . Sun et al studied the pyrolysis characteristics of waste tires in an argon atmosphere for different pyrolysis gas, finding that the initial pyrolysis temperatures and maximum pyrolysis rates of waste tires increased with the increasing of heating rate, and the pyrolysis interval also shifted to high temperature .…”

Gestión de llantas usadas en la ciudad de Tunja, Boyacá (Colombia)

“…Alrededor de 2,9 mil millones de llantas se produjeron en 2017, para atender la demanda mundial (Machin et al 2017). La Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Estados Unidos (Environmental Protection Agency -EPA, por sus siglas en idioma inglés, 2010) menciona que tan solo en este país, en el 2003, había 275 millones de llantas acumuladas en apilamientos, además de los 290 millones más que se generaron.…”