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Clean and Efficient Utilization of Sewage Sludge--Energy and Environmental Research Corporation, 18 Mason Street, Irvine, CA 92618-2706; 949-859-8851
Dr. Vladimir Zamansky, Principal Investigator
Dr. Wayne Randall Seeker, Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-98ER82573
Amount: $750,000
Municipal sewage sludge management poses problems due to the increasing volumes of sludge being produced, rises in disposal costs, and the impact of leachates, methane emissions, noise, odors, dust, and disease vectors. This project will develop technology for transforming sewage into a high-quality fuel and recovering its energy content. The fuel is processed using a carbonization technique, which converts sewage sludge into a pumpable slurry fuel at costs lower than traditional disposal processes. The carbonized slurry fuel is then utilized for co-firing or re-burning in coal-fired utility boilers, thereby reducing net emissions of NOx and CO2. In Phase I, fuel-processing techniques were developed and applied, combustion experiments were conducted, work was begun on a process model for characterizing the technology, and the technical and economic merits of the process were evaluated. These activities demonstrated that sewage sludge can be converted to a slurry fuel with coal-like combustion characteristics and re-burning performance exceeding that of other fuels. Phase II will develop all of the design, operation, performance, and economic data required to demonstrate the process at full scale. Pilot scale fuel production and combustion test work will be performed along with model development and engineering design studies.
Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The technology should be applicable to nearly all municipal sewage sludge management facilities. Economic benefits would be provided through the utilization of a waste stream and the development of a low-cost renewable fuel. Also, environmental benefits would be derived by decreasing CO2 and NOx emissions, and helping to solve the environmental problems associated with sewage sludge landfilling. Lastly, the power generation industry should benefit by controlling flue gas emissions of NOx and CO2 from the coal-fired boilers.