External influences on the energy efficiency of composting plants

With regard to energy efficiency as a major tool to reduce the use of fossil energies and to enable the conversion to a sustainable energy system, also biological waste treatment technologies have to improve their specific energy efficiency i.e. the energy used for a specific amount of biological waste utilised. To increase the energy efficiency of composting plants two general approaches seem to be viable.

The first approach is to take a look at the composting plants itself. What technology is used, which kind and which quantities of biological waste is utilised, and which amount of energy is used (see Figure 1 left side). Technologically similar plants show considerable differences in their specific energy efficiency. Based on that fact it should be possible to identify the factors relevant for the energy efficiency. The second approach investigates the composting plant not as an isolated phenomenon, but looks at it as part of the whole waste utilisation chain, from the arising of the waste till the application of the waste product. This chain strongly influences the size and technology of a plant and therefore its energy efficiency. Although this has little meaning for existing plants, it can explain some aspects of their current energy efficiency and might avoid unjust comparisons. Both approaches were followed in a still on-going research project with the goal to increase the energy efficiency of composting plants in Germany. To provide data for the internal efficiency factors a survey was undertaken. This survey covered all 440 composting plants subjected to the Federal German Compost Quality Assurance Organisation (BGK). These plants, which exclusively utilise source separated organic waste, represent 75% of the total composting capacity in Germany, which is at around 10 Tg - ten million tons - annually (BGK, 2011). For the second approach a mathematical model of the utilisation chain was developed and implemented with GoldSim® into a computer model. Data from the survey and from literature can be used to run specific scenarios, which compare the influences on the energy efficiency from internal and external factors. Figure 1 (right side) shows the general model structure, explained in detail on the following pages, positioning the composting plant within the utilisation chain.



Copyright: © European Compost Network ECN e.V.
Quelle: Orbit 2012 (Juni 2012)
Seiten: 6
Preis: € 6,00
Autor: Dipl.-Forsting.(FH) M.Sc. Daniel Meyer
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eckhard Kraft
 
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