Direct combustion of olive cake using fluidized bed combustor

A fluidized bed combustor of 0.146 m diameter and 1 m length was fabricated from stainless steel to burn olive cake. initially, and in order to obtain fluidization, the system was operated under cold conditions using a sand w ith particle size in the range of 500 to 710 microns. The continuous combus tion experiments were carried out under controlled conditions, such that th e effects of bed temperature, olive cake feed rate fluidization velocity, a nd particle size on combustion efficiency and flue gas composition were inv estigated. It was found that the combustion efficiency decreases with the bed temperat ure, fluidization velocity, and the feed rate, while it increases with the particle size used Further, the gas products analysis carried out using a g as chromatography analyzer have shown a nonmeasured amount of SO2, and smal l amounts of CO. Finally, the temperature distribution along the bed indica ted that the temperature throughout the bed is fairly uniform, demonstratin g a good mixing of reactants, which is important for efficient combustion.