Study on pyrolysis of oil sludge with microalgae residue additive

Pyrolysis characteristics and products distribution of petroleum sludges

Pyrolysis can realise the harmlessness, reduction and resource utilisation of petroleum sludge in a short period. In the present work, a tank bottom sludge (SSOS) and a landing sludge (SLOS) from Shengli Oilfield were used for experimental research. Thermogravimetric testing is used to initially determine the optimal range of pyrolysis temperature. Pyrolysis experiments were performed in a tube furnace reactor. Pyrolysis products were collected and analysed separately. The char yield of SSOS and SLOS were 50% and 70%, respectively. Although there are differences in the oil content of the two types of petroleum sludge, the oil yield remained nearly the same, which were both between 7% and 8%. As the pyrolysis temperature was raised to 500°C, the yield of each product did not change greatly while their composition had obvious changes. High temperature is more conducive to the production of small molecule products. Result showed that pyrolysis treatment of petroleum sludge can effectively recover energy materials in the form of pyrolysis gas and oil. The heating value of char is lower than that of petroleum sludge, which means that char is not suitable for direct use as fuel. Pyrolysis treatment also showed good curing effect on Cr, which reached 85%. However, the solidification effect decreased as pyrolysis temperature increasing. It is necessary to pay attention to the heavy metal contained in char as soil improver. The rich surface structure of char provides evidence to produce high value-added carbon materials.

Conversion of plastic waste into fuel oil using zeolite catalysts in a bench-scale pyrolysis reactor

Catalytic pyrolysis of mixed plastic waste to fuel oil experiment was tested with ZSM-5 zeolite (commercial and synthesized) catalysts along with other catalysts.

Energy balance of torrefied microalgal biomass with production upscale approached by life cycle assessment

Torrefaction is a thermochemical process used to convert the biomass into solid fuel. In this study, torrefaction increased the raw microalgal biomass' energy content from 20.22 MJ⋅kg^-1 to 27.93 MJ⋅kg^-1. To determine if more energy is produced than energy consumption from torrefaction, this study identified the energy balance of torrefied microalgal biomass production based on a life cycle approach. The energy analysis showed that, among all processes, torrefaction had the least amount of energy demand. The experimental setup, defined as scenario A, revealed that the principal source of energy demand, about 85%, was consumed on the microalgal growth using a photobioreactor system. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to determine the varying energy demand for torrefied microalgal biomass production. The different types of cultivation methods and various production scales were considered in scenarios B to D. Scenario D, which represented the commercial production-scale, the energy demand drastically decreased by 59.46% as compared to the experimental setup (scenario A). The open-pond cultivation system resulted in the least energy requirement, regardless of the production scale (scenarios B and C) among all the given scenarios. Unlike scenarios A and D, scenarios B and C identified the drying process to consume a high amount of energy. All the scenarios have shown an energy demand deficit. Therefore, efforts to decrease the energy demand on the upstream processes are needed to make the torrefied microalgal biomass a viable alternative energy source.

Abatement of hazardous materials and biomass waste via pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis for environmental sustainability and circular economy

The remarkable journey of progression of mankind has created various impacts in the form of polluted environment, amassed heavy metals and depleting resources. This alarming situation demands sustainable energy resources and approaches to deal with these environmental hazards and power deficit. Pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis address both energy and environmental issues caused by civilization and industrialization. The processes use hazardous waste materials including waste tires, plastic and medical waste, and biomass waste such as livestock waste and agricultural waste as feedstock to produce gas, char and pyrolysis oil for energy production. Usage of hazardous materials as pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis feedstock reduces disposal of harmful substances into environment, reducing occurrence of soil and water pollution, and substituting the non-renewable feedstock, fossil fuels. As compared to combustion, pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis have less emission of air pollutants and act as alternative options to landfill disposal and incineration for hazardous materials and biomass waste. Hence, stabilizing heavy metals and solving the energy and waste management problems. This review discusses the pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis of biomass and harmful wastes to strive towards circular economy and eco-friendly, cleaner energy with minimum waste disposal, reducing negative impact on the planet and creating future possibilities.

A critical review on energy recovery and non-hazardous disposal of oily sludge from petroleum industry by pyrolysis

This review systematically reports the pyrolysis of oily sludge (OS) from petroleum industry in regards to its dual features of the energy recovery potential and the environmental risks. The petroleum hydrocarbons are the nonbiodegradable fractions in OS that possess hazardous properties, i.e. ignitability and toxicity. Besides, complicated hazardous elements (i.e. N, S and Cl) and heavy metals inherently existing in OS further aggravate the environmental risks. However, the high oil content and heating value of OS contribute to its huge energy resource potential. Considering the energy demand and the environmental pressure, the ultimate purposes of the OS management are to enhance the oil recovery efficiency to minimize the oil content as well as to stabilize the hazardous elements and heavy metals into the solid residue. Among various OS management technologies, pyrolysis is the most suitable approach to reach both targets. In this review paper, the pyrolysis principle, the kinetics and the product distribution in three-phases are discussed firstly. Then the effects of operating parameters of the pyrolysis process on the quality and the application potential of the three-phase products, as well as the hazardous element distribution are discussed. To further solve the dominant concerns, such as the oil content in the solid residue, the pyrolytic oil quality and the migration of hazardous elements and heavy metals, the potentials of the catalytic pyrolysis and the co-pyrolysis with additives are also summarized. Also, the typical pyrolysis reactors are then presented. From the perspective of the energy efficiency and the non-hazardous disposal, the integrated technology combining the pyrolysis and the combustion for the OS management is recommended. Finally, the remaining challenges of OS pyrolysis encountered in the research and the industrial application are discussed and the related outlooks are itemized.

Experimental study on catalytic pyrolysis of oil sludge under mild temperature

The pyrolysis performance of oil sludge (OS) was studied using a thermal gravimetric analysis apparatus and a tube furnace reactor. The oil recovery rate of OS pyrolysis showed a rapid growth trend at 450 °C. Moreover, the co-pyrolysis experiments of the OS and catalysts, including walnut shells, Fe₂O₃, K₂CO₃, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and OS pyrolysis char with addition ratios of 5, 7, and 9 wt%, respectively, were conducted in a tube furnace reactor at 450 °C. The experiments demonstrated that all catalysts increased the oil recovery rate, but the optimal addition ratios differed. The pyrolysis chars produced above 450 °C had a well-developed pore structure, and the catalytic pyrolysis of OS at 450 °C could increase the yield of pyrolysis oil and reduce the potential ecological risk of heavy metals in the pyrolysis char. Therefore, catalytic pyrolysis is an inexpensive and highly efficient approach for treating solid waste.

Analysis on integrated thermal treatment of oil sludge by Aspen Plus

An integrated thermal treatment (coupled pyrolysis and combustion) of oil sludge (OS) was proposed for enhancing the OS resource utilization. According to the pyrolysis experiment results, the integrated thermal treatment process of OS was modeled and simulated using Aspen Plus. Carbon flow, heat distribution, energy flow, energy efficiency and exergy efficiency of the process were analyzed and discussed. The results indicated that the simulation values were consistent with the experimental ones within the pyrolysis temperature of 00-780 °C With the increase of pyrolysis temperature, the carbon flow of pyrolysis oil was firstly increased and then sharply decreased, and the maximum value was achieved at 600-650 °C. Carbon flow of pyrolysis gas was initially increased rapidly followed by a continuously decreasing growth rate, and then increased sharply above 650 °C. The maximum heating value of pyrolysis oil was obtained at 600 °C. When pyrolysis temperature exceeded 650 °C, both the pyrolysis gas production rate and the gas heating value were improved. The energy and the exergy efficiency of the system can reach values as high as 61-68% and 56-71%, respectively, and the maximum efficiencies were achieved at the pyrolysis temperature of 650 °C. The present work could provide valuable insights towards promoting the development of effective OS utilization processes in the near future.