Effect of Exhausted Olive Cake Contamination on Fly and Bottom Ash in Power Plants

Abstract

AbstractWith the aim to prevent possible power plant malfunction due to the feedstock properties and suggest possible ash applications, feedstock samples and bottom and fly ash samples collected along more than a year in a 16 MW suspension-fired boiler power plant, fed mainly with pulverized exhausted olive cake (orujillo), were studied. A detailed characterization of fly and bottom ash has been done, as well as a seasonal evolution study. Altogether in order to find any trend on the ash composition changes and to study the relationship between ash (both fly and bottom fractions) and, on the one hand, the feedstock composition, and on the other hand, the troublesome deposit formation. A relationship between deposit growth and higher Cl and Na content in the feedstock has been noticed, showing the need for some control on these feedstock’s components. The high Cl and Na content is attributed to external contamination. Furthermore, the high Al content in the feedstock and the strong relationship between Al, Fe and Si (indicating a common origin) suggest some biomass soil contamination. However, no relationship was observed between troublesome deposit formation and the hypothesized biomass soil contamination. Graphic Abstract