Analysis of Hydrothermal Solid Fuel Characteristics Using Waste Wood and Verification of Scalability through a Pilot Plant

Abstract

Increases in energy demand and waste are a major cause of natural resource depletion and environmental pollution, and technology capable of processing waste to convert it into energy is required to mitigate this issue. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an example of this technology that can convert waste into energy, and various studies have been conducted using it for fuel conversion. This study focused on the production of a solid fuel equivalent to coal for power generation through HTC processes using waste wood. Unlike previous work, which consists only of laboratory-scale HTC experiments, we confirmed scalability through pilot-scale HTC experiments. Overall, it was possible to convert waste wood into HTC solid fuel with a calorific value of over 27,000 kJ/kg through the pilot plant HTC process. Additionally, heavy metal and hazardous substance analyses proved that it can be used as a biosolid fuel.