Combustion performance evaluation of Posidonia oceanica using TGA and bubbling fluidized-bed combustor (batch reactor)

Combustion performance of emerging raw marine biomass called Posidonia oceanica (PO) was investigated using TGA apparatus and a bubbling fluidized-bed batch reactor. The kinetic mechanism and parameters of the combustion process were determined. The Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) method and data fitting method were analyzed. It was observed that a model based on consecutive processes: devolatilisation and char combustion for two fractions of PO (holocellulose and lignin), is the best model for the analyzed cases. Combustion performance was observed using a BFB reactor and the composition of flue gas after combustion was analyzed, and the conversion of NOx and SO2 was taken into account. The relatively low SO2 emission in the case of PO combustion can be attributed to the impact of the sulphur self-retention (SSR) process. The results were compared to the combustion of wood biomass and Turow lignite. The results showed the good combustion performance of PO.