Fluidized-bed combustion for energy production from olive cake

We present an experimental combustion study of olive-oil mill waste (olive cake, OC) in a fluidized bed combustor. Tests were performed in a 13.2-cm i.d. reactor. Cold-flow tests included investigations of the effects of particle-size distribution, fluidization velocity, and bed height. Combustion was carried out by feeding the OC in a bed of sand particles. The temperature distribution was found to become fairly uniform 12 cm above the distributor plate. The combustion intensity was about 812 kg/m2-h and increased with bed height between 0.1 and 0.15 m. The combustion efficiency ranged from 86 to 95% and increased with air-flow rate.