CFD Modelling of a Biomass (Olive Pomace) Combustion in a Fixed Bed

Abstract

Wastes generated during the production of olive oil are considered as the Achille’s heel of this activity. Indeed, they represent a serious threat for the environment. One of the alternatives to remedy this problem would be the exploitation of these wastes (especially olive pomace) as a source of energy, given their high calorific potential. The particles are composed essentially of a wet part, volatile matter, char and ash parts. During the combustion process the particle goes through several stages, including drying, devolatilization or pyrolysis (primary and secondary), and oxidation. The objective of this work is to predict the thermal behavior of the pomace particles and the concentrations of gases produced during the combustion in a fixed bed, using ANSYS Fluent CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software.