Palm empty fruit bunch pellet manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a method for producing Empty Fruit Bunch pellets.SOLUTION: In one embodiment, a method for producing Empty Fruit Bunch pellets includes a crushing step of crushing Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB), which is a by-product of palm trees, to produce a crushed material, a mixing step of adding an additive to the crushed material to produce a mixture, and a pellet molding step for molding the mixture to produce pellets. The additive may include aluminosilicate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method for producing palm empty fruit bunch pellets. [Background technology]

[0002] Since the Paris Climate Agreement was signed in 2015, countries have been implementing renewable energy revitalization systems to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and expand the renewable energy market and improve competitiveness.

[0003] The demand for using biomass fuel pellets, one of the new wood-based energy sources, as fuel for biomass co-firing or dedicated boilers is increasing significantly, and Korean Patent No. 10-0878051 discloses a technology for manufacturing wood pellets.

[0004] However, there is a problem in that the production of pellets using wood or wood by-products as the main material is limited in quantity and it is difficult to flexibly respond to rapidly changing market demand.

[0005] Recently, as an alternative to existing wood pellets, empty palm fruit bunches (EFBs), which are produced in large quantities in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia, are being used to manufacture pellets. EFBs are a by-product of palm fruit production and are the part that remains after the fruit bunches are removed from the palm fruit.

[0006] However, when palm fruits are cultivated on palm farms, large amounts of various fertilizers are used to increase yields, and it has been confirmed that the palm empty fruit bunches contain large amounts of alkaline components such as potassium (K) and sodium (N).

[0007] When pellets made from palm empty fruit bunches are burned in a boiler, the alkaline components (e.g., K2O, Na2O) contained in the palm empty fruit bunches are highly volatile and only remain in the boiler for a short period of time, which not only causes uneven combustion but also reacts with ash in the furnace, coating the inner walls of the boiler and causing corrosion of metal surfaces, including the inner walls of the boiler.

[0008] In addition, low-melting-point inorganic substances contained in the palm empty fruit bunches of pellets melt and flow during the combustion process of the pellets, adhering to the inner walls and heat exchange parts of the boiler, causing slagging and fouling.

[0009] This phenomenon significantly reduces the thermal efficiency of the boiler, disrupts the flow pattern within the combustion furnace, and even causes serious damage to the boiler's inner walls. Therefore, there is a need to develop new technology that can improve on the existing problems. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0878051 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The technical idea of the present disclosure is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology for reusing by-products that have conventionally been incinerated or discarded as fuel.

[0012] Another object of the technical idea of the present disclosure is to provide a technology for producing fuel using palm empty fruit bunches.

[0013] Yet another object of the technical idea of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that can increase the combustion efficiency of pellets produced from empty palm fruit bunches and improve thermal imbalance, slagging, fouling, and corrosion problems inside a boiler caused by specific components present in the empty palm fruit bunches when the pellets are burned.

[0014] The problems that the present disclosure aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains from the content described below. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] To achieve this object, one embodiment of the present invention provides a method for producing palm empty fruit bunch pellets, which includes a grinding step of grinding palm empty fruit bunches (EFB), a by-product of palm trees, to produce a ground material, a mixing step of adding an additive to the ground material to produce a mixture, and a pellet molding step of molding the mixture to produce pellets, wherein the additive includes an aluminosilicate.

[0016] The method for producing palm empty fruit bunch pellets may further include a drying step of drying the palm empty fruit bunches, and an impurity removing step of removing impurities from the palm empty fruit bunches.

[0017] The aluminosilicate has a specific surface area of 100 to 180 m as measured in accordance with the International Organization for Standardization ISO 9277:2010. 2 / g.

[0018] The ratio of the content of silicon dioxide contained in the aluminosilicate divided by the content of aluminum oxide contained in the aluminosilicate may be 0.78 to 1.58.

[0019] The aluminosilicate may have a weight loss rate of 5% or less when heated from 400°C to 800°C.

[0020] The above-described solutions to the problems are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. In addition to the exemplary embodiments described above, there may be additional embodiments as described in the drawings and detailed description of the invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] As described above, according to various embodiments of the present invention, palm empty fruit bunches are used to produce palm empty fruit bunch pellets, thereby producing environmentally friendly fuel with excellent combustion efficiency.

[0022] Furthermore, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when palm empty fruit bunch pellets are produced, it is possible to reduce the cost of waste disposal of palm empty fruit bunches and reduce methane generated due to decay of palm empty fruit bunches.

[0023] Furthermore, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when palm empty fruit bunch pellets are burned, the additive (aluminosilicate) can react with specific components (e.g., potassium, sodium, chlorine, etc.) contained in the palm empty fruit bunch to generate a substance with a high melting point. Therefore, it is possible to improve thermal imbalance, slagging and fouling phenomena, and corrosion problems inside the boiler caused by the specific components present in the palm empty fruit bunch.

[0024] In particular, when producing pellets from empty palm fruit bunches, it is possible to reduce the cost of waste disposal of empty palm fruit bunches and reduce the methane gas generated by the decay of empty palm fruit bunches. When empty palm fruit bunch pellets are burned, the alkaline components contained in the empty palm fruit bunches are converted into high-melting point substances by aluminosilicate, which contributes to the complete combustion of fuel and prevents corrosion of metal surfaces, including the inner walls of boilers.

[0025] The effects of the various embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for manufacturing palm empty fruit bunch pellets according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, for the sake of brevity, the description of already known technical aspects will be omitted or simplified.

[0028] It should be noted that references herein to "one" or "an" embodiment of the present invention do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather to at least one.

[0029] In the following examples, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0030] In the following examples, terms such as "include" or "have" mean that the features or components described in the specification are present, and do not preclude the possibility that one or more other features or components may be added.

[0031] When an embodiment can be implemented differently, the order of certain steps may be different from the order described. For example, two steps described in succession may be performed substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order from that described. That is, the steps of the methods described herein may be suitably performed in any order unless otherwise stated in the specification or clearly contradicted by the context.

[0032] A method for producing palm empty fruit bunch pellets according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1, and will be described in order for convenience.

[0033] 1. Drying stage <s101>< / s101> In this step, palm empty fruit bunches, which are a by-product of palm trees, can be dried using various known drying methods (e.g., hot air drying, natural drying, etc.).

[0034] According to one embodiment, in this step, the palm empty fruit bunch may be dried so that the moisture content of the palm empty fruit bunch is 0% to 15%. Here, the moisture content of the palm empty fruit bunch means the proportion of moisture contained in the palm empty fruit bunch.

[0035] As a specific example, the moisture content of the palm empty fruit bunch may be 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, or 15%. Also, the moisture content of the palm empty fruit bunch dried in this step may be in a range of one or more of the above values and one or less of the above values.

[0036] For example, the moisture content range of the palm empty fruit bunch can be in the range of 0% to 15%, 1% to 14%, 2% to 13%, 3% to 12%, 4% to 11%, 5% to 12%, 6% to 11%, 1% to 10%, or 5% to 12%.

[0037] Furthermore, the moisture content of the palm empty fruit bunch may be one or more of the above values, or one or less of the above values. For example, the moisture content of the palm empty fruit bunch may be 0% or more, over 0%, 0.1% or more, 1% or more, 2% or more, or 3% or more, or 15% or less, 14% or less, 13% or less, 12% or less, 11% or less, or 10% or less.

[0038] 2. Impurity removal stage <s102>< / s102> In this step, impurities can be removed from the empty palm fruit bunches dried in step S101. According to one embodiment, when the empty palm fruit bunches are placed on a vibrating screen and the vibrating screen is operated, impurities or foreign matter (e.g., soil, stones, fallen leaves, etc.) attached to the empty palm fruit bunches fall below the vibrating screen, thereby separating the empty palm fruit bunches from the impurities. In one specific example, a vibrating screen with a mesh size of 10 to 20 mm can be used, but meshes of various sizes can also be applied depending on the situation. In addition to using a vibrating screen, impurities can also be removed from the empty palm fruit bunches using various known impurity removal methods.

[0039] 3. Crushing stage <s103>< / s103> In this step, the palm empty fruit bunches are fed into a crusher and crushed to produce a crushed material. According to one embodiment, in this step, the palm empty fruit bunches from which impurities have been removed in step S102 are crushed to produce crushed material of a certain size. Since the crushed palm empty fruit bunches produced in this step are crushed to a certain size (e.g., 1 to 80 mm), there are advantages in that they can be easily mixed with additives in the mixing step described below, and can be easily pelletized by compression molding in the pellet molding step.

[0040] 4. Mixing stage <s104>< / s104> In this step, an additive can be added to the pulverized material to produce a mixture. For example, in this step, a certain amount of additive can be dropped onto the pulverized material as it is transported on a conveyor belt to produce a mixture. In this step, the additive can be added in an amount of 0.1 to 10 parts by weight (e.g., 0.1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 parts by weight) based on 100 parts by weight of the pulverized material.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the additive in this step may include an aluminosilicate. In this specification, aluminosilicate refers to a combination of alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2). According to one embodiment, the aluminosilicate may have a structure in which the number of silicon (Si) atoms relative to aluminum (Al) atoms is 1 to 5.

[0042] In addition, aluminosilicate has a specific surface area of 100 to 180 m2 measured in accordance with the International Organization for Standardization ISO 9277:2010. 2 / g. As a specific example, the specific surface area of the aluminosilicate can be 100 m 2 / g, 110m 2 / g, 120m 2 / g, 130m 2 / g, 140m 2 / g, 150m 2 / g, 160m 2 / g, 170m 2 / g or 180m 2 / g may be applied, and the specific surface area of the aluminosilicate may be in a range of one or more of the above values and one or less of the above values.

[0043] For example, the specific surface area range of aluminosilicates is 100m 2 / g~140m 2 / g, 105m 2 / g~135m 2 / g, 110m 2 / g~130m 2 / g, 115m 2 / g~135m 2 / g, 120m 2 / g~150m 2 / g, 125m 2 / g~145m 2 / g, 100m 2 / g~150m 2 / g or 100m 2 / g~180m 2 The upper limit of the specific surface area of the aluminosilicate according to one embodiment is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 300 m 2 / g or less, 250m2 / g or less, 200m 2 / g or less, 250m 2 / g or less, 200m 2 / g or less, 180m 2 / g or less or 150m 2 / g or less.

[0044] In one embodiment, the larger the specific surface area of the aluminosilicate, the easier it is to adsorb alkali components (e.g., K2O, Na2O, etc.) and chlorides (e.g., KCl, HCl, etc.) generated during the combustion of palm empty fruit bunch pellets, and the more effectively it can suppress slagging, fouling, and corrosion. Suppose the specific surface area of the aluminosilicate is 100m 2 If the concentration is less than 1 / g, the efficiency of physically adsorbing and capturing the alkaline components generated from the palm empty fruit bunch pellets decreases, making it impossible to sufficiently control slagging and fouling phenomena, and chlorides may adhere to the inside of the boiler, causing corrosion of metal parts.

[0045] In one embodiment, the average particle size of the aluminosilicate may be 20 to 500 μm. Specific examples of the average particle size of the aluminosilicate include 20 μm, 30 μm, 40 μm, 50 μm, 60 μm, 70 μm, 80 μm, 90 μm, 100 μm, 200 μm, 300 μm, 400 μm, and 500 μm. Of course, depending on the implementation, the average particle size of the aluminosilicate may be adjusted depending on the combustion conditions.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the additive aluminosilicate may include silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide.

[0047] In one embodiment, the content of aluminum oxide contained in the aluminosilicate may be 20 to 60 parts by weight. Specific examples include 20 parts by weight, 25 parts by weight, 30 parts by weight, 35 parts by weight, 40 parts by weight, 45 parts by weight, 50 parts by weight, 55 parts by weight, or 60 parts by weight. The content of aluminum oxide may be one or more of the above values or less than one of the above values.

[0048] For example, the content range of aluminum oxide contained in the aluminosilicate may be 20 to 30 parts by weight, 30 to 40 parts by weight, 35 to 45 parts by weight, 40 to 50 parts by weight, or 20 to 60 parts by weight. The aluminum oxide according to one embodiment can effectively control the alkalinity of palm empty fruit bunch pellets within the above range.

[0049] If the aluminum oxide contained in the aluminosilicate is outside the range of 20 to 60 parts by weight, it is not easy to effectively control the alkaline components released from the palm empty fruit bunch pellets during combustion.

[0050] In one embodiment, the content of silicon dioxide contained in the aluminosilicate may be 40 to 80 parts by weight. Specific examples of the content of silicon dioxide include 40 parts by weight, 45 parts by weight, 50 parts by weight, 55 parts by weight, 60 parts by weight, 65 parts by weight, 70 parts by weight, 75 parts by weight, and 80 parts by weight. The content of silicon dioxide may be one or more of the above values or one or less of the above values.

[0051] For example, the content of silicon dioxide contained in the aluminosilicate may be in the range of 40 to 50 parts by weight, 50 to 60 parts by weight, 55 to 65 parts by weight, 60 to 70 parts by weight, 55 to 70 parts by weight, or 40 to 80 parts by weight. The silicon dioxide according to one embodiment can effectively control the alkaline components in the palm empty fruit bunch pellets within this range. If the silicon dioxide contained in the aluminosilicate is outside the range of 40 to 80 parts by weight, it is difficult to effectively control the alkaline components released from the palm empty fruit bunch pellets during combustion.

[0052] According to one embodiment, when palm empty fruit bunch pellets are burned, the additive aluminosilicate chemically reacts with the alkaline components contained in the palm empty fruit bunches, thereby converting the alkaline components released from the palm empty fruit bunches into at least one of kalsilite (KAlSiO4) and lucite (KAlSiO2).

[0053] In other words, when the palm empty fruit bunch pellets are burned, the alkaline components contained in the palm empty fruit bunch pellets react with the additive aluminosilicate and are converted into kalsilite, which has a melting point of 1600°C or higher, or into lucite, which has a melting point of 1500°C or higher, thereby improving the problems of slagging, fouling, and coagulation that previously occurred when alkaline components melted in boilers.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the ratio of the content of silicon dioxide contained in the aluminosilicate divided by the content of aluminum oxide contained in the aluminosilicate may be 0.78 to 1.58. In one specific example, if the content of silicon dioxide contained in the aluminosilicate is 48 parts by weight and the content of aluminum oxide contained in the aluminosilicate is 42 parts by weight, the ratio of the content of silicon dioxide contained in the aluminosilicate divided by the content of aluminum oxide contained in the aluminosilicate may be 1.14.

[0055] As a specific example, the ratio of the silicon dioxide content in the aluminosilicate divided by the aluminum oxide content in the aluminosilicate is 0.78, 0.79, 0.8, 0.81, 0.82, 0.84, 0.86, 0.88, 0.9, 0.91, 0.92, 0.93, 0.94, 0.95, 0.96, 0.97, 0.98, 0.99, 1, 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05, 1.06, 1.07, 1.08, 1.09, 1. The ratio of the silicon dioxide content in the aluminosilicate to the aluminum oxide content in the aluminosilicate may be 1, 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19, 1.2, 1.21, 1.22, 1.23, 1.24, 1.25, 1.26, 1.27, 1.28, 1.29, 1.3, 1.31, 1.32, 1.34, 1.36, 1.38, 1.4, 1.42, 1.44, 1.46, 1.48, 1.5, 1.51, 1.52, 1.53, 1.54, 1.55, 1.56, 1.57, or 1.58. In addition, the ratio of the silicon dioxide content in the aluminosilicate to the aluminum oxide content in the aluminosilicate may be greater than or equal to one of the above values and less than or equal to one of the above values.

[0056] For example, the ratio of the content of silicon dioxide contained in the aluminosilicate divided by the content of aluminum oxide contained in the aluminosilicate may be in the range of 0.78 to 1.2, 0.98 to 1.2, 0.9 to 1.2, 0.9 to 1.3, 1 to 1.2, 1 to 1.4, 1.18 to 1.58, 1.2 to 1.58, 1.38 to 1.58, or 0.78 to 1.58. When the content ratio of silicon dioxide to aluminum oxide contained in the aluminosilicate is within the above range, the aluminosilicate can react with the alkaline component of the palm empty fruit bunch pellets to effectively inhibit slagging and fouling.

[0057] If the ratio of the silicon dioxide content in the aluminosilicate divided by the aluminum oxide content in the aluminosilicate is outside the range of 0.78 to 1.58, the efficiency of generating high-melting-point substances (e.g., kalsilite, lucite, etc.) through reaction with the alkaline components released from the palm empty fruit bunch pellets during pellet combustion decreases, making it difficult to prevent slagging and fouling.

[0058] According to one embodiment, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy can be used to determine the weights of silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide contained in the aluminosilicate, and thus the ratio of the silicon dioxide content in the aluminosilicate divided by the aluminum oxide content in the aluminosilicate can be calculated.

[0059] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment, the aluminosilicate may have a weight loss rate of 5% or less, 4.5% or less, 4% or less, 3.5% or less, 3% or less, 2.5% or less, 2% or less, 1.5% or less, 1% or less, 0.9% or less, 0.8% or less, 0.7% or less, 0.6% or less, 0.5% or less, 0.4% or less, 0.3% or less, 0.2% or less, or 0.1% or less when heated from 400°C to 800°C. For example, when heated from 400°C to 800°C at a rate of 10°C per minute, the weight loss rate of the aluminosilicate may be 5% or less. Here, the weight loss rate of the aluminosilicate can be calculated using the following Equation 1:

[0060] [Formula 1] Weight loss rate of aluminosilicate (%) = (AB) / A*100 (where A is the weight of the aluminosilicate at 400°C and B is the weight of the aluminosilicate at 800°C)

[0061] The lower limit of the weight loss rate of the aluminosilicate according to an embodiment is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.001% or more, 0.01% or more, or 0.05% or more.

[0062] Unlike kaolin (e.g., kaolinite, halloysite, etc.), the aluminosilicate according to one embodiment does not contain crystal water within the aluminosilicate. Therefore, the phenomenon of the crystal water evaporating at high temperatures and reducing the total weight of the aluminosilicate hardly occurs, and the weight loss rate at 400 to 800°C is 5% or less.

[0063] In contrast, the specific surface area of kaolin may become larger than that at room temperature as the water of crystallization contained within it evaporates at 400~800℃. However, since the specific surface area of kaolin does not increase until it reaches the temperature at which the water of crystallization evaporates, it is difficult to quickly adsorb and remove the alkaline components released from the empty palm fruit bunches.

[0064] However, the aluminosilicate according to one embodiment does not contain crystal water inside, and even at 400 to 800°C, it has a specific surface area (e.g., 100 to 180 m) similar to that at room temperature (e.g., 20 to 25°C). 2 / g), it can adsorb and remove alkaline components more quickly than kaolin.

[0065] The aluminosilicate according to an embodiment may further contain unavoidable impurities as the balance other than the content of aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide.

[0066] Meanwhile, a binder can be further added to the mixture in this step. Non-limiting examples of binders include myristic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and castor oil. According to one embodiment, the binder can be added in an amount of 0.1 to 15 parts by weight (e.g., 0.1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15 parts by weight) per 100 parts by weight of the ground material.

[0067] 5. Pellet forming stage <s105>< / s105> In this step, the mixture mixed in step S104 is introduced into a pelletizer and molded to produce pellets. According to one embodiment, the mixture is introduced into a compression molding machine and compressed into pellets. In this step, the mixture may be compressed at a strength of 10 to 500 MPa. For example, the compression strength of the mixture may be 10 MPa, 20 MPa, 30 MPa, 40 MPa, 50 MPa, 60 MPa, 70 MPa, 80 MPa, 90 MPa, 100 MPa, 120 MPa, 140 MPa, 160 MPa, 180 MPa, 200 MPa, 220 MPa, 240 MPa, 260 MPa, 280 MPa, 300 MPa, 320 MPa, 340 MPa, 360 MPa, 380 MPa, 400 MPa, 420 MPa, 440 MPa, 460 MPa, 480 MPa, or 500 MPa. The compressive strength of the mixture can also be in a range greater than or equal to one of the above values and less than or equal to one of the above values.

[0068] If the compression strength of the compression molding machine for the mixture is less than 10 MPa, it will not be possible to compress it sufficiently, and the calorific value may be significantly reduced compared to the volume of the pellets. If the compression strength exceeds 500 MPa, the shape of the pellets may be destroyed, resulting in a high reject rate.

[0069] According to one embodiment, in this step, the mixture fed into the pelletizer is extruded to a diameter of 3 to 10 mm, and the extrudate is cut into a predetermined length (e.g., 20 to 50 mm) to produce pellets. Of course, the diameter and length of the pellets produced in this step can be appropriately changed as needed.

[0070] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to specific examples and experimental examples. The following examples and experimental examples are merely illustrative examples to aid in understanding the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0071] Production of palm empty fruit bunch pellets in examples and comparative examples <Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2> The palm empty fruit bunches were naturally dried until their moisture content reached 10-15%. The dried palm empty fruit bunches were then placed on a vibrating screen with a mesh size of 10-20 mm and operated for 30 minutes to remove impurities. Then, 100 kg of the impurity-removed palm empty fruit bunches were placed in a crusher and crushed to produce a crushed product with an average particle size of 20-80 mm. A mixture was prepared by adding 10 parts by weight of aluminosilicate and 10 parts by weight of binder (myristic acid) to 100 parts by weight of the crushed product. The mixture was stirred at 300 rpm for 10 hours and then placed in a compression molding machine. The mixture was compressed at a pressure of 300 MPa in the compression molding machine, and palm empty fruit bunch pellets with a diameter of 5-10 mm and a length of 30-50 mm were produced through the extrusion and cutting processes.

[0072] The weights of silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide in the aluminosilicates of the Examples and Comparative Examples, which were fed into a mixer during the production of black pellets used in the production of palm empty fruit bunch pellets, were measured using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (Rigaku ZSX Primus II), and the ratios obtained by dividing the silicon dioxide content in the aluminosilicate by the aluminum oxide content in the aluminosilicate were calculated and are shown in Table 1 below.

[0073] [Table 1]

[0074] Slagging and fouling suppression experiments for black pellets in Examples and Comparative Examples <Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2> Palm empty fruit bunch pellets from each example and comparative example were fed into a pilot test machine modeled after a circulating fluidized bed boiler used in thermal power plants and burned to compare their slagging and fouling suppression performance. Palm empty fruit bunch pellets were fed into the test machine at a rate of 2.5 kg / hr for three hours, and the average temperatures of the combustion furnace and measurement load cell were maintained at 850°C and 600°C, respectively, during the pilot test. After the test was completed, the weight change of the load cell was measured to determine the weight of the slagging and fouling formed on the surface of the load cell (i.e., the alkali components contained in the palm empty fruit bunch raw material melted and solidified on the surface of the load cell together with ash particles). The results are shown in Table 2.

[0075] [Table 2]

[0076] Referring to Table 2, it can be seen that Examples 1 to 5, in which the ratio of the silicon dioxide content contained in the aluminosilicate divided by the aluminum oxide content contained in the aluminosilicate was within the range of 0.78 to 1.58, experienced relatively less slagging and fouling compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 2. That is, when the palm empty fruit bunch pellets according to Examples 1 to 5 are burned, the additive aluminosilicate effectively controls the alkaline components contained in the palm empty fruit bunches, thereby suppressing the occurrence of slagging and fouling, and preventing the alkaline components from reacting with chlorine to form chlorides, thereby preventing chlorides from adhering to the inner walls and metal parts of the boiler and causing corrosion.

[0077] Specific surface area measurement by BET method <Examples 1 to 5> 0.1 g of the aluminosilicate sample used in each example was pretreated at 100°C to remove surface water from the sample. The specific surface area of each sample was then measured three times using a MicrotracBEL BELSORP-max II instrument in accordance with the standard analytical method ISO 9277:2010, and the average values are shown in Table 3 below.

[0078] [Table 3]

[0079] Weight loss rate measurement <Examples 1 to 5> 200 mg of an aluminosilicate sample used in each example was placed in a thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimeter (TA Instruments SDT Q600) and heated from room temperature (25°C) to 1,000°C at a rate of 10°C per minute. The weight of the aluminosilicate was measured at 400°C and 800°C. The weight loss rate for each sample was calculated using Equation 1 above, and the results are shown in Table 4 below.

[0080] [Table 4]

[0081] Production of cone-shaped samples for examples and comparative examples <Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2> The palm empty fruit bunch pellets produced in each example and comparative example were burned at 550°C to produce ash in accordance with ISO 18122 Solid biofuels. The produced ash samples were placed in a conical mold and pressured at 20 MPa for 2 minutes to produce conical samples in each example and comparative example.

[0082] High temperature stability experiment <Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2> In order to confirm the stability of the conical samples prepared in the Examples and Comparative Examples at high temperatures, an experiment was carried out based on the ash solubility test method (ISO 540 Determination of fusibility of ash), and the results are shown in Table 5 below.

[0083] [Table 5]

[0084] Table 5 shows photographs of the shape of each cone-shaped sample as a function of temperature, and the temperature at which deformation of each sample begins to occur. Referring to the solubility test results in Table 5, it was confirmed that Examples 1 to 5 all had heat distortion temperatures of 1,000°C or higher, demonstrating their stability at high temperatures. In contrast, Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were confirmed to have undergone heat distortion at temperatures below 1,000°C. In other words, since the heat distortion temperatures of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were below 1,000°C, it can be seen that when the pellets of Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are burned, they may melt in a section of a circulating fluidized bed boiler in a thermal power plant, generating clinker.

[0085] As described above, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, palm empty fruit bunches are used to produce palm empty fruit bunch pellets, thereby producing fuel that is environmentally friendly and has excellent combustion efficiency.

[0086] Furthermore, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when palm empty fruit bunch pellets are produced, costs for waste disposal of palm empty fruit bunches can be reduced, and methane generated due to decay of palm empty fruit bunches can be reduced.

[0087] Furthermore, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, when palm empty fruit bunch pellets are burned, the additive (aluminosilicate aluminosilicate) can react with specific components (e.g., potassium, sodium, chlorine, etc.) contained in the palm empty fruit bunch to generate a substance with a high melting point. This can improve the thermal imbalance, slagging, fouling, and corrosion problems inside the boiler caused by the specific components present in the palm empty fruit bunch.

[0088] In particular, when producing pellets from empty palm fruit bunches, it is possible to reduce the cost of waste disposal of empty palm fruit bunches and reduce the methane gas generated by the decay of empty palm fruit bunches. When empty palm fruit bunches are burned, the alkaline components contained in the empty palm fruit bunches are converted into high-melting-point substances by aluminosilicate, which contributes to the complete combustion of fuel and prevents corrosion of metal surfaces, including the inner walls of boilers, by chlorides.

[0089] Furthermore, according to various embodiments of the present invention, slagging and fouling caused by alkaline components can be suppressed by controlling the alkaline components contained in palm empty fruit bunches without using kaolin.

[0090] Furthermore, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the aluminosilicate mixed with palm empty fruit bunches has a small weight loss rate at high temperatures, making it easy to set the amount of aluminosilicate to be added. Also, since the loss due to ignition loss is small, the alkalinity can be controlled with a relatively small amount compared to kaolin.

[0091] Furthermore, according to various embodiments of the present invention, since the aluminosilicate does not contain water of crystallization, it can be melted at room temperature for 100 to 180 m without heat treatment at a high temperature of 400 to 800°C. 2 The specific surface area of the pellets can be maintained at about 1 / g, and the large specific surface area can physically adsorb and remove alkaline components (e.g., K, Na, KO, NaO, etc.) that are melted and released during pellet combustion, thereby preventing slagging and fouling.

[0092] If the aluminosilicate contains water of crystallization, the specific surface area of the aluminosilicate can be increased only by removing the water of crystallization through heat treatment at high temperature. However, according to various embodiments of the present invention, the specific surface area of the aluminosilicate is high even without the need to separately remove the water of crystallization, which has the advantage that the alkalinity can be controlled by a rapid adsorption reaction during pellet combustion.

[0093] As described above, the specific description of the present invention has been disclosed based on the embodiments, but the above-mentioned embodiments merely describe preferred examples of the present invention, and therefore the present invention should not be understood as being limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and the scope of the present invention should be understood as the scope of the claims described below and their equivalent concepts.

Claims

1. a crushing step of crushing palm empty fruit bunches (EFBs), which are a by-product of palm trees, to produce crushed material; a mixing step of adding an additive to the pulverized material to prepare a mixture; and forming the mixture into pellets. the additive comprises an aluminosilicate; a weight ratio of the content of silicon dioxide contained in the aluminosilicate divided by the content of aluminum oxide contained in the aluminosilicate is 0.9 to 1.

2.

2. The method for producing palm empty fruit bunch pellets includes: a drying step of drying the palm empty fruit bunch; The method for producing palm empty fruit bunch pellets according to claim 1, further comprising: removing impurities from the palm empty fruit bunches.

3. The aluminosilicate has a specific surface area of 100 to 180 m as measured in accordance with the International Organization for Standardization ISO 9277:2010. 2 The method for producing palm empty fruit bunch pellets according to claim 1, wherein the total mass of palm empty fruit bunch pellets is 1 / g.

4. 2. The method for producing palm empty fruit bunch pellets according to claim 1, wherein the aluminosilicate has a weight loss rate of 5% or less when heated from 400°C to 800°C.

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