FUEL CONSISTING OF A MIXTURE OF CELLULOSIC FIBRES AND FAT- AND/OR OILCONTAINING SLUDGES OR WASTE MATERIALS

Abstract: A fuel consists of a mixture of 26-72% cellullosic fibres like straw and sugar-cane fibres and 26-74% fat- and/or oilcontaining sludges from slaughter-houses, milk-condensation plants, fishing industry, distilleries, public dry-cleaning establishments and tanker transports. The water content in the sludge is preferably 50%. The fat- and/or oilcontaining sludge is heated to about 15-40<o>C, after which the sludge is mechanically admixed with the cellullosic fibres, after which the fuel is immediately ready for use. A fuel analysis indicates an upper caloric value of 3920 Kcal/kg for a mixture with a straw to sludge ratio of 1:1. In addition to its value as fuel you avoid oil- and/or fatcontamination in the environment.

Description: FUEL CONSISTING OF A MIXTURE OF CELLULOSIC FIBRES AND FAT- AND/OR OILCONTAINING SLUDGES OR WASTE MATERIALS . The invention concerns a fuel consisting of a mixture of cellulosic fibres like straw and sugar-cane fibres and fat- and/or oilcontaining sludges or waste mater¬ ials from slaughter houses, milk-condensation plants, fishing industry, distilleries, public dry-cleaning plants, and tanker transports. A number of industries and cleaning plants discharge respectively collect large guantities of oil- and/or fatcontaining sludges. One part of the sludge is dumped on tips and another part is discharged into water reci¬ pients. The oil- and/or fatcontaining sludge represents a substantial amount of fuel, that is not utilized today, but is a damaging factor to the environment the way it is discharged or dumped today. It is the object of the invention to indicate a method to utilize oil- and/or fatcontaining sludges as fuel without transferring any pollution to the air recipient,. The danish printed, examined patent application 148 119 discloses a process of manufacturing straw briquettes, where before the pressing, watery sludge from a smaller cleaning plant with sludge bed that contains organic material, is added. The process that is described in this publication, is based on the fact, that a considerable quantity of heat is evolved in the briquettes during the pressing operation. The heat evolution is so considerable that a partial vapo¬ rization of the water in the sludge occurs. Despite this vaporization you can only add 10-25 % sludge with a water content ranging from 25-35 % after sun-drying of the sludge. In the example that is referred in the publi¬ cation is indicated an upper calorific value of 3940 Kcal/Kg for a sample with about 17 % sludge with a water content of about 30 %. The object of the invention is thus to specify a fuel of the kind set forth by way of introduction, where you can add a larger quantity of oil- and/or sludge and a larger water content. Furthermore it must be possible to manufacture the fuel in a simple way without any need to invest in expensive, energy consuming or production limitating machinery like a ' briquetting press. This is ' achieved according to the invention by heating the fat- and/or oilcontaining sludge to about 15-40 C after which the sludges are mechanically admixed with the cellulosic fibres in such proportions, that the resultant fuel has a dry matter content of 40-80 % preferably 60 % and a water content of 20-60 % preferably 40 %; After mixing the fuel is ready for use. It has unexpectedly shown, that you by simply mechani¬ cally mixing the fact- and/or oilcontaining sludge after a previous heating of the sludge to 25-35 C, when it changes into a homogenous fluent mass, can add conside¬ rably larger quantities of sludge with higher water con¬ tents and still achieve good results as far as the calo¬ rific value is concerned. The weight proportions of the fuel are preferably 26-74 % straw and 26-74 % oil- and/or ^_ s fat, suitably is the mixing ratio 1:1. A typical sludge used for the purpose contains 85 % water and 15 % oil- and/or fat and after being dried 40 % water and 60 % oil and/or fat. A fat sludge concentration with a water content of roughly 50 % was heated to about 30 C. The sludge was admixed with straw in the proportion 1:1, after which the volume cf the straw was decreased considerably. It has appeared that the fat sludge when admixed is distributed on the upper surfaces of the straws. The mixture was odourless and immediately ready for use in a heating plant inten- ted for fuels with high countents of volatile consti¬ tuents. A fuel analysis points out an upper calorific value of 3920 Kcal/K'g. The dry matter content was 61,5 % and the ash content 5,3 % T.S. The result of the mixing is thus that you obtain 2 Kg fuel for each Kg straw with an energy value correspon¬ ding to 2 Kg straw and with a considerably smaller volume. Equally important or perhaps more• important is that you avoid contiminating oil- and/or fat concentra¬ tions in the environment.

Claims: CLAIMS Fuel consisting of a mixture of cellulosic fibres like straw or sugar-cane fibres and fat- and/or oilcontaining sludges or waste materials from slaughter houses, milk- condensation plants, fishing industry, distilleries, public dry-cleaning establishments and tanker transports c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y that the fat- and/or oil- containing sludge is heated to 15-40 C°, after which the sludge is mechanically admixed with the cellulosic fibres in such a proportion that the resultant fuel has a dry matter content of 40-80 %, preferably 60 %, and a water content of 20-60 %, preferably 40 %• After the mixing the fuel is immediately ready for use.

Inventors: SAXBERG PETER, SAXBERG, PETER
Applicants: SAILOR LOEKKEN SKIBSPROVIANTER, SAILOR, LOEKKEN SKIBSPROVIANTERING APS
Application year: 1986
Main classification: C10L5
IPC codes: C02F11, C10L1, C10L5