ASSESSING THE CO-FIRING POTENTIAL AND INFLUENCE OF PLASTIC WASTE IN LOW RANK COAL AND REFUSE-DERIVED FUEL BLENDS WITH TERMOGRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS APPROACH

• Main Author: Akbar Wardana, Alamsyah
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/74409
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

<p align="justify">Indonesia’s Coal Fired Power Plants (CFPP) contribute significantly to carbon emissions, comprising 70% of power generation emissions. However, transitioning to greener power generation options is costly. Co-firing coal with biomass from urban or agricultural waste is proposed as an alternative solution. This study investigates the potential of Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) from urban waste for co-firing in Indonesia. The research evaluates various coal-RDF co-firing compositions, assesses RDF as a solid fuel, and examines the influence of plastic composition on co-firing. Proximate, ultimate, heating value analyses, and Thermogravimetric combustion tests were conducted on coal-RDF blends. RDF, as a heterogeneous mixture, exhibits multiple peak combustions at specific temperatures, while coal shows a single peak combustion with greater thermal stability. A 95:5 (%w/w) coal-RDF blend demonstrates coal-like characteristics and is deemed suitable for co-firing. Blends of 90:10 (%w/w) and 85:15 (%w/w) exhibit minor deviations, while the 80:20 (%w/w) blend shows further deviations and decreased combustion parameters. Adjusting the plastic composition to 20% within the RDF improves combustion quality, enabling potential use of a 10% RDF mixture without adversely affecting the combustion chamber temperature.