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The dynamics of poultry waste co-combustion with solid biomass has been theoretically and experimentally analyzed by authors in several works. The current work is focused on a case study regarding the energy recovery from poultry waste in order to use it for heating a 1000 m3 chicken rearing complex, considering the specific climatic conditions in Romania. Even if biomass has significant national potential, there are only a few experimental incentives in our country to use it for energy production. Since poultry manure is characterized by high moisture and low calorific value, its co-combustion with solid biomass was chosen. Thus, laboratory experiments involving the combustion of 20–30% poultry waste were carried out on a 55 kW pilot boiler. This is an environmentally friendly and low-cost approach. The tests showed that phosphorus and potassium are concentrated by the combustible mass disappearance in the ash (P = 3.2–5.5% and K = 2.2–3.8%), leading to the conclusion that it represents a much more valuable fertilizer than raw waste, since it is lighter and much easier to store, transport, and spread over the agricultural area. The poultry waste mix with solid biomass was taken into account for heating a chicken rearing hall module by considering the needs of each period (cycle) in the development of the chicken-bird flow in accordance with a temperate-continental climate, such as Romania's climate. The resulting annual fuel consumption is 53.27 t. This quantity represents 42.60 t of biomass and 10.67 t of poultry manure. The co-combustion showed pollutant emissions within the legal limits and no presence of ammonia, which was incinerated on the biomass layer surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leather processing for commercial purposes involves going through a set of complex and laborious operations, resulting in over 70% waste relative to the initial feedstock; a quarter of this waste is produced in Europe. Worldwide there are about 36,000 companies active in this sector, generating a turnover of almost 48 billion euros. As in any industrial sector, waste recovery is a highly researched topic, with alternatives for its use being constantly considered. One of the most interesting solutions to this problem consists of using part of the waste for power applications. For instance, the 10% fats from total animal waste could well be employed to power diesel engines, both in raw state or as biodiesel. The remainder, which contains mostly proteins, can be exploited to obtain biogas through anaerobic digestion. This paper presents the results of experimental determinations on the combustion of animal fats and compares it to other biofuels, such as vegetable oils and solid biomass. The advantages of co-firing hydrogen-rich gas (HRG) and vegetable biomass are also analyzed. According to the presented results, combustion of the investigated fuels has a lower impact on the environment, with the concentration of pollutants in the flue gases being low. Thus, the paper proves that all the proposed solutions are ecological alternatives for biomass exploitation for energy recovery purposes, based on comparing the results in terms of pollutant emissions. This paper provides qualitative and quantitative perspectives on multiple alternatives of energy recovery from biomass resources, while also briefly describing the methods and equipment used to this end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]