REMEDIATION OF CRUDE OIL POLLUTED SOIL USING TRADITIONAL AND MICROWAVE PYROLYSIS.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Nottingham
Department Name: Faculty of Engineering
Abstract
Booming oil exploration activities in Nigeria have constantly caused environmental pollution. Over three million barrels of crude oil spilled into the Niger Delta region. Thermal remediation technologies are established for treating oil contaminated soil but suffer from high energy costs. The aim of the research is to applying microwave pyrolysis for contaminated soils and draw comparisons with traditional pyrolysis methods. The specific objectives are to optimise processing parameters in microwave pyrolysis, to characterise the oils released and compare the energy consumption with microwave pyrolysis. In particular, the impact of soil composition and moisture content on the removal of crude oil in microwave pyrolysis are being determined. It has been shown for the first time that oil removal comparable to traditional pyrolysis can be achieved for soils rich in clay.
Planned Impact
The strategic vision is to develop a world-leading Centre for Industrial Doctoral Training focussed on delivering research leaders and next generation innovators with broad economic, societal and contextual awareness, having strong technical skills and the capability of operating in multi-disciplinary teams covering a range of knowledge transfer, deployment and policy roles.
The immediate beneficiaries of our activities will be the students we train and their sponsoring companies. These students are expected to progress to research/development careers in industry or academia and be future leaders. They will be able to contribute to stimulating UK-based industry into developing the next generation of technologies to reduce CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels and ultimately improve the UK's position in the global economy through increased jobs and exports.
Other beneficiaries include the industrial and academic partners of the CDT, the broader scientific and industrial carbon capture and storage and cleaner fossil energy communities, skills base and society in general. The key application areas addressed by the CDT will impact on the major technical challenges in the sector over the next 10-20 years as identified by our industrial partners:
(i) Implementing new, more flexible and efficient fossil fuel power plant to meet peak demand as recognised by electricity market reform incentives in the Energy Bill.
(ii) Deployment of CCS at commercial scale for near zero emission power plant and development of cost reduction technologies
(iii) Maximising the potential of unconventional gas, including shale gas and underground coal gasification.
(iv) Development of technologies for vastly reduced CO2 emissions in other industrial sectors: iron and steel making, cement, refineries, domestic fuels and small scale diesel power generators.
These areas also cover biomass firing in conventional plant defined in the Bioenergy Priority Area where specific issues concern erosion, corrosion, slagging, fouling and the overall supply chain economics.
Technically, the students we train will graduate with specialised knowledge in CCS and cleaner fossil energy. This will be underpinned by a broad technical knowledge of the sector and a wider appreciation of the role carbon capture and storage and cleaner fossil energy can play in the UK and internationally. We will also support development of their professional skills including developing their creative thinking skills providing them with a solid foundation to rapidly progress to become the future leaders of innovation and growth in UK industry and academia.
In the short-term, the trained reseachers will apply their knowledge and skills to underpin applications-led activities at the partnering industrial organisations and participate in further academic-industry collaborations. In the longer term, they will progress to lead in the integration of dramatically enhanced carbon capture and storage and cleaner fossil energy technologies that will be of direct benefit across the UK fossil fuel industry and supply chain, leading directly to wealth creation with job protection and growth.
A company sponsoring a student will help define the research they undertake and will be of direct interest to the company. Further, the company will have had long term access to a potential employee. Timely application of the technologies developed will enable and accelerate the development and adoption of CCS and cleaner fossil energy knowledge bringing environmental benefits to the UK and internationally.
The publicity generated by the project will raise public awareness of the role of CCS and cleaner fossil energy igenerally in society. Ultimately the broader benefits to society will include improvements to the quality of life derived from the improved efficiency, flexibility and reliability of the technologies.
The immediate beneficiaries of our activities will be the students we train and their sponsoring companies. These students are expected to progress to research/development careers in industry or academia and be future leaders. They will be able to contribute to stimulating UK-based industry into developing the next generation of technologies to reduce CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels and ultimately improve the UK's position in the global economy through increased jobs and exports.
Other beneficiaries include the industrial and academic partners of the CDT, the broader scientific and industrial carbon capture and storage and cleaner fossil energy communities, skills base and society in general. The key application areas addressed by the CDT will impact on the major technical challenges in the sector over the next 10-20 years as identified by our industrial partners:
(i) Implementing new, more flexible and efficient fossil fuel power plant to meet peak demand as recognised by electricity market reform incentives in the Energy Bill.
(ii) Deployment of CCS at commercial scale for near zero emission power plant and development of cost reduction technologies
(iii) Maximising the potential of unconventional gas, including shale gas and underground coal gasification.
(iv) Development of technologies for vastly reduced CO2 emissions in other industrial sectors: iron and steel making, cement, refineries, domestic fuels and small scale diesel power generators.
These areas also cover biomass firing in conventional plant defined in the Bioenergy Priority Area where specific issues concern erosion, corrosion, slagging, fouling and the overall supply chain economics.
Technically, the students we train will graduate with specialised knowledge in CCS and cleaner fossil energy. This will be underpinned by a broad technical knowledge of the sector and a wider appreciation of the role carbon capture and storage and cleaner fossil energy can play in the UK and internationally. We will also support development of their professional skills including developing their creative thinking skills providing them with a solid foundation to rapidly progress to become the future leaders of innovation and growth in UK industry and academia.
In the short-term, the trained reseachers will apply their knowledge and skills to underpin applications-led activities at the partnering industrial organisations and participate in further academic-industry collaborations. In the longer term, they will progress to lead in the integration of dramatically enhanced carbon capture and storage and cleaner fossil energy technologies that will be of direct benefit across the UK fossil fuel industry and supply chain, leading directly to wealth creation with job protection and growth.
A company sponsoring a student will help define the research they undertake and will be of direct interest to the company. Further, the company will have had long term access to a potential employee. Timely application of the technologies developed will enable and accelerate the development and adoption of CCS and cleaner fossil energy knowledge bringing environmental benefits to the UK and internationally.
The publicity generated by the project will raise public awareness of the role of CCS and cleaner fossil energy igenerally in society. Ultimately the broader benefits to society will include improvements to the quality of life derived from the improved efficiency, flexibility and reliability of the technologies.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Uwem Bassey (Student) |
| Description | Crude oil pollution arising from spillage due to technical issues and anthropogenic activities along pipeline lines, is of great concern. This research compares the efficacy of microwave to traditional pyrolysis (thermal pyrolysis) techniques for hydrocarbon removal from different soil types. Soil types such as sand, clay and sand-loam soils are used in this research. The Initial weight of oil content is in the range 7.5- 1.5 weight%, for the soil types. Present findings have shown that at 400 degrees for 45 minutes with thermal pyrolysis, 80 % of soluble hydrocarbon were removed from the soil after an energy input of 218 KJ/g. Whilst microwave pyrolysis at 7min 90 % soluble hydrocarbon is removed with an energy input of 3.6 KJ/g. For both techniques hydrocarbon from C10 to C30 was recovered, including some carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (fluoranthene, pyrene, fuorene, benz (a) anthracene, chrysene, phenanthrene, anthracene and naphthalene) which is of great environmental concern. Techno-economic impact estimated for hydrocarbon removal for a tonne of soil considering an energy cost of 0.005 dollars per kilowatt hour (reported in the literature) is as follows: 302.65 dollars with thermal pyrolysis and 5.33 dollars for microwave pyrolysis. Aliphatic hydrocarbons recovered from soil can be used as liquid fuels or for synthesis of petrochemical products. Finding so far is a gateway for the application of energy efficient technology, such as microwave heating for oil waste treatment (oil contaminated soils and drill cutting). For the purpose of scaling-up, a microwave pilot treatment plant will be used to compare both laboratory and industrial results. |
| Exploitation Route | 1. Estimate the energy value of the oil recovered after microwave pyrolysis 2. Examine the impact of some microwave absorbers (liquids and char) on reducing treatment time |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Environment,Transport |
| Description | The microwave treatment plant used for soil treatment can be taken to remediation site for on site treatment. Prior to this time (use of thermal treatment plant) oil waste material such as drill cuttings are transported from the north sea where drill wastes are generated to treatment location. Environmental hazards such as dust pollution whilst conveying the waste is of concern. Also, transportation cost is also greatly reduced. |
| Sector | Environment |
| Impact Types | Economic |