Abstract
Trials performed by Thames Water on a Sludge Powered Generator (SPG) have used sludge from a Thermal Hydrolysis Process (THP) as feed. Data from the trials with THP product sludge at Thames Water's Crossness SPGs was subject to data analysis by converting the trial data into flows of operating cost. Sludge is a mixture of many chemicals and these would be very time consuming to analyse for combustion performance in full detail. Therefore sludge has been simplified to a mixture of water and a single combustible chemical component (coniferyl alcohol) with the same heat of combustion as water-free sludge and roughly the right elemental analysis. This simplification enables the thermal behaviour of the combustion, including its tendency to extinguish without support fuel, to be captured. Both the simplified model and the data analysis from the trial show the THP product sludge is a viable fuel which produces a net financial benefit to the SPG’s operation.