Controlling low-temperature drying facilities which utilise nonprepared air is quite difficult, due to very large variability of ventilation air parameters - both in daily and seasonal cycles. The paper defines the concept of cumulative drying potential of ventilation air and presents experimental evidence that there is a relation between this parameter and condition of the dried matter (sewage sludge). Knowledge on current dry mass content in the dried matter (sewage sludge) provides new possibilities for controlling such systems. Experimental data analysed in the paper was collected in early 2012 during operation of a test solar drying facility in a sewage treatment plant in Błonie near Warsaw, Poland.

The paper presents key assumptions of the mathematical model which describes heat and mass transfer phenomena in a solar sewage drying process, as well as techniques used for solving this model with the Fluent computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. Special attention was paid to implementation of boundary conditions on the sludge surface, which is a physical boundary between the gaseous phase - air, and solid phase - dried matter. Those conditions allow to model heat and mass transfer between the media during first and second drying stages. Selection of the computational geometry is also discussed - it is a fragment of the entire drying facility. Selected modelling results are presented in the final part of the paper.

The paper proposes a procedure which enables to determine selected geometric and operating parameters for twin-fluid liquid-to-air atomisers with internal mixing. The presented approach assumes that in order to ensure proper operation of an atomiser it is necessary to design its structure and flow parameters in such a way so that the flow inside the mixing chamber has a dispersive character. In order to calculate a required exhaust cross-section for the analysed atomiser, conditions within the exhaust plane: pressure, density and outflow velocity were estimated. In order to determine diameter and number of orifices supplying the liquid to the mixing chamber of the investigated atomiser type, a multi-parameter analysis based on numerical fluid mechanics was performed. The final part of the paper presents selected results obtained from experimental stand measurements made on an atomiser designed according to the presented procedure.

One of the important parameters describing pneumatic liquid atomisation is the air to liquid mass ratio (ALR). Along with the atomiser design and properties of the liquid it has extremely important influence on parameters of atomised liquid such as: mean droplet diameter, jet range and angle. Knowledge about real characteristics of an atomiser in this respect is necessary to correctly choose its operating parameters in industrial applications.

The paper presents results of experimental research of two-fluid atomisers with internal mixing built according to custom design. Investigated atomizers were designed for spraying a urea aqueous solution inside the power boiler combustion chamber. They are an important element of SNCR (selective non-catalytic reduction) installation which is used to reduce nitrogen oxides in a flue gas boiler. Obtained results were used by authors in further research, among others to determine the boundary conditions in the SNCR installation modeling.

The research included determining mean droplet diameter as a function of ALR. It has been based on the immersion liquid method and on the use of specialised instrumentation for determining distribution of droplet diameters in a spray – Spraytec by Malvern. Results obtained with both methods were later compared. The measurements were performed at a laboratory stand located at the Institute of Heat Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology. The stand enables extensive investigation of the water atomisation process.

The article present results of economic efficiency evaluation of storage technology for electricity from coal power plants in large-scale chemical batteries. The benefits of using a chemical lithium-ion battery in a public power plant based on hard coal were determined on the basis of data for 2018 concerning the mining process. The analysis included the potential effects of using a 400 MWh battery to optimize the operation of 350 MW power units in a coal power plant. The research team estimated financial benefits resulting from the reduction of peak loads and the work of individual power units in the optimal load range. The calculations included benefits resulting from the reduction of fuel consumption (coal and heavy fuel oil – mazout) as well as from the reduction of expenses on CO2 emission allowances.

The evaluation of the economic efficiency was enabled by a model created to calculate the NPV and IRR ratios. The research also included a sensitivity analysis which took identified risk factors associated with changes in the calculation assumptions adopted in the analysis into account. The evaluation showed that the use of large-scale chemical batteries to optimize the operation of power units of the subject coal power plant is profitable. A conducted sensitivity analysis of the economic efficiency showed that the efficiency of the battery and the costs of its construction have the greatest impact on the economic efficiency of the technology of producing electricity in a coal power plant with the use of a chemical battery. Other variables affecting the result of economic efficiency are the factors related to battery durability and fuels: battery life cycle, prices of fuels, prices of CO2 emission allowances and decrease of the battery capacity during its lifetime.

This work is a continuation and extension of previous socio-economic analyses of hard coal mines, which were conducted at the Central Mining Institute in the years 2013-2015. The paper presents the results of the economic evaluation of the hard coal mining sector in the years 2016-2018 using the Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) methodology. Used for the socio-economic assessment of hard coal mining, the CBA methodology enables the comprehensive evaluation of the functioning of this sector of the economy in Poland. In addition to financial aspects, which are important from the point of view of coal companies, it also included the social and environmental influence resulting from the impact of mines on the environment. Direct data of operating costs and payments (including public-law payments), incurred by the hard coal mining industry in Poland, was used. This data is obtained by Industrial Development Agency JSC, Branch Office Katowice as part of the “Program of statistical surveys of official statistics” – statistical survey “Hard coal and lignite mining industry”. They were supplemented with data coming from commonly available public statistics. For the analysed period the presented results indicate that the financial and social benefits resulting from the hard coal mining activity in Poland outweighed the financial, social and environmental costs generated by this industry. This confirms the desirability of further functioning of the hard coal mining industry in Poland, however, assuming effective restructuring activities that will result in lower costs of coal production.

Distribution of the exhaust gas temperature within the furnace of a grate boiler greatly depends on its operating parameters such as output. It has a considerably different character than temperature distributions in other types of boilers (with pulverised or fluidised bed), as it varies considerably across the chamber. Results presented in this paper have been obtained through research of a grate-fired hot water boiler with a nominal rating of some 30 MW. Measurements have been taken by introducing temperature sensors into prearranged openings placed in the boiler side walls. Investigation has been carried out for different output levels. Tests involved thermocouples in ceramic coating and aspirated thermocouples. The latter were used to eliminate influence of radiative heat transfer on measured results. Values obtained with both methods have been cross-checked.

This paper presents the results of a cost-effectiveness analysis and a cost-benefit analysis for the production of X-type zeolites from fly ash.
Positive results of the laboratory tests on the quality of zeolites derived from fly ash initiated a cost analysis on the production of this materials on an industrial scale. The cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using the dynamic generation cost indicator (DGC). The calculated DGC expresses the technical manufacturing cost of 1 Mg of synthetic zeolites. Whereas the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was completed using the economic net present value (ENP V) and the economic internal rate of return (EIRR ) indicators.
The calculated unit technical cost of producing 1 Mg of zeolites using an installation consisting of five reactors with a capacity of 25 m3 each is 211 EUR and is lower than the current market price of this product, including transportation costs. This proves the financial viability of the investment. The calculations of the economic efficiency of the installation (CBA method) show that it is fully economically viable to operate and use the products from a social point of view.