RESEARCH PLANNING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Part A
Abstract
This research project’s title is to evaluate role of Torrefaction in sewage sludge management: A case study of UK construction companies. For this purpose and to make the project meaningful and impactful, an organized approach has been used. This highlights the scope of the research, its potential benefits, and the chosen topic’s justification. Further, analysis of different topics related to the study has been included in the research project along with its significance as well as shortcomings. The gaps are related to the lack of detailed involvement and analysis of particular variables and insufficient study. Moreover, the research techniques and approaches involved in the research are the use of inductive approach, secondary data collection and application of thematic data analysis tool. Lastly, a Gannt chart has been formed to visualize the tasks on the basis of monthly activities and milestones, deliverables, and risks are also illustrated.
Introduction to the research area
Torrefaction is the thermochemical procedure that intends to decrease biomass’s volatiles and water content (Soponpongpipat and Chonlaphan, 2022). The aim is to improve some of its fuel properties, such as eliminating biological activity, high energy density, easy grindability, and hydrophobic behavior. This process is beneficial as it is a promising biomass upgrading technology. Torrefied biomass has some advantages, including reduced moisture content, higher energy content, and elimination of odors. On the other hand, sewage sludge is the waste material generated in huge quantities globally. Though, utilization of this can be challenging because of moisture and high organic fraction content.
Problems to be addressed
Sewage sludge generates from wastewater treatment and is considered a residue that is increasingly becoming difficult. This comprises organic matter water, including inorganic and organic contaminants (Pulka et. al. 2019). The risk of sludge is something that is required to be taken into consideration during its use. Because of this purpose, a lot of work has been conducted concerning stabilization and the activation of sewage sludge. Because of various health and safety, and environmental reasons, sewage sludge is an issue of many regulations both at the national level as well as in the European Union.
The growing demand for heat and electricity is driving the development of various advanced technologies to generate energy from various supposed renewable resources. the waste streams have rising importance and can be transformed into renewable energy. various developed nations are banning sewage sludge landfilling. the usage of agriculture is becoming problematic because of toxicity and influence on groundwater, and incineration is getting expensive. the management of sewage sludge varies between various nations. Because of urbanization, the production of Sewage sludge has risen substantially, and the process of torrefaction could offer a sustainable use of the great volume of non-lignocellulosic biomass.
Potential benefits
Torrefaction is the thermal valorization technique that enables advancing low-quality solid biofuel and converting them into a marketable commodity. This process is conducted at temperatures between 250°C to 300°C and at ambient pressure. The product encompasses terrified biomass involving CO2, CO, a small amount of methane, hydrogen, and volatile organic compounds. The presence of oxygen and vapor significantly impacts the products of the Torrefaction of sewage sludge (Cheng et. al. 2022). In addition, the use of additives while torrefaction of sewage for improvement of the properties is also the subject of investigation. This technique is somewhere also considered a technique to improvise the gasification of biomass. The usage of torrefaction enables utilizing waste heat to remove the part of volatiles from feedstock. It also helps reduce consumption of electricity for plasma gasification. This study has advantages as it comprises various benefits that Torrefaction has, such as homogeneous composition and higher energy density. This technology drives oxygen-rich, moisture and hydrogen-rich functional groups, eliminates biological activity, and efficiently co-fires an existing coal-fired power station for chemical production and transportation fuels.
Research aim
Aim: To evaluate the role of Torrefaction in sewage sludge management: A case study of UK construction companies.
Research objectives
Based on the research study and the issues to be addressed, below mentioned are the research objectives that the study aims at fulfilling:
- To explore the concept of Torrefaction and sewage sludge management
- To analyse the role of Torrefaction in sewage sludge management in construction projects
- To evaluate the impact of Torrefaction in sewage sludge management in the UK construction projects
- To recommend ways to maximize the impact of Torrefaction in sewage sludge management
Scope of the research
This research scope encompasses the elements to be involved in the research project. This research project involves three sections that focus on addressing the research objectives. The first section involves the introductory part of the research comprises research benefits and contributions. Further, another part of the research involves ten references to different articles related to the subject and title of the study. Further, it also involves a summary of the research gaps that have been identified. Lastly, the third segment is concerned with elaborating on the research techniques, Gannt chart, work plan, risks, and deliverables.
Research novelty
This research project puts a strong and in-depth focus on Torrefaction and sewage sludge management. Hence, this study can contribute to different people and entities belonging to a similar field or studying in the area. This study is also effective as it also includes a summary of the contribution and shortcomings of other similar studies in an organized manner.
Part B
Research literature review
Reference 1:
Pulka, J., Manczarski, P., Koziel, J.A. and Białowiec, A., (2019). Torrefaction of sewage sludge: Kinetics and fuel properties of biochars. Energies, 12(3), p.565. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12030565
The main contribution of the research:
The research aims to determine the effect of torrefaction temperature on biochar biofuel. The research indicated that activation energy needed to manage high ash content sludge was 6-fold lower than described for managing sludge with less ash content. It is also indicated that SS with high ash value is not suitable for incineration as the temperature exceeds 240C.
The shortcoming of the study:
The study identifies the significant gap in SS torrefaction. Even when advanced research can explore potential of executing technology to manage sewage sludge, basic research is still needed. For example, the researcher has given less importance to determining the initial properties and type of wastewater needed for the treatment.
Reference 2:
Białowiec, A., Pulka, J., Styczyńska, M., Koziel, J.A., Kalka, J., Jureczko, M., Felis, E. and Manczarski, P., (2020). Is biochar from the torrefaction of sewage sludge hazardous waste?. Materials, 13(16), p.3544. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13163544
The main contribution of the research:
The present study focuses on determining the leachability of contaminants along with identifying biochar’s toxicity. The study stated that the torrefaction process made no changes in the content of HM in relation to the raw SS. At the same time, the process constantly decreased the leachability of HMs in comparison to the raw sewage sludge.
The shortcoming of the study:
Although the study focused on identifying potential chemical compounds and toxic elements in biochars, it failed to evaluate the toxicity level due to inconclusive data and an inherently extensive range of chemicals used. Therefore, addressing and evaluating the toxicity in biochar is extremely necessary for sustainable sludge management.
Reference 3:
Simonic, M., Goricanec, D. and Urbancl, D., (2020). Impact of torrefaction on biomass properties depending on temperature and operation time. Science of the Total Environment, 740, p.140086. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140086
The main contribution of the research:
Research by Simonic et. al. (2020), focused on experimental results drawn by torrefaction of three materials, oak, wood and mixed wood, where sewage sludge for all three materials was presented. Initially, the temperature was constant for the torrefaction of oak, wood and mixed wood. However, torrefaction at 8 different temperatures indicated mass loss.
The shortcoming of the study:
The study incorporated different parameters to examine the effect of torrefaction on three materials. Nevertheless, very little has been studied about the influence of operating time, mass loss and biomass chemical analysis, which has not been completed successfully.
Reference 4:
Slezak, R., Unyay, H., Szufa, S. and Ledakowicz, S., (2023). An Extensive Review and Comparison of Modern Biomass Reactors Torrefaction vs. Biomass Pyrolizers—Part 2. Energies, 16(5), p.2212. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052212
The main contribution of the research:
The growing environmental problems have depleted fossil fuels, which is currently a major cause of concern. The present research aimed to search for new fuel and biomass chemical production techniques. The research aided in understanding the pyrolysis process, which is a simple process for emission tolerance. At the same time, the process also allowed disposing of waste to achieve the target of pyrolysis products.
The shortcoming of the study:
Very fewer data for the thermochemical process is available, which has impacted the advantages of the pyrolysis process in the construction industry. Also, it is necessary to highlight the kinetics of the process and availability of biomass which is lacking in the current study. All these factors may have affected the results of the research.
Reference 5:
Di Giacomo, G. and Romano, P., (2022). Evolution and Prospects in Managing Sewage Sludge Resulting from Municipal Wastewater Purification. Energies, 15(15), p.5633. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15155633
The main contribution of the research:
Di Giacomo and Romano’s (2022) study focused on necessary information regarding network segments to manage municipal waste and sludge management. The report indicated that beneficial waste management is the key to wastewater purification and anaerobic digestion. A significant process of sanitation and demolition of plastics have enhanced methane potential and reduced the solid residue, which otherwise adds up as sewage in the water.
The shortcoming of the study:
Developed countries like the United Kingdom have carried out extensive research to understand the concept of torrefaction. Nevertheless, the modern approach is yet incomplete, as indicated by various researchers. The present study lacks relevant information on hydrothermal carbonization and biological technologies needed for full-scale municipal sewage management.
Reference 6:
Nwabunwanne, N., Vuyokazi, T., Olagoke, A., Mike, O., Patrick, M. and Anthony, O., (2021). Torrefaction Characteristics of Blended Ratio of Sewage Sludge and Sugarcane Bagasse for Energy Production. Applied Sciences, 11(6), p.2654. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062654
The main contribution of the research:
The article focuses on the process of torrefaction, a thermal pretreatment process used to improve biomass properties for efficient energy production. Factors like blended fuel of sewage sludge, sugarcane bagasse and biomass were determined to complete the process of gasification. The analysis benefitted in improving the grind ability of the solid fuels, which has improved the carbon burnout process.
The shortcoming of the study:
The researcher has made an attempt to investigate the physiochemical properties of sewage sludge and sugarcane bagasse at different torrefaction temperatures. However, the result has not incorporated several factors like heat capacity, mass loss and pyrolysis factors, which impacts the study.
Reference 7:
Singh, S., Kumar, V., Dhanjal, D.S., Datta, S., Bhatia, D., Dhiman, J., Samuel, J., Prasad, R. and Singh, J., (2020). A sustainable paradigm of sewage sludge biochar: valorization, opportunities, challenges and future prospects. Journal of Cleaner Production, 269, p.122259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122259
The main contribution of the research:
The present research paper has focused on proving the efficiency of sustainable methods of sewage sludge management which is otherwise identified as waste. Through the research, it is clear that the pyrolysis process has managed to convert sewage sludge into content that is fit for agricultural use. At the same time, the process has also resulted in the environmental benefits of removing contaminants like phenolic compounds and heavy metals through the process of torrefaction.
The shortcoming of the study:
The research has consistently discussed thermal conversion parameters and the benefits of torrefaction in managing sewage sludge. Still, the study has less focused on development of severe guidelines for production of quality assurance of biochar. The above-mentioned parameter has also resulted in insufficient data for drawing a conclusion.
Reference 8:
Świechowski, K., Hnat, M., Stępień, P., Stegenta-Dąbrowska, S., Kugler, S., Koziel, J.A. and Białowiec, A., (2020). Waste to energy: Solid fuel production from biogas plant digestate and sewage sludge by torrefaction-process kinetics, fuel properties, and energy balance. Energies, 13(12), p.3161. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13123161
The main contribution of the research:
The research highlights serious concern about feedback contamination due to heavy metals, antibiotics and other pollutants. Hence to limit the damage and waste generation, sustainable solutions have been incorporated that not only produce sustainable energy for abundant sewage sludge management but will also convert carbonized solid fuel into sustainable waste utilization.
The shortcoming of the study:
The information on technological parameters associated with torrefaction and valorization has been less emphasized due to inefficient fuel sources. Moreover, no other profitable way has been derived from reducing the mobility of contamination sites which is a major issue.
Reference 9:
Nkuna, S.G., Olwal, T.O. and Chowdhury, S.D., (2022). Assessment of thermochemical technologies for wastewater sludge-to-energy: An advance MCDM model. Cleaner Engineering and Technology, 9, p.100519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2022.100519
The main contribution of the research:
The paper highlights incredible growth of industrial development as well as urbanization, which has inevitably increased wastewater sludge. Therefore, the research has conducted an investigation on thermochemical technologies such as pyrolysis and gasification to convert and treat sewage sludge to generate energy.
The shortcoming of the study:
The thermochemical process has helped various industries control and manage waste systematically. However, limited research is available on zero-waste production and feasible thermochemical technologies, which has increased difficulties in energy conversion.
Reference 10:
Longo, A., Vilarinho, C., Teixeira, J.C., Brito, P. and Gonçalves, M., (2023). Dry and Hydrothermal Carbonization of Mixtures of Refuse Derived Fuels, Waste Biomass, and Sewage Sludge. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Water Energy Food and Sustainability (ICoWEFS 2022) (pp. 337-346). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26849-6_35
The main contribution of the research:
In this article, the author has implemented the carbonization procedure as a pretreatment to valorize waste obtained from different sources. To do this more efficiently, sewage sludge, pinewood waste and refused-derived fuel were taken and carbonized at different temperatures. The biomass and sludge incorporation did not have a positive effect on properties of collected chars.
The shortcoming of the study:
The research managed to apply the waste management process at different temperatures, but a constant temperature was eliminated from the study, which does not support the conclusions of the research.
Summary of research gap
Per the above literature review, some of the various research gaps have been identified. For example, researchers have someone failed to analyse the level of toxicity because of an inherently wide range of chemicals used in the process. In some studies; the researcher has studied very less about the influence of operating biomass chemical analysis, time etc. Apart from this, some research studies lack appropriate and relevant information about biological technologies that are needed for sewage management. Overall, various studies have demonstrated a research gap because these resulted in insufficient data to draw informed conclusions.
Part C
Research approaches and techniques
For this research project, the chosen research approach that will be applied is inductive. This is a valuable tool that enables individuals to create as well as test different theories. This type of research approach starts with observing any situation or problem to develop and test theories regarding it (HR and Aithal, 2022). This is one of the effective methods in the context of the research project, as it will help in analysing and explaining trends and other patterns that can affect the operations. Apart from this, the Data collection method from primary or secondary chosen for this research project, will be the secondary data collection method. This involves gathering the data which any individual or entity has already published. For this particular research project, secondary data will be collected using various reports, journal articles and valid and authentic internet resources that can provide reliable and accurate information. In order to maintain the ethical aspects, the researcher will emphasize using only that information that is reliable and accurate and can provide authentic information.
Furthermore, qualitative data will be used that will help the researcher in obtaining insights about a particular situation or the world. To analyse the secondary qualitative data, the data analysis technique that will be used is the thematic data analysis technique. This is considered one of the most flexible approaches to qualitative analysis that helps in generating insights and concepts.
Project work plan
A work plan is needed and considered an action plan that helps the project team achieve the goals. Work plan in research project factors in various project planning elements, including milestones, deliverables, tasks, resources, budgetary requirements and timelines. This act as the roadmap for this research project execution. The major tasks for this work plan involve conducting the introductory part of the research to identify the major benefits of the research and how it contributes to different people. Another task is to write a detailed literature review of almost 10 references to gain more understanding of the research title and increase the efficiency of this research project. Further, the last step is to identify the research techniques as well as milestones, deliverables and potential risks involved in the research.
All the identified tasks can be bifurcated into numerous phases. The first phase is to set clear research objectives. The research objectives have been categorized into four different objectives that are concerned with assessing the concept of Torrefaction and sewage sludge management. Further, another phase is to define the scope of the research plan, which has been clearly defined. Further, the resources that will be needed involve various internet resources, books and journal articles, financial resources and other human resources that help in executing the research plan. The cost will be kept as minimal as possible to make the whole research project cost-efficient, but the quality will be ensured at every level.
Milestones generally act as the checkpoint on the project timeline, highlighting the successful completion of major tasks and events along the project timeline. This is important for the research project as it helps monitor the progress, identify potential bottlenecks, and identify the deadline for when the project will be completed (Gaur, 2022). The different milestones for this selected research project will be the approval of the topic selection, review of the requirements, approval of one section, completion of different sections of this project and final approval.
Gantt chart
| Tasks | Month 2023 – May | Month 2023 – June | Month 2023 – July | Month 2023– Aug – Sept | Month 2023– October |
| Topic approval | |||||
| Drafting research objectives and defining the scope of the research | |||||
| Identifying contributions of the research articles and gaps | |||||
| Summary of overall research gaps | |||||
| Identifying research techniques and approaches | |||||
| Assessing potential risks and milestones and reviewing work |
Explanation of Gantt chart
The Gantt chart is a kind of PM or project management tool that demonstrates the task accomplished over a specific period of time in reference to timeline that has been prearranged for the particular task (Ramachandran and Karthick, 2019). It generally involves two sections where the left side outlines the list of different work to be done. On the contrary, another side involves the timeline with a scheduled bar that visualizes the work. In the above-created Gannt chart, different months have been defined for particular tasks. For example, the month of May will be for approving the research topic as well as designing research objectives and defining the scope of the research. This month will be thus utilized to conduct this activity in the most efficient and best possible manner.
Key deliverables
Deliverables involve the output, whether intangible or tangible, that is specifically submitted within the project scope (Collins and Gaudet, 2022). The project deliverables for this research project will be the final report that will be submitted to the concerned authority. The final deliverable or the outcome of the research project will be the finally edited and reviewed work that holds great importance regarding the fulfilment of the research objectives, and the research aim will be completed.
Potential risks
The risk involved is the probability of any injury or harm that can occur as a result of participation in the research study. There can be various potential risks that may arise during the completion of the research project, whether physical, social, economic, psychological or legal. Concerning legal risk can be considered one of the biggest risks that can arise due to any violation of any specific law. This can occur while engaging in any conduct for which the subject or others can be civilly or criminally liable. The loss of confidentiality is also a potential risk because it is important to maintain the privacy of the information or maintain sensitive information which need not be disclosed in front of anyone.
References
Białowiec, A., Pulka, J., Styczyńska, M., Koziel, J.A., Kalka, J., Jureczko, M., Felis, E. and Manczarski, P., (2020). Is biochar from the torrefaction of sewage sludge hazardous waste?. Materials, 13(16), p.3544. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13163544
Cheng, Y., Asaoka, Y., Hachiya, Y., Moriuchi, N., Shiota, K., Oshita, K. and Takaoka, M., (2022). Mercury emission profile for the torrefaction of sewage sludge at a full-scale plant and application of polymer sorbent. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 423, p.127186.
Collins, M. and Gaudet, A.M., (2022). Research Deliverables. Tools and Resources for Capstone.
Di Giacomo, G. and Romano, P., (2022). Evolution and Prospects in Managing Sewage Sludge Resulting from Municipal Wastewater Purification. Energies, 15(15), p.5633. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15155633
Gaur, S., (2022). Understanding the importance of project planning and scheduling in Indian construction projects. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 6(3), pp.3535-3544.
HR, G. and Aithal, P.S., (2022). Approaching Research in Different Ways-How to Choose an Appropriate Research Approach/Reasoning During Ph. D. Program in India?. International Journal of Philosophy and Languages (IJPL), 1(1), pp.59-74.
Longo, A., Vilarinho, C., Teixeira, J.C., Brito, P. and Gonçalves, M., (2023). Dry and Hydrothermal Carbonization of Mixtures of Refuse Derived Fuels, Waste Biomass, and Sewage Sludge. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Water Energy Food and Sustainability (ICoWEFS 2022) (pp. 337-346). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26849-6_35
Nkuna, S.G., Olwal, T.O. and Chowdhury, S.D., (2022). Assessment of thermochemical technologies for wastewater sludge-to-energy: An advance MCDM model. Cleaner Engineering and Technology, 9, p.100519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2022.100519
Nwabunwanne, N., Vuyokazi, T., Olagoke, A., Mike, O., Patrick, M. and Anthony, O., (2021). Torrefaction Characteristics of Blended Ratio of Sewage Sludge and Sugarcane Bagasse for Energy Production. Applied Sciences, 11(6), p.2654. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11062654
Pulka, J., Manczarski, P., Koziel, J.A. and Białowiec, A., (2019). Torrefaction of sewage sludge: Kinetics and fuel properties of biochars. Energies, 12(3), p.565. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12030565
Ramachandran, K.K. and Karthick, K.K., (2019). Gantt chart: An important tool of management. Int. J. Innov. Technol. Explor. Eng, 8(7).
Simonic, M., Goricanec, D. and Urbancl, D., (2020). Impact of torrefaction on biomass properties depending on temperature and operation time. Science of the Total Environment, 740, p.140086. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140086
Singh, S., Kumar, V., Dhanjal, D.S., Datta, S., Bhatia, D., Dhiman, J., Samuel, J., Prasad, R. and Singh, J., (2020). A sustainable paradigm of sewage sludge biochar: valorization, opportunities, challenges and future prospects. Journal of Cleaner Production, 269, p.122259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122259
Slezak, R., Unyay, H., Szufa, S. and Ledakowicz, S., (2023). An Extensive Review and Comparison of Modern Biomass Reactors Torrefaction vs. Biomass Pyrolizers—Part 2. Energies, 16(5), p.2212. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16052212
Soponpongpipat, N. and Chonlaphan, S., (2022). Construction and Testing of Continuous Feed Biomass Thermosyphon Torrefaction Reactor. International Energy Journal, 22(1).
Świechowski, K., Hnat, M., Stępień, P., Stegenta-Dąbrowska, S., Kugler, S., Koziel, J.A. and Białowiec, A., (2020). Waste to energy: Solid fuel production from biogas plant digestate and sewage sludge by torrefaction-process kinetics, fuel properties, and energy balance. Energies, 13(12), p.3161. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13123161
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