Féderation de recherche Fabri de Peiresc

Rachael Aganetti, Victoria University, College of Engineering and Science, Melbourne, Australia, "A one-dimensional model of the self-heating mechanisms observed in stockpiles of biosolids", le Jeudi 16 Octobre à 11h, M2P2.

Résumé : Biosolids are the subsequent residuals of the waste water treatment process. They are predominantly organic materials that are susceptible to spontaneous combustion when they are stockpiled. Biological and oxidative exothermic reactions cause the rise in temperature and as a result buoyancy driven flows arise within the piles of solids. Interaction with the atmosphere modifies these convection currents. The Western Treatment Plant (WTP) in Melbourne, Australia treats around 52% of Melbourne’s waste water, producing on average around 20,000 tonnes of biosolids per year. With the continually accumulating supply of biosolids, the WTP regularly encounters the abovementioned problem of spontaneous combustion. A one-dimensional numerical model, describing the biological and oxidative reactions contributing to the heat and mass transfer within a stockpile of biosolids will be presented along with preliminary results.