UTILIZING COMBUSTION GASES FROM GREENHOUSE OIL AND COAL HEATING SYSTEMS AS A SOURCE OF CO₂

Greenhouse CO₂ enrichment is being included as a permanent element in the cultivation technology because of advantageous productive effects.

This paper deals with two experimental systems which recover CO₂ from combustion gases of local boilerhouses located near greenhouses.
The first system is concerned with an automatic boilerhouse fired with mazout, whose combustion gases contain 11% of CO₂. However, they are above all loaded with a significant amount of SO₂/2000 mg m^-3/and minute quantities of CO and NO_x which do not pose a threat to neither personnel nor plant vegetation.
In order to make the combustion gases fit for use, a column with water flow was utilized.
The contact surface of the water with the combustion gases was spread out on the rings which fill the inside of the column.
Better results were obtained when 16% NaCO₃ solution was used instead of water.
This system protects against combustion caused by a break-down and the appearance of CO in amounts above the permissible norms/200 mg m^-3. It is based on an infra-red analyzer which automatically disconnects the inflow of treated combustion combustion gases to the greenhouse.
Output of the experimental systems amounts to 9 kg CO₂ h^-1.

The second system was adapted to a primitive boilerhouse fired with fine coal.
The CO₂ content in the combustion gases amounted to 3-8% V with a high CO content of 0.1-0.8% V at the same time.
In addition, the combustion gases contain dust and pitchy substances and the SO₂ content reached 70 mg m^-3. During the first stage of combustion gas treatment, a column was utilized /as above/, sprayed with water or 16% NaCO₃ solution.
SO₂, dust and to a great extent pitchy substances were removed from the combustion gases in the column.
During the second stage of treatment, differences in absorption and desorption kinetics of CO₂ and CO on active carbon were utilized.
This system allowed for the recovery of 75% absorbed CO₂ and the evolution of only minute quantities of CO. Two absorbents were applied in the system, working alternately with an output of 4 kg CO₂ h^-1.

The aim of research carried out at the Institute of Vegetable Growing and Ornamental Plants was to examine both technologies of CO₂ enrichment of greenhouse tomatoes.
This research did not indicate a toxic effect nor inactivation of photosynthetic processes and the yields concided with results of cultivations enriched with pure carbon dioxide from pressure cylinders.
Yield increase oscillated within the bounds of 20%.

Symposium on CO2 Enrichment

T. Wojtaszek, Wl. Starzecki, A. Libik, W. Maczek

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1984.162.19