Energy recovery from solid waste: Application of gasification technology

Abstract

Solid waste is considered either as a burden or as a valuable resource for energy generation. Identifying an environmentally sound and techno-economically feasible solid waste treatment is a global and local challenge. This chapter focuses on application of gasification technology to produce energy from solid waste. The study was done both experimentally and numerically. Experimental investigation of solid waste gasification was performed using a pilot-scale gasification plant. In this experiment, wood chips were used as feedstock (solid waste) under specified gasifier operating conditions. Syngas composition was measured at different stages of gasification, such as raw, scrubbed, and dewatered syngas. Mass and energy balance was analyzed using the experimentally measured data. A computational model was developed using Aspen Plus software for the fluidized bed gasification process through Gibbs free energy minimization approach. The model was validated with experimental data. The validated model was then used to predict the various operating parameters of a solid waste gasification plant, such as temperature, pressure, air-fuel ratio, and steam-fuel ratio. This study broadly focuses on the area of energy and the environment through detailed investigation of solid waste including municipal solid waste, municipal green waste, and agricultural solid waste management and energy from waste technologies. The findings of this study contribute to better understanding of the benefits and applications of gasification technology for energy recovery. Policy and decision makers at national and international levels, who are concerned with developing environmentally friendly waste management technologies, will benefit from the outcomes of this study.