Development of 8 ton/day gasification process to generate electricity using a gas engine for solid refuse fuel

Area of Science:

• Waste Management
• Energy Conversion
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Municipal solid waste (MSW) presents a significant disposal challenge.
• Developing sustainable waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies is crucial for resource recovery and environmental protection.
• Gasification offers a promising thermochemical route for converting MSW into valuable products like syngas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of an 8 ton/day solid refuse fuel gasification process for electricity generation.
• To determine the optimal operating conditions for maximizing gasification efficiency and syngas quality.
• To assess the commercial scalability of the developed waste-to-energy system.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of fluff-type solid refuse fuel from MSW.
• Operation of a pilot-scale gasifier under varied feedstock charging rates, equivalence ratios, and oxygen enrichment levels.
• Analysis of producer gas composition, pollutant concentrations (dust, tar, gases), cold gas efficiency, and carbon conversion ratio.

Main Results:

• Optimal gasification conditions identified: feedstock charging rate of 50-60% by volume, equivalence ratio of 0.21-0.33, and no oxygen enrichment.
• Achieved average cold gas efficiency of 71.30% and carbon conversion ratio of 72.07% under optimal conditions.
• Demonstrated stable operation for 288 hours with low pollutant levels suitable for gas engine operation, generating 235 kWh of electricity.

Conclusions:

• The solid refuse fuel gasification process is technically feasible and stable for commercial-scale electricity generation.
• Optimized operating parameters ensure efficient conversion of MSW into energy with acceptable environmental performance.
• The developed WTE technology presents a viable solution for sustainable municipal solid waste management.