Influence of process operating conditions in the sorption-enhanced gasification of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (Msw)

Abstract

Abstract of the talk delivered at the 29th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, EUBCE 2021, Virtual, Online, 26 April 2021 - 29 April 2021, 261619. ; In this work, a sorption-enhanced gasification (SEG) process is studied using the organic fraction of a Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) as feedstock in a 30 kWth bubbling fluidised bed (BFB) reactor. Experiments using steam-to-carbon ratios in the range of 1 to 1.5 molH2O/molC with different sorbent-to-biomass proportions and gasification temperatures were conducted in a 30 kWth bubbling fluidized bed reactor. Solid residence time in the reactor was modified through the biomass and CO2 sorbent flow rates fed to the reactor. The influence of each operating variable in the syngas composition as well as in the yield and composition of the tar produced has been determined through these experiments. Moreover, it has been calculated char conversion in the gasifier for the different experiments performed with the objective of elucidating a semi empirical model for predicting such conversion as a function of the gasification temperature and solid residence time in the reactor. ; The effect of main operational conditions for the Sorption Enhanced Gasification procees (SEG) on gas quality and tars has been evaluated in a 30 kW bubbling fluidized bed reactor using the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW) as feedstock. The process has been proved to be flexible, and gasification temperature appears to be the variable that mostly affected the M-module in the syn-gas produced and also the presence of light hydrocarbons and tar yield. The steam-to-biomass (S/C) ratio does not influence the permanent gas composition (i.e. the M-module), but affects the content of light hydrocarbons in the syngas as well as tar yield. The sorbent-to- biomass (CaO/C) ratio influences mainly the C3-C4 hydrocarbons content and the tar yield (due to the catalytic effect of CaO towards tar cracking). ; This work has been supported by the European Commission (FLEDGED project, grant agreement No. 727600); the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, the State Research Agency and the European Founds for Regional Development (No. RTI2018-095575-B-I00, MCI/AEI/FEDER, UE); and the Regional Aragon Government (DGA). ; Peer reviewed