Energy Hybridization with Combined Heat and Power Technologies in Supercritical Water Gasification Processes

Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) has been shown to be an effective technology to valorize a wide range of organic waste by transforming them into gases with high energy potential, such as hydrogen and methane. However, the industrial implementation of these processes is rarely extended due to...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: José Manuel Benjumea, Francisco José Jiménez-Espadafor, Francisco López-Guirao, Francisco Javier Gutiérrez Ortiz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-05-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/11/5497
Description
Summary:Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) has been shown to be an effective technology to valorize a wide range of organic waste by transforming them into gases with high energy potential, such as hydrogen and methane. However, the industrial implementation of these processes is rarely extended due to the huge energy requirements during plant start-up and operation. The purpose of this study is to explore feasible ways of energy integration by hybridizing SCWG processes with combined heat and power technologies, such as exhaust gases coming from (i) internal combustion engines or (ii) gas turbines. The analysis focuses on energy consumption with the aim of optimizing the operation and design of plants. System configurations are simulated with Aspen Plus considering data from the literature for the gasification of glycerol and using typical plant capacities on an industrial scale. Results show the thermal power required in heat exchangers and the electricity generation from residual energy in hot effluents as a needed step to optimize the plant configuration and boost energy synergies with other technologies.
ISSN:2076-3417