Innovative valorization of biomass waste through integration of pyrolysis and gasification: Process design, optimization, and multi-scenario sustainability analysis

Abstract

An innovative valorization process for biomass waste treatment has been developed in this study. The basic simulation process developed considering experimental studies, and it has been optimized by application of a pattern search algorithm to obtain the optimum output of energy efficiency, economic performance, and process safety index (PSI). Mainly, three different scenarios have been analyzed based on the sustainability index (SI). These SI has been determined through energy, economy, safety, and electric power potential. According to the results of the SI, the optimized processes are more sustainable (SI = 0.517 to 0.563) in all scenarios as compared to the basic process (SI = 0.503). Similarly, the economic analysis in terms of internal rate of return (%) of the basic process varies from 37 to 2% when the process efficiency dropped from 100 to 80%, and it varies from 44 to 6% for the optimized process without any subsidy. The optimized process has a potential of 2788–4044 kW of electric power generation from thermal energy of the process while it is only 2302 kW for basic scenario. Therefore, the optimized process has better energy, economic, electric power, and safety performances, thus it is more sustainable as compared with the basic process.