Thermodynamic modeling and performance analysis of chemical looping gasification combined with steam reforming for municipal solid waste: An Aspen Plus approach

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Chemical looping gasification combined with steam reforming (CLG-SR) holds great promise for improving energy efficiency and streamlining the production of renewable H2 and synthetic fuels. In this investigation, the process underwent simulation and analysis using Aspen Plus, offering valuable insights into product outcomes, environmental impacts, and economic performance. The accuracy of the model was validated against experimental results from the literature, yielding a root mean square (RMS) of 4.17 %, thereby demonstrating its high feasibility. The findings demonstrate that within the temperature range of 700–800 °C, H2 achieves notable selectivity, reaching 60.68 % selectivity at 700 °C. When the steam-to-municipal solid waste (MSW) ratio surpasses 0.9, H2 demonstrates elevated selectivity. Notably, it is crucial to observe that the selectivity of CO2 also escalates concurrently with that of H2. Specifically, at steam-to-MSW ratio (SMR) of 0.9, the selectivity of H2 attains 60.72 %, whereas the selectivity of CO2 attains 27.69 %. Under these parameter conditions, H2, purified through pressure swing adsorption (PSA), constitutes 68.59 % of the total input H elements, leading to an impressive energy efficiency of 47.76 %. The economic analysis, based on the model, discloses a material consumption of 7.40 tons per ton of H2, resulting in a total production cost of 2487.20 USD per ton of H2. The study bears paramount strategic significance for advancing the in-depth research and development of chemical looping gasification technology.