Production of Hydrogen-Rich Syngas from Mixed Wastes via Gasification Process

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 69 - 80, 31.07.2025

Atakan Öngen , Nazlıcan Yeşilova

https://doi.org/10.55581/ejeas.1715421

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between cold gas efficiency and the H₂/CO ratio in the gasification of various biomass-based waste streams, aiming to optimize the energy and chemical performance of the produced syngas. Experiments were conducted using green waste, olive pomace, and sewage sludge under varying operational conditions, including different temperatures, gasifying agents, and flow rates. The calorific value of the resulting syngas ranged between 5 and 14 MJ/kg, while gas conversion efficiencies varied from 28% to 68%. Maximum syngas quality was achieved at higher temperatures and lower gasifying agent flow rates.The H₂/CO ratio reached up to 5 for green waste, 4 for olive pomace, and 6 for sewage sludge, indicating the potential to produce hydrogen-rich syngas from diverse feedstocks. Cold gas efficiencies were recorded as 92%, 62%, and 73%, respectively. These results demonstrate that waste-specific operational optimization can significantly enhance syngas composition and efficiency. This research contributes to the waste-to-energy literature by providing a comparative assessment of mixed waste gasification under different conditions, with a focus on hydrogen-rich syngas production. The innovative aspect lies in the integrated evaluation of both energy efficiency and H₂/CO balance across multiple feedstocks. The syngas produced can be utilized directly in energy systems such as gas turbines and internal combustion engines or serve as an intermediate for chemical synthesis processes, including methanol and ammonia production. The findings offer a promising approach for sustainable waste management and resource recovery through thermochemical conversion.

Keywords

Gasification , Hydrogen , Syngas , Sustainable waste management , Waste-to-energy

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK, İSTANBUL UNIVERSITY-CERRAHPAŞA

Thanks

This research was financially supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK-ÇAYDAG) under the project titled "Sustainable Energy Recovery via Gasification of Sewage Sludge, Green Waste and Olive Pomace: Investigation of Beneficial Use Alternatives for Gasification Products" (Project No: 119R029). Additional support was provided by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa (Project ID: 35411).

Gazlaştırma Prosesi ile Karma Atıklardan Hidrojence Zengin Sentez Gazı Üretimi

Abstract

Bu çalışma, çeşitli biyokütle temelli atık akışlarının gazlaştırılması sürecinde soğuk gaz verimliliği ile H₂/CO oranı arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemekte olup, üretilen sentez gazın enerji ve kimyasal performansının optimize edilmesini amaçlamaktadır. Deneyler; yeşil atık, zeytin posası ve arıtma çamuru kullanılarak farklı sıcaklıklar, gazlaştırıcı ajan türleri ve debi koşulları altında gerçekleştirilmiştir. Elde edilen sentez gazın ısıl değeri 5–14 MJ/kg arasında değişirken, gaz dönüşüm verimi %28 ila %68 arasında bulunmuştur. En yüksek sentez gaz kalitesi yüksek sıcaklık ve düşük gazlaştırıcı debisinde elde edilmiştir. H₂/CO oranı yeşil atık için 5’e, zeytin posası için 4’e ve arıtma çamuru için 6’ya kadar ulaşmıştır; bu durum farklı atık türlerinden hidrojen açısından zengin sentez gazı üretilebildiğini göstermektedir. Soğuk gaz verimliliği sırasıyla yeşil atıkta %92, zeytin posasında %62 ve arıtma çamurunda %73 olarak kaydedilmiştir. Bu sonuçlar, atığa özgü işletim optimizasyonlarının sentez gaz kompozisyonunu ve verimliliğini önemli ölçüde iyileştirebileceğini ortaya koymaktadır. Bu araştırma, farklı işletme koşulları altında karışık atıkların gazlaştırılması konusunda karşılaştırmalı bir değerlendirme sunarak atıktan enerji üretimi literatürüne katkı sağlamaktadır. Çalışmanın yenilikçi yönü, çoklu atık türlerinde enerji verimliliği ile H₂/CO dengesinin birlikte değerlendirilmesidir. Üretilen sentez gaz; gaz türbinleri ve içten yanmalı motorlar gibi enerji sistemlerinde doğrudan kullanılabileceği gibi, metanol ve amonyak gibi kimyasal sentez süreçlerinde ara ürün olarak da değerlendirilebilir. Bulgular, sürdürülebilir atık yönetimi ve kaynak geri kazanımı açısından umut verici bir yaklaşım sunmaktadır.

Keywords

Atıktan enerji , Gazlaştırma , Hidrojen , Sentez Gaz , Sürdürülebilir atık yönetimi

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