Optimal Scheduling of Syngas Production Process from Biomass

Optimal Scheduling of Syngas Production Process from Biomass

Doris Oke^a, Rajib Mukherjee^b,c*, Debalina Sengupta^b, Thokozani Majozi^a and Mahmoud El-Halwagi^b,d

^aSchool of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, 1 Jan Smuts Avenue, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa

^bGas and Fuels Research Center, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station,College Station, TX 77843,USA

^cDepartment of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas Permian Basin, TX 79762, USA

^dArtie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering,Texas A&M University,College Station, TX 77843-3122,USA

Abstract

The demand for methanol has been increasing over the years due to its utilization as raw material for various added value chemicals. With syngas as major component used industrially for the synthesis of methanol, a scheduling framework is developed for the synthesis of syngas from different biomass. The work aims at integrating synthesis of syngas from biomass gasification with natural gas reforming to generate the desired syngas characteristics and volume for large scale methanol production. A mathematical framework aimed at maximization of profit is used to test the effect of various operating conditions on syngas synthesis. Five different types of biomass were considered for the analysis. The preliminary results show that in all cases, the schedule and duration of gasification depend mainly on the availability of biomass and its quantity. The amount of syngas generated from each biomass varies based on the ash content of biomass. Thus, the production rate changes even with the same feedstock flowrate. The volume of syngas generated is in the order of: wood residue ˃ Pine sawdust ˃ Wood chips ˃ Coffee bean husks ˃ Municipal solid wastes. The municipal solid wastes have a high percentage of ash content, which drastically reduced the quantity of syngas generated. The results also indicate the profit of $ for the time horizon considered with plant capacity of 24000kg/day.

KEYWORDS: Scheduling, Syngas, Methanol, Biomass

*Corresponding: mukherjee_r@utpb.edu; Tel: +1 432 552 3457