Experimental and performance analysis of organic fraction of municipal solid waste in downdraft gasifier

Abstract

It is anticipated that the production of municipal solid waste will increase from 2.10 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.80 billion tonnes by 2050. About 170 billion metric tonnes of biomass is produced worldwide each year. On a wet basis, the composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) includes approximately 20% of wood, 70% of food waste, 60% of yard trimmings, and 50% of other organic materials. Gasification of waste biomass is one of the most efficient processes for creating gaseous fuel and subsequently power with reduced environmental impact. The current work presents a novel strategy to reduce MSW by converting waste into briquettes and feeding it in gasifiers to produce syngas. The downdraft gasifier is employed in the syngas generation process. With a calorific value of 22.6 MJ/kg and a higher lignin concentration of approximately 31%, MSW proves to be suitable for thermochemical conversion processes. This article presents the results during gasification of briquette made from organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) with significant heating value of 22.6 MJ/kg. The fuel produced by the gasifier has a heating value ranging from 920 to 1150 kcal/m³, making it clean-burning. Its primary components consist of 19% to 23% carbon monoxide and 17% to 21% hydrogen. This study offers a unique investigation into the gasification behavior of the organic fraction of OFMSW in a downdraft gasifier, with an emphasis on optimizing operational parameters and evaluating the yield and quality of syngas. Although gasification has been widely studied as a thermochemical conversion method for biomass, the specific performance of OFMSW in this process has received limited attention. By focusing on this underexplored area, the study enhances the understanding of OFMSW's potential in gasification and its contribution to sustainable energy production, thereby addressing key issues in both waste management and renewable energy generation.

Keywords

Briquette gasification downdraft gasifier municipal solid waste syngas

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