Energy, efficiency, economy, environmental assessment of hydrogen production via solar-driven steam gasification of fresh cow manure using Aspen Plus simulation model

This work examined and constructed an Aspen Plus simulation of hydrogen (H2) production from solar-driven steam gasification of fresh cow manure (FCM). The model's accuracy was verified by comparing it with other experiments and calculations from the literature to demonstrate its feasibility, resulting in root mean square errors (RMSE) of 5.3% and 4.2%, respectively. Expanding upon this model, parameters of H2 production were investigated and an analysis of its energy, efficiency, economy and environmental (4-E) aspects was conducted. The findings demonstrated that with an FCM feed rate of 1000 kg h- 1, gasification temperature (GT) of 900 degrees C, gasification steam feed rate of 600 kg h- 1 and WGSR steam feed rate of 400 kg h- 1, the H2 selectivity peaked at 64.4%. Following that, 4-E analysis shows that solar energy could make up 67.3% of the equipment's total energy consumption, the conversion efficiency of H is 57.8%, the global warming potential (GWP) is 242.2 kg tonH-1, the acidification potential (AP) is 7.6 kg tonH-1, the carbon tax is reduced by 18.6%, the selling price is 11.9 $ kg- 1, and a profit is achieved. Overall, the proposed model provides valuable information for the design, commercial applications, operation, and optimization of large-scale gasifiers and H2 production units concerning feedstock composition.