Thermodynamic modelling and evaluation of a two-stage thermal process for waste gasification

Tar generation and ash disposal represent the strongest barrier for use of fluid bed gasification for waste treatment, whereas sufficing for both is only possible with expensive cleaning systems and further processing. The use of plasma within an advanced two-stage thermal process is able to achieve efficient cracking of the complex organics to the primary syngas constituents whilst limiting the electric power demand. This study focused on the thermodynamic assets of using a two-stage thermal process over the conventional single-stage approach. These include, for example, the fact that the primary thermal waste decomposition is performed in conditions of optimal stoichiometric ratio for the gasification reactants. Furthermore, staging the oxidant injection in two separate intakes significantly improves the efficiency of the system, reducing the plasma power consumption. A flexible model capable of providing reliable quantitative predictions of product yield and composition after the two-stage process has been developed. The method has a systematic structure that embraces atom conservation principles and equilibrium calculation routines, considering all the conversion stages that lead from the initial waste feed to final products. The model was also validated with experimental data from a demonstration plant. The study effectively demonstrated that the two-stage gasification system significantly improves the gas yield of the system and the carbon conversion efficiency, which are crucial in other single stage systems, whilst maintaining high energy performances. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.