Refuse-derived Fuel Gasification for Hydrogen Production in High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Base CHP System

Environmental challenges and energy sustainability remain relevant for meaningful growth and development. Economic growth has been coupled with increasing energy demand across the globe. Hydrocarbons from fossil fuels dominate other available fuel sources for energy production. The world is not unfamiliar with significant contributions of environmental degradations and social implications. Renewable energy sources (hydro, wind, tidal, solar, geothermal, and biomass) are potential alternative energy sources. Municipal solid wastes potentials possess the capacity to generate hydrogen-rich syngas. Enrichment of energy density of municipal solid wastes enhances the renewable energy source generation. After the pre-treatment of municipal solid wastes and its densification to produce refuse-derived fuel, biomass refuse-derived fuel gasification was modelled in Aspen Plus model environment. The study of effects of equivalence ratio, temperatures range, catalysts, gasifying agents, and choice of carrier gas were considered. This study was carried out to know which of the factors enhance high yield of H-2/CO syngas production ratio. Influence of high temperatures, equivalence ratio and catalysts dictate H-2/CO molar ratio while others are subjected to the composition analyses of refused-derived fuel. The rich hydrogen produced can be integrated with high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell based CHP system. The study proposes refused-derived fuel gasification towards rich hydrogen production, eliminates waste treatment and disposal challenges.