Review on dynamic process modeling of gasification based biorefineries and bio-based heat & power plants

There are several options for biomass valorization, either for value-added products manufacturing or for heat and power generation. Among the various concepts, gasification-based pathways attract a lot of interest, mainly because all the biomass components that consist of C and H can be converted into syngas, which in turn can be valorized for various applications. Many numerical studies on steady state process modeling have been performed to simulate the complex processes and to propose novel concepts for the effective design of a gasification-based route. However, dynamic process modeling is an important numerical tool providing a deeper understanding of the behavior of each process step under unsteady conditions and the potential to develop an appropriate control strategy. A review of the dynamic modeling approaches and the control strategies for the main process sections of biomass thermochemical conversion, either via gasification or through direct combustion, was undertaken. Methodologies towards the proper control of the main units, the different tools and platforms that are used for the dynamic modeling and the control system design are presented and analyzed. Finally, the challenges that need to be overcome for the plantwide control of the thermochemically based systems are discussed.