Exergy analysis of renewable light olefin production system via biomass gasification and methanol synthesis

The conceptual light olefin production system from biomass via gasification and methanol synthesis was simulated and its thermodynamic performance was evaluated through exergy analysis. The system was made up of gasification, gas composition adjustment, methanol synthesis, light olefin synthesis, steam & power generation and cooling water treatment. The in-depth exergy analysis was performed at the levels of system, subsystem and operation component respectively. The gasifier and the tail gas combustor were the main sources of irreversibility with exergy destruction ratios of 17.0% and 16.8% of the input exergy of biomass. The steam & power generation subsystem accounted for 43.4% of the overall exergy destruction, followed by 41.0% and 5.69% in the subsystems of gasification and gas composition adjustment respectively. The sensitivity evaluation of the operation parameters of gasifier indicates that the system efficiency could be improved by enhancing syngas yield and subsequent yield of light olefins. The overall exergetic efficiency of 30.5% is obtained at the mass ratios of steam to biomass and 0 2 -rich gas (95 vol%) to biomass (S/B and 0/B) of 0.26 and 0.14 and gasification temperature at 725 degrees C. (C) 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study simulated the conceptual light olefin production system from biomass using gasification and methanol synthesis, evaluating its thermodynamic performance through exergy analysis. Results showed that the gasifier and gas composition adjustment unit were the main sources of irreversibility, with the steam & power generation subsystem having a high exergy destruction ratio.