Techno-economic assessment of sunflower husk pellets treated with waste glycerol for the Bio-Hydrogen production – A Simulation-based case study

Abstract

Biomass gasification is a renewable and sustainable energy source with high product yield and economic viability. This study presents a conceptual model for producing biohydrogen from sunflower husks pellets and waste glycerol using the Aspen Plus® simulation tool. The study analyzes the effects of temperature, steam to biomass rate, and CaO rate on the product gas. The results show that increasing the gasifier temperature from 600 to 750 °C increases H2 volume percentage to 92%. Optimizing steam to biomass rate and CaO to biomass rate also affects the volume % of H2 gas in the product gas. The study concludes that a CaO rate of 1.8:1 and a steam-to-biomass ratio of 1.75:1 produce high H2 content with a high heating value of gas. The total capital cost incurred for the system is $2.93 × 106, with a total operating cost of $14.58 × 106/yr.