Life cycle performance of hydrogen production via agro-industrial residue gasification-a small scale power plant study

Biomass gasification; Environmental impact; Hydrogen production; Life cycle assessment; Biomass; Environmental management; Gasification; Global warming; II-VI semiconductors; Internal combustion engines; Sensitivity analysis; Water gas shift; Zinc oxide; Agro-industrial residue; Environmental charges; Environmental performance; Global warming potential; Life Cycle Assessment (LCA); Life-cycle performance; Photochemical oxidation; Life cycle

Abstract :

[en] This study evaluates the environmental profile of a real biomass-based hydrogen production small-scale (1 MWth) system composed of catalytic candle indirectly heated steam gasifier coupled with zinc oxide (ZnO) guard bed, water gas shift (WGS) and pressure swing absorber (PSA) reactors. Environmental performance from cradle-to-gate was investigated by life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Biomass production shows high influence over all impact categories. In the syngas production process, the main impacts observed are global warming potential (GWP) and acidification potential (AP). Flue gas emission from gasifier burner has the largest proportion of total GWP. The residual off gas use in internal combustion engine (ICE) leads to important environmental savings for all categories. Hydrogen renewability score is computed as 90% due to over 100% decline in non-renewable energy demand. Sensitivity analysis shows that increase in hydrogen production efficiency does not necessarily result in decrease in environmental impacts. In addition, economic allocation of environmental charges increases all impact categories, especially AP and photochemical oxidation (POFP). © 2018 by the authors.

Disciplines :

Energy

Author, co-author :

Hamedani, S. R.; Department of Astronautics, Electrical and Energy Engineering, Sapienza University, Rome, 00184, Italy

Villarini, M.; Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Tuscia University of Viterbo, Via San Camillo de Lellis, snc, Viterbo, 01100, Italy

Colantoni, A.; Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Tuscia University of Viterbo, Via San Camillo de Lellis, snc, Viterbo, 01100, Italy

Moretti, Michele ; Universiteit Hasselt - UH > Business Economics > Environmental Economics

Bocci, E.; Department of Innovation and Information Engineering, Marconi University, Rome, 00193, Italy

Language :

English

Title :

Life cycle performance of hydrogen production via agro-industrial residue gasification-a small scale power plant study

Publication date :

2018

Journal title :

Energies

ISSN :

1996-1073

Publisher :

MDPI AG

Volume :

Issue :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 11 April 2019

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