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In the past two decades, advancements in thermochemical technologies have improved biomass gasification for distributed power generation, enhancing efficiency, scalability, and emission control. This study aims to optimize syngas production from biomass gasification by comparing two computational models: a quasi-equilibrium thermodynamic model implemented in Aspen Plus and an artificial neural network (ANN) model. Operating at 850 °C with varying steam-to-biomass (S/B) ratios, both models were validated against experimental data. Results show that hydrogen concentration in syngas increased from 19.96% to 43.28% as the S/B ratio rose from 0.25 to 0.5, while carbon monoxide concentration decreased from 24.6% to 19.1%, consistent with the water–gas shift reaction. The ANN model provided rapid predictions, showing a mean absolute error of 3% for hydrogen and 2% for carbon monoxide compared to experimental data, though it lacks thermodynamic constraints. Conversely, the Aspen Plus model ensures mass and energy balance compliance, achieving a cold gas efficiency of 95% at an S/B ratio of 0.5. A Multivariate Statistical Analysis (MVA) further clarified correlations between input and output variables, validating model reliability. This combined modelling approach reduces experimental costs, enhances gasification process control and offers practical insights for improving syngas yield and composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper deals with the process analysis of a biomass-to-electricity industrial plant. Starting from the process simulation by means of Aspen Plus software, this work discusses the technical, environmental, and economic performance of a biomass integrated gasification combined cycle (BIGCC) power plant. To enable a safe integration, a mid-to-high temperature cleaning system has been implemented to target reference inorganic contaminants that hinder the use of syngas in commercial applications, namely hydrochloric acid, and hydrogen sulphide. The actual effectiveness of the overall system has been evaluated by performing a holistic assessment of a 7 MWe BIGCC using hazelnut shells as biomass and equipped with sorbent reactors to remove the target contaminants before entering the power generation section of the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass gasification has obtained great interest over the last few decades as an effective and trustable technology to produce energy and fuels with net-zero carbon emissions. Moreover, using biomass waste as feedstock enables the recycling of organic wastes and contributing to circular economy goals, thus reducing the environmental impacts of waste management. Even though many studies have already been carried out, this kind of process must still be investigated and optimized, with the final aim of developing industrial plants for different applications, from hydrogen production to net-negative emission strategies. Modeling and development of process simulations became an important tool to investigate the chemical and physical behavior of plants, allowing raw optimization of the process and defining heat and material balances of plants, as well as defining optimal geometrical parameters with cost- and time-effective approaches. The present review paper focuses on the main literature models developed until now to describe the biomass gasification process, and in particular on kinetic models, thermodynamic models, and computational fluid dynamic models. The aim of this study is to point out the strengths and the weakness of those models, comparing them and indicating in which situation it is better to use one approach instead of another. Moreover, theoretical shortcut models and software simulations not explicitly addressed by prior reviews are taken into account. For researchers and designers, this review provides a detailed methodology characterization as a guide to develop innovative studies or projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about energy security, energy prices and climate change led scientific research towards sustainable solutions to fossil fuel as renewable energy sources coupled to hydrogen as energy vector and carbon capture and conversion technologies. Among the technologies investigated in the last decades, biomass gasification acquired great interest owing to the possibility to obtain low cost and CO 2 negative emission hydrogen production from a large variety of everywhere available organic wastes. Upstream and downstream treatment were then studied in order to maximize hydrogen yield, reduce the content of organic and inorganic contaminants under the admissible levels for the technologies which are coupled with, capture, and convert carbon dioxide. However, studies which analyse a whole process made of all those technologies is still missing. In order to fill this lack, the present paper investigated the coexistence of Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC), Sorption Enhance Gasification (SEG), Hot Gas Cleaning (HGC), and CO 2 conversion by Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma reactor for H 2 production from biomass waste by means of Aspen Plus software. The proposed model aimed to identify and optimise the performance of the plant by varying operating parameters (such as temperature, CaO/biomass ratio, separation efficiency, etc.). The carbon footprint of the global plant is 2.3 kg CO 2 /kg H 2 , lower than the latest limit value imposed by the European Commission to consider hydrogen as "clean", that was set to 3 kg CO 2 /kg H 2. The hydrogen yield referred to the whole plant is 250 g H2 /kg BIOMASS. • A global simulation model for SEG, HTC, HGC and plasma for H 2 production was developed. • The carbon footprint of the global plant is 2.3 kg CO 2 /kg H 2. • The hydrogen yield referred to the whole plant is 250 g H2 /kg BIOMASS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming, along with increasing global energy demands, has led to the need for a sustainable and low-carbon-based energy economy. In addition to renewable energy technologies, such as biomass, solar, hydro, and wind, another possible strategy to mitigate climate change is the capture/conversion and recycling of CO2. In recent years, many methods for both CO2 capture (mainly adsorption, absorption, and membrane) and conversion (many electrolysis, catalyst, and plasma) have been investigated. Conversion technology is less studied but seems to be very promising. Within that, non-thermal plasma technology has received much interest because it works at low temperatures and atmospheric pressure, and there is no need for high temperature and high electricity consumption, which are typical of the catalyst and electrolysis conversion processes, respectively. Therefore, in order to optimize this emerging technology, simulative kinetic models have been developed with the aim of maximizing both energy efficiency and CO2 conversion. In the present paper, an overview of the most common non-thermal plasma technologies was carried out to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Then, an overview of the most significant kinetic models available in literature was carried out to point out the main reactions occurring during CO2 conversion and also the parameters that most affect the performance of a plasma reactor during CO2 conversion. Then, a brief recap of the literature available on economic studies of the plasma process is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Integration of renewable energy in the electricity market poses significant challenges on power grid management due to the volatility of these sources. In fact, the mismatch between renewable power generation and load curves, along with the need for grid stability, may lead to substantial curtailments when potential electricity supply exceeds demand. In this respect, the surplus from renewable energies can be conveniently exploited to produce hydrogen via electrolysis. This concept can be referred to as "Power-to-Gas" and "Power-to-Liquid" when synthetic grid gas and liquid fuels are respectively produced via syngas hydrogenation processes and is rapidly emerging as a promising measure in support of renewable energy penetration, leading to the decarbonisation of energy generation without affecting grid reliability. This study evaluates the impact of Power-to-Gas and Power-to-Liquid systems on future CO 2 -reduced scenarios, characterised by increasing shares of renewable energies and electric vehicles under a holistic Smart Energy System perspective. Results show potential synergies among crucial energy sectors in terms of CO 2 emissions, curtailments and costs. Among the proposed options, synthetic grid gas produced by biomass gasification, and subsequent hydrogenation, leads to the best techno-economic scenario with a reduction of CO 2 emission of 30% with negligible change in yearly total costs. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Power-to-gas/liquid (P2G/L) technologies only useful at large renewable penetration. • Best option is synthetic grid gas produced by biomass gasification and hydrogenation. • Up to 30% CO2 emission reduction with P2G and a sevenfold increase in renewables. • Flexible hydrogen generation crucial to fully exploit renewables potential with P2G. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gasification is one of the most effective and studied methods for producing energy and fuels from biomass as different biomass feedstock can be handled, with the generation of syngas consisting of H 2 , CO, and CH 4 , which can be used for several applications. In this study, the gasification of hazelnut shells (biomass) within a circulating bubbling fluidized bed gasifier was analyzed for the first time through a quasi-equilibrium approach developed in the Aspen Plus environment and used to validate and improve an existing bubbling fluidized bed gasifier model. The gasification unit was integrated with a water-gas shift (WGS) reactor to increase the hydrogen content in the outlet stream and with a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit for hydrogen separation. The amount of dry H 2 obtained out of the gasifier was 31.3 mol%, and this value increased to 47.5 mol% after the WGS reaction. The simulation results were compared and validated against experimental data reported in the literature. The process model was then modified by replacing the PSA unit with a palladium membrane separation module. The final results of the present work allowed comparison of the effects of the two conditioning systems, PSA and palladium membrane, indicating a comparative increase in the hydrogen recovery ratio of 28.9% with the palladium membrane relative to the PSA configuration. • Gasification of hazelnut shells process modelled by Aspen Plus. • Gibbs reactor with a quasi-equilibrium approach used to achieve a major exactness. • Data fit of experimental data executed. • Effects on gas composition of temperature and steam variation determined. • Hydrogen recovery ratio with Pd membrane is 28.9 % more favorable respect to PSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]