Comprehensive analysis of energy, exergy, and economic aspects in a multi-generation system: Power, methanol, and heat generation through plastic waste gasification.

The growing apprehensions regarding climate change and the rising levels of carbon dioxide emissions due to fossil fuel usage, in conjunction with the upsurge in plastic waste attributable to population expansion, have catalyzed a heightened consideration of alternative energy carriers as substitutes for fossil fuels. Methanol (MeOH) is emerging as a promising contender for mitigating the challenges encountered by hydrogen in the realms of storage and transportation. This study investigates the application of waste polyethylene gasification with steam for the production of syngas and methanol, utilizing the thermal integration of biogas-fueled chemical looping combustion (CLC). A noteworthy feature of this proposed system is its capability to generate methanol, power and heating without the emission of carbon dioxide into the environment. The powerful software Aspen Plus is utilized for an extensive process simulation. The simulation results reveal that the optimal molar ratio of the oxygen carrier to the biogas in the CLC is 2.6 (At air reactor temperature of 1000 °C). The operational performance evaluation reveals that the suggested system achieves energy efficiency of 69.5% and exergy efficiency of 64.2% The most significant energy destructors are related to the components of the air reactor, combustion chamber, and fuel reactor, respectively. Additionally, the production rate of methanol is 466.2 kg/h, and the minimum selling price of methanol is calculated to be 0.7 USD/kg. • Integration of chemical looping combustion and Plastic waste gasification paves the way for carbon-free energy production. • Over 98% CO 2 separation is achieved by decentralized energy. • Energy system to produce power, methanol and heat. • Overall energy and exergy efficiencies obtained 69.5 % and 64.2%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]