Integration into a citrus juice factory of air-steam gasification and CHP system: Energy sustainability assessment

• Published in: Energy conversion and management 2019-08, Vol.193, p.74-85
• Main Authors: Galvagno, Antonio, Prestipino, Mauro, Maisano, Susanna, Urbani, Francesco, Chiodo, Vitaliano
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air-steam gasification; Biomass energy production; Biomass gasification modeling; Carbon dioxide; Cogeneration; Combined heat and power; Computer simulation; Electricity consumption; Energy; Energy assessment; Energy conservation; Energy consumption; Fluidized beds; Gasification; Heat; Integration; Juices; Non-renewable primary energy; Renewable energy; Residual citrus peels; Residues; Steam; Sustainability; Synthesis gas
• ISSN: 0196-8904; 1879-2227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2019.04.067

•A citrus peel gasification-CHP system integrated into a juice factory was proposed.•Sensitivity analysis and energy assessment were supported by process simulation.•The available citrus peels allow producing 7,875 MWh/year of net electricity.•The heat demand for the drying step was covered by the CHP unit.•The non-renewable primary energy and CO2 cut were 27,905 MWh/year and 5,032 t/year. This study analyzes the energy sustainability of citrus residues conversion and valorization through fluidized bed gasification plant. An energy analysis of the integration into a real citrus juice factory of a combined heat and power system (CHP), coupled with a citrus residues air-steam gasification unit, is presented. Energy and biomass assessments are estimated by matching the gasification unit performance with the syngas request of the CHP unit through an integrated simulation model. Results show that the integration of a gasification-CHP system into the juice industrial cycle could supply 7,875 MWh/year of electricity, corresponding to 88% of the factory’s demand. About 82% of the heat produced in the CHP unit is used to dry the citrus residues, while about 1,086 MWh/year are available for the heat request of the juice production process. This allow saving 27,906 MWh/year of non-renewable primary energy, reducing the specific non-renewable primary energy consumption of about 46% the factory’s carbon dioxide impact could be decreased of about 45%.