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Applying thermodynamics to digestion/gasification processes: the Attainable Region approach

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Abstract

The research shows theoretical calculations on the thermodynamics of digestion/gasification processes where glucose is used as a surrogate for biomass. The change in Enthalpy (∆H) and Gibbs Free Energy (∆G) is used to obtain the Attainable Region (AR) that shows the overall thermodynamic limits for digestion/gasification from 1 mol of glucose. Gibbs Free Energy and Enthalpy (G–H) plots were calculated for the temperature range 25–1500 °C. The results show the effect of temperature on the AR for the processes when water is in both liquid and gas states using 25 °C, 1 bar as the reference state. The AR results show that the production of CO, H2, CH4 and CO2 are feasible at all temperatures studied. The minimum Gibbs Free Energy becomes more negative from −418.68 kJ mol−1 at 25 °C to −3024.34 kJ mol−1 at 1500 °C while the process shifts from exothermic (−141.90 kJ mol−1) to endothermic (1161.80 kJ mol−1) for the respective temperatures. Methane and carbon dioxide are favoured products (minimum Gibbs Free Energy) for temperatures up to about 600 °C, and this therefore includes Anaerobic Digestion. The process is exothermic below 500 °C, and thus Anaerobic Digestion requires heat removal. As the temperature continues to increase, hydrogen production becomes more favourable than methane production. The production of gas is endothermic above 500 °C, and it needs a supply of heat that could be done, either by combustion or by electricity (plasma gasification). The calculations show that glucose conversion at temperatures around 700 °C favours the production of carbon dioxide and hydrogen at minimum G. Generally, the results show that the gas from high-temperature gasification (>~800 °C) typically carries the energy mainly in syngas components CO and H2, whereas at low-temperature gasification (<500 °C) the energy is carried in CH4. The overall analysis for the temperature range (25–1500 °C) also suggests a close relationship between biogas production/digestion and gasification as biogas production can be referred to as a form of low-temperature gasification.

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Abbreviations

AR:

Attainable Region

WGS:

Water gas shift

G–H :

Gibbs Free Energy–Enthalpy

ε :

Extent of reaction

T :

Temperature

T o :

Reference temperature

\(\Delta H^{^\circ }\) :

Heat of formation at T

\(\Delta Ho^{^\circ }\) :

Heat of formation at T o

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials and Process Synthesis, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa (UNISA), c/o Christiaan de Wet & Pioneer Avenue, Florida Campus 1710, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Ralph Farai Muvhiiwa, Xiaojun Lu, Diane Hildebrandt, David Glasser & Tonderayi Matambo

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  1. Ralph Farai Muvhiiwa
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  2. Xiaojun Lu
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Correspondence to Ralph Farai Muvhiiwa.

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Muvhiiwa, R.F., Lu, X., Hildebrandt, D. et al. Applying thermodynamics to digestion/gasification processes: the Attainable Region approach. J Therm Anal Calorim 131, 25–36 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-016-6063-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-016-6063-9

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