Gasification of solid biomass or fast pyrolysis bio‐oil: Comparative energy and exergy analyses using AspenPlus®

Abstract The conversion of biomass residues into syngas through gasification is attractive for energy and process industry applications. However, transportation, storage, and operational challenges limit the conventional direct solid biomass gasification process. To address these issues, the intermediate conversion of biomass to bio‐oil has emerged as a promising alternative. Bio‐oil offers improved transport and storage capabilities due to its higher mass and energy density, enabling the decoupling of solid biomass supply and syngas demand. This study compares two routes for syngas production: direct gasification of solid biomass and indirect gasification using bio‐oil from biomass pyrolysis as an intermediate with biochar and pyrolysis gas supplying thermal energy to the pyrolysis stage. Biochar combustion provides about 1.4 MJ kg−1 of dry biomass to maintain the pyrolysis temperature at 480°C. Using AspenPlus® simulations, the composition and Low Heating Value of the syngas produced by both routes are analyzed. Energy and exergy analysis at different equivalence ratios and temperatures revealed that direct gasification has higher efficiencies than indirect gasification. At 1000°C and an equivalence ratio of 0.4, the highest energy and exergy efficiencies occurred in direct gasification processes. The energy efficiency of direct and indirect gasification amounted to 62% and 53%, respectively. At the same time, the corresponding exergy efficiencies were 65% and 61%. The syngas of direct and indirect gasification processes is a starting point to produce energy, synthetic fuels, and chemicals; this study provides insights for designing and optimizing biomass gasification processes.