VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

OFFICE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDY PROGRAMS
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING FACULTY

THESIS PROPOSAL

Student’s Name: Nguyễn Quốc Phong

Student’s ID: 1752414
Instructor: Dr. Tạ Đăng Khoa

SEMESTER 211
HỒ CHÍ MINH CITY, 2021
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Ta Dang Khoa – my directed
instructor, although he was very busy with work, but always took time to take care,
encouraged me and provided dedicated comments for us in issues related to thesis
purposes.
Besides, I am extremely grateful to my teachers of Process and Equipment Department for
equipping me with a solid foundation of knowledge about material and energy balances,
thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, separation technologies,
chemical reaction kinetics, reactor and process design so that I could be confident and
braved to enter to the real life for my thesis proposal.
I also thank senior students helped me finish this proposal report. They always supported
me to overcome the most difficult period when I first started. We spent together with all
the joys, sorrows and challenges. They helped and inspired me to review knowledge about
our major. They did not only broaden my horizons but also shared emotions and offered
me great inspiration as I was depressed.
However, in the process of completing the report I cannot avoid errors, I wish hearing
suggestions and advice from teachers. Finally, I wish the teachers, and all my classmates
always have abundant health, happiness and success!

Instructor’s signature

1
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. OVERVIEW OF ENERGY IN THE WORLD ....................................................... 3

II. OVERVIEW OF ENERGY IN VIETNAM ........................................................... 7

III. PROBLEM RESEARCHED ............................................................................... 10

IV. PROBLEM............................................................................................................. 13

V. SCOPE OF WORK ................................................................................................ 14

VI. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................ 15

VII. TIMELINE ........................................................................................................... 15

REFERENCES

2
I. OVERVIEW OF ENERGY IN THE WORLD

The world is facing an energy crisis, rooted in the price of gas and struggles to recover
from the Covid-19 pandemic. Consistent rises in wholesale gas prices have made utilities
unprofitable, with no ability to pass costs on, and broader shortages have placed increasing
demand on energy infrastructure.

The chain of events begins with the pandemic, and the fall in wholesale energy prices that
came with it. As Covid-19 hit, gas and electricity use fell sharply across countries, and
when met with overproduction from oil and gas companies, prices plummeted.

As gas supply fell and demand started recovering, wholesale prices began to rise. This
continued past pre-pandemic prices, reaching a new high level in the last few weeks. Going
from record-lows to record-highs has led forward contracts to almost double in price over
the past year.

8 November – US energy prices likely to rise as result of winter heating pressure

3
US consumers are likely to be hit with much higher heating bills this winter due to surging
energy prices across the globe.

Natural gas, which is used to heat almost half of US households, has doubled in price since
this time last year. The cost of crude oil has also nearly doubled, deeply affecting the 10%
of homes in the US that rely on heating oil and propane during the winter months.

29 October – Indian Government ramps up coal stocks

Like many countries, India has been dealing with significant energy shortages due to
supply mismanagement and a post-pandemic rebound in demand. This has led government
planners to pivot back towards coal power to reduce anxiety over future energy security.

According to the International Energy Agency, India’s energy demand is expected to grow
faster than any other country in the world over the next two decades. Much of this demand
will be filled by the Indian coal sector, which currently accounts for 70% of the countries
power generation.

4
28 October – China expands coal production

Coal prices have shot up following rolling blackouts in most of China’s provinces. China’s
ruling party has told producers to “guarantee the supply” of coal, with regional extraction
targets massively increasing.

An ongoing embargo against Australian coal has turned China toward Russia and
Indonesia. Russia-to-China coal imports have more than tripled compared to the same
period in 2020.

Global energy demand is set to increase by 4.6% in 2021, more than offsetting the 4%
contraction in 2020 and pushing demand 0.5% above 2019 levels. Almost 70% of the
projected increase in global energy demand is in emerging markets and developing
economies, where demand is set to rise to 3.4% above 2019 levels. Energy use in advanced
economies is on course to be 3% below pre-Covid levels.

5
Demand for all fossil fuels is set to grow significantly in 2021. Coal demand alone is
projected to increase by 60% more than all renewables combined, underpinning a rise in
emissions of almost 5%, or 1 500 Mt. This expected increase would reverse 80% of the
drop in 2020, with emissions ending up just 1.2% (or 400 Mt) below 2019 emissions levels.

Natural gas demand is set to grow by 3.2% in 2021, propelled by increasing demand in
Asia, the Middle East and the Russian Federation (“Russia”). This is expected to put global
demand more than 1% above 2019 levels. In the United States – the world’s largest natural
gas market – the annual increase in demand is set to amount to less than 20% of the 20 bcm
decline in 2020, squeezed by the continued growth of renewables and rising natural gas
prices. Nearly three-quarters of the global demand growth in 2021 is from the industry and
buildings sectors, while electricity generation from natural gas remains below 2019 levels.

Electricity demand is due to increase by 4.5% in 2021, or over 1 000 TWh. This is almost
five times greater than the decline in 2020, cementing electricity's share in final energy
demand above 20%. Almost 80% of the projected increase in demand in 2021 is in
emerging market and developing economies, with the People's Republic China (“China”)
alone accounting for half of global growth. Demand in advanced economies remains below
2019 levels.

Solar PV and wind are expected to contribute two-thirds of renewables’ growth. The share
of renewables in electricity generation is projected to increase to almost 30% in 2021, their
highest share since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and up from less than 27%
in 2019. Wind is on track to record the largest increase in renewable generation, growing
by 275 TWh, or around 17%, from 2020. Solar PV electricity generation is expected to rise
by 145 TWh, or almost 18%, and to approach 1 000 TWh in 2021.

6
II. OVERVIEW OF ENERGY IN VIETNAM
With a rapidly growing economy, Vietnam is facing an increase in energy demand which
is forecasted to grow 10 percent annually. The Vietnam Energy Outlook Report 2017
released by the Vietnamese government in collaboration with the Danish Energy Agency
states that electricity demand is expected to grow eight percent annually until 2035.

Vietnam’s economy is forecast to grow at a rate of between 6.5 and 7.5 percent per year
from now until 2030 – resulting in additional demand for energy. At the moment, Vietnam
is looking to expand its coal sector to meet this growing energy demand.

Currently, the use of coal in the region is quite substantial. From 2000 to 2015, the biomass
and hydro share of the total primary energy mix in Vietnam dropped to 24 percent from 53
percent while coal share grew from 14 percent to 35 percent of the total energy supply.

Vietnam already has more than 20 coal-fired power plants with a total capacity of over
13,000 megawatts (MW). Data from S&P Global Platts, a provider of energy and
commodities information, shows that Vietnam’s coal imports in April 2018 hit a record of
2.3 million tonnes, up 132.5 percent year on year. These numbers might already seem
staggering but Vietnam’s coal usage in the future would most likely be significantly higher.

According to a Fitch Solutions report in February, coal will make up 50.5 percent of energy
generation by 2028 compared to 22.5 percent for gas. Vietnam also plans to increase the
number of coal-fired plants to 32 by 2020 and 51 by 2030. If that goes through, the 32 coal-
fired plants in 2020 will be burning 63 million tons of coal per year. Around 129 million
tons of coal per year will be burnt by the time all 51 plants are fully operational.

While Vietnam looks to develop its coal sector, more countries are starting to abandon coal
and move to greener or less-damaging resources such as natural gas or renewables like
solar and wind power.

7
The government there last month announced plans to build four gas-fired plants with a total
capacity of about 6,000 MW with Thailand’s Gulf Energy Development in a deal worth
US$7.8 billion. Not only will this make Vietnam one of the world’s newest liquefied
natural gas (LNG) importers, it will also cut its coal use.

The attractiveness of coal to Vietnam is probably its affordability. However, Vietnam has
been facing a backlash for its plans to increase the use of coal in the country. In the summer
of 2016, World Bank president, Jim Yong Kim rebuked Vietnam for their coal plans. “If
Vietnam goes forward with 40 GW of coal, if the entire region implements their coal-based
plans right now, I think we are finished,” said Jim Yong Kim.
8
Environmental issues

Most, if not all the concerns surrounding Vietnam’s increased dependence on coal are
environmental in nature. A recent study by Harvard University and Greenpeace revealed
that existing coal plants cause an estimated 4,300 premature deaths every year. This
number could rise to 25,000 premature deaths per year. This loss of life is preventable if
Vietnam refocuses its sights on renewable and sustainable energy.

Vietnam has already included a renewable energy development strategy into its energy
plans. In fact, Vietnam is making great strides in developing its hydropower, solar, and
wind capacity.

Despite that, coal still remains a priority for the state. As long as coal is cheaper compared
to other sources of energy, it will remain the number one choice. It also doesn’t help that
foreign investors are making huge investments in the country’s coal sector. In 2017, total
foreign investment into coal projects in Vietnam was worth around US$20.5 billion.

9
III. PROBLEM RESEARCHED
No Title Type
Review and analysis of
1 Review
biomass gasification models
Exergy analysis in combined
2 Review
heat and power systems
Exergy analysis of hydrogen
3 production from steam Review
gasification of biomass
Comprehensive exergy
analysis of a gas engine-
equipped anaerobic digestion
4 plant producing electricity Research paper
and biofertilizer from organic
fraction of municipal solid
waste
Modeling & optimization of
renewable hydrogen
5 production from biomass via Research paper
anaerobic digestion & dry
reformation
Author Year
Maria Puig-Arnavat, Joan
Carles Bruno , Alberto 2010
Coronas
Omid Mahian , Mohammad
Reza Mirzaie , Alibakhsh
2020
Kasaeian , Seyed Hossein
Mousavi
Yaning Zhang , Pingfei Xu,
Shuang Liang, Bingxu Liu, 2020
Yong Shuai, Bingxi Li
Mohamad Reza Baratia ,
Mortaza Aghbashloa ,
Hossein Ghanavatib ,
Meisam Tabatabaeib ,
2017
Mohammad Sharifia ,
Ghasem Javadiradd , Ali
Dadaka , Mohamad Mojarab
Soufiyan
Rishi Kaashyap Balaji ,
Krishna Prasad Rajan ,
2019
Udaya Bhaskar Reddy
Ragula
Problem
Use of biomass as a source of energy.
Design, simulation, optimisation and
process analysis of gasifiers.
Exergy analyses for different CHP systems
with varying sources of power are gas
Combined heat and power (CHP) systems
turbines, reciprocating engines, Rankine
can produce power and heating with high
cycles, fuel cells,
possible efficiency
organic Rankine cycles (ORC), and hybrid
energy systems
Exergy analysis of hydrogen production
from steam gasification of biomass was
reviewed in this study
Investigating the exergetic performance of
a gas-engine equipped anaerobic
digestion plant producing electric power
as well as biofertilizer from organic
fraction of municipal solid waste
There is a growing interest in the usage of
hydrogen as an environmentally cleaner
form of energy for end users. However,
hydrogen does not occur naturally and
needs to be pro duced through energy
intensive processes, such as steam
reformation. In order to be truly
renewable, hydrogen must be produced
through processes that do not lead to
direct or indirect carbon dioxide
emissions.
10
Methods Conclusion
The Equilibrium models are found to be a useful
tool for preliminary comparison and for process
studies on the influence of the most important fuel
and process parameters. They have the advantage of
Analyses several gasification models based on
being independent of gasifier design, but they cannot
thermodynamic equilibrium, kinetics and
give highly accurate results for all cases. The
artificial neural networks.
kinetic-based models are computationally more
intensive but give accurate and detailed results.
However, they contain parameters that limit their
applicability to different plants.
The results show that the exergy analysis of high-
performance small-scale CHPs, for residential areas,
are not adequate still. More research works are also
recommended on hybrid CHPs with renewable
power sources like fuel cells, solar energy, ground-
source heat pumps, and biomass fuels
The exergy efficiency of hydrogen production from
steam gasification of biomass is mainly determined
by the H2 yield and the chemical exergy of biomass.
Increases in gasification temperatures improve the
The main parameters (biomass characteristics, exergy efficiency whereas increases in particle sizes
particle size, gasification temperature, generally decrease the exergy efficiency. Both
steam/biomass ratio, steam flow rate, reaction steam/biomass ratio and steam
catalyst, and residence time) on the exergy flow rate initially increases and finally decreases the
efficiency were presented and discussed exergy efficiency. Reaction catalyst
may have positive, negative or negligible effect on
the exergy efficiency, whereas residence
time generally has slight effect on the exergy
efficiency
The exergetic value of the net electric power was
Writing energy and exergy balances for all determined at 1596.0 kW, while the chemical
components of the plant, their exergetic exergetic content of the biofertilizer was found to be
performance parameters were measured 8758.3 kW. The overall exergetic efficiency of the
individually. An attempt was also undertaken plant was determined at 72.8%. The contributions of
to quantify the contributions of the products to the electric power and the biofertilizer to the overall
the overall exergetic efficiency of the plant. exergetic efficiency of the plant were found to be
15.4% and 84.6%, respectively.
An end-to-end simulation of this process is
developed primarily using Aspen HYSYS and It is identified that if biogas containing 52 mol%
consists of steady state models for anaerobic methane, 38 mol% carbon dioxide, and 10 mol%
digestion of biomass, dry reformation of water (or steam) is used for hydrogen production by
biogas in a fixed-bed catalytic reactor dry reformation at a temperature of 837.5oC and a
containing Ni-Co/ Al2O3 catalyst, and a pressure of 101.3 kPa; optimal values of 89.9%
custom-model for hydrogen separation using a methane conversion, 99.99% carbon dioxide
hollow fibre membrane separator. Optimal conversion and hydrogen selectivity 1.21 can be
operating conditions for H2 production obtained.
identified by DOE based Optimization

Process Simulation of Two-
6 Stage Anaerobic Digestion Research paper
for Methane Production
Aspen Plus simulation of
7 optimal biogas production in Research paper
anaerobic digestion process
Simulation of Anaerobic Co-
Digestion Process for the
8 Research paper
Biogas Production using
ASPEN PLUS
Enhancement on biodegradation
and anaerobic digestion
9 Research paper
efficiency of activated sludge
using a dual irradiation process
Haider Al-Rubaye, Shruti
Karambelkar, Manohar M.
2017
Shivashankaraiah & Joseph
D. Smith
R R Ravendran, A
2019
Abdulrazik and R Zailan
Abrar Inayat, Mohsin Raza,
Chaouki Ghenai , Abdallah
Shanableh , Zafar Said , Sari 2019
Samman , Ali Al-Mansori ,
Ahmed Lazkani
Yingnan Yang , Kenichiro
Tsukahara , Rongyong Yang ,
2011
Zhenya Zhang , Shigeki
Sawayama
A process simulation model was
developed for the anaerobic digestion
(AD) process used for biogas generation. were simulated with appropriate kinetics.
Aspen Plus software was used for this
purpose. The developed model predicts 10, 20 and 30% substrates concentrations to amount of hydrogen gas required to maximize the
the production of biogas from any
substrate at any given process condition. studying the effects of hydrogen addition,
The demanding uses of fossil fuels and
their associated environmental footprints
are driving researches into renewable
energy productions from organic
resources and waste. Anaerobic digestion
(AD) is an environment-friendly and cost-
effective method to produce biogas from
biomass. This biogas can be used in
power generation, heating systems and in
a combined heat and power (CHP) system
The modern energy trends call for the
transfer of energy requirements for
sustainable industrial growth from
conventional fuels to renewable energy
sources. Biomass in its different forms
like agricultural waste residue, animal
manure, and wastewater has a great
perspective for utilization as a source for conducted using ASPEN PLUS software by
thermal heat or power generation.
Anaerobic digestion (AD) which is a
biochemical route of converting biomass the optimum ratio that maximizes the methane
into a biogas has high possibility to
contribute in this context.
A dual irradiation process involving aerobic
thermophilic irradiation pretreatment (ATIP)
and intermittent irradiation anaerobic
digestion was developed to improve the
digestion of waste-activated sludge.
11
The results showed that methane composition in the
biogas decreased on increasing the feed rate due to
the decrease in residence time that the biomass
needs to convert to methane. The accumulated
methane production rate in the biogas increased with
the increasing feed rate. The methane gas
The four steps (Hydrolysis, Acidogenesis, composition increases until it reaches a maximum
Acetogenesis, Methanogenesis) with a total of value at specific hydrogen rate. The continu ously
46 reactions that represent the AD process increasing hydrogen rate decreases the methane
composition due to the increase in the acidity level,
Sensitivity analysis was implemented for 5, which causes inhibition to the AD process. The
increase the methane share in the biogas by methane composition in the biogas and the
accumulated rate of methane increases, as the flow
HRT and pressure. rate and concentration of the substrates increases.
Methane gas composition increases by about 40%
by introducing hydrogen gas to the system.
Furthermore, at a specific feed rate, the
methane rate increases with the increase of
substrates concentrations, while the composition of
the methane gas slightly decreases.
Aspen Plus simulation model was developed
for the AD process to produce biogas,
The obtained results showed that optimum feed rate
highlighting the economical potentials and
was 0.36 l/day and operating pressure of 3 bar with
environmental benefits. Four steps of AD
hydrogen flow of 180 l/day. By using these optimum
including hydrolysis, acidogenesis,
conditions, maximum amount of methane with high
acetogenesis, and methanogenesis with eight
purity was achieved. Otherwise, through biomass
reactions were simulated based on the
natural decomposition, the methane would escape to
respective stoichiometries. Optimization has
the atmosphere as one of those significant
involved the search to identify optimum feed
greenhouse gases
flow rate and operating pressure to produce
the maximum amount of pure methane.
This study presents the simulated AcoD
reactor for three substrates for producing the
biogas. The various substrates modeled were The best biomass for maximum methane production
date seed waste, date palm leaf waste, coffee is a dates tree leaf, but its CO2 emission is higher
waste, wastewater, and animal manure. A than the rest. The biomass date seed waste using as
simulation of the whole system will be feedstock provided the highest CH4/CO2 ratio of
2.3. The best biomass for maximum methane
simulating the Anaerobic Digester using production is a dates tree leafs, but its CO2
different biomass and feedstock ratios to find emission is higher than the rest
in biogas produced
First, the effect of ATIP on further anaerobic
digestion of activated sludge in batch mode was First, the effect of ATIP on further anaerobic digestion of
investigated. When exposed to ATIP for 24 h, the activated sludge in batch mode was investigated. When
digestion reactor gave the highest methane yield, exposed to ATIP for 24 h, the digestion reactor gave the
removed the most dissolved organic carbon (DOC) highest methane yield, removed the most dissolved
and showed the most effective reduction of VS organic carbon (DOC) and showed the most effective
compared to other irra diation times. This process reduction of VS compared to other irra diation times.
was further enhanced by using an anaerobic This process was further enhanced by using an anaerobic
fluidised-bed reactor packed with carbon felt in fluidised-bed reactor packed with carbon felt in semi-
semi-continuous mode for digesting the pretreated continuous mode for digesting the pretreated activated
activated sludge under intermittent irradiation sludge under intermittent irradiation conditions. Dual
conditions. Dual irradiation for 24 h followed by irradiation for 24 h followed by 60 min of anaerobic
60 min of anaerobic irradiation processing per day irradiation processing per day turned out to be optimal.
turned out to be optimal.

Optimum energy integration of
10 thermal hydrolysis through pinch Research paper
analysis
Predictive modelling and
simulation of integrated
11
pyrolysis and anaerobic
digestion process
Synergistic combination of
12 pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion,
and CHP plants
Anaerobic digestion, a well-established
technology to generate biogas from sewage
sludge, is constrained by the hydrolysis (or
solubilization) stage. Several pretreatments
attempt to overcome this limitation, with
thermal hydrolysis emerging as the technology
D. Fernandez-Polanco, H.
2016 of choice due to its techno-economic
Tatsumi
advantages. The objective of this work is to
optimize the integration of this energy
intensive pretreatment within the wastewater
treatment plant, ensuring that the digestion
performance improves in an energy-efficient
way.
Anaerobic co-digestion plant with
biodegradable organic feedstock separated
Chaudhary Awais Salmana , from municipal solid waste (MSW) have
Research paper Sebastian Schwedea , Eva 2017 become a mature technology in past decade.
Thorina , Jinyue Yan The biogas produced can be upgraded to bio-
methane or used in heat and power
applications.
The anaerobic digestion of biodegradable
fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a
widely used process for biogas production.
However, the biodegradable fraction of MSW
also contains lignocellulosic waste which
Chaudhary Awais Salmana ,
hinders the biogas production if added to the
Sebastian Schwedea , Eva
Research paper 2019 digester in higher quantity. So it needs to be
Thorina , Jinyue Yan,
separated from biodegradable waste and sent
Muhammed Naqvi
for alternate treatment, e.g., incineration,
landfilling or compositing. Pyrolysis of
lignocellulosic waste to produce biochar,
syngas, and bio oil is an alternate treatment to
consider
12
If only secondary sludge is hydrolyzed, power purchases
can be reduced by virtue of the additional biogas from the
baseline of 867 kW to 280 kW. In this case, a gas engine
is the best CHP choice as it exhibits the highest electric
and cogeneration efficiencies and also generates enough
By applying pinch analysis, a methodology to steam to meet the thermal ydrolysis demands. If both
optimize energy systems, a strategy is suggested that primary and secondary sludge is hy drolyzed, a gas engine
selects a second-generation thermal hydrolysis supplemented by a standalone boiler is the most energy-
technology designed to recover all process vapors, efficient configuration. Out of the other CHP options
defines the optimum combined heat and power considered for the combined sludge case, gas turbines
scheme to ensure an efficient integration and generate enough steam to satisfy the
determines the minimum sludge feed concentration thermal hydrolysis needs, but their lower electrical
to guarantee energy self-sufficiency, the recovery of efficiency re sults in a significant power import of 1310
all waste heat and the minimization of expensive kW. A combined cycle operation, where the excess steam
polyelectrolyte use. is expanded in a condensing steam turbine, could improve
the situation, but the additional po wer generated is small
to justify the extra complexity. Finally,microturbines are
not a good fit, since they are equipped with a recuperator
that improves the electrical efficiency but restricts the
steam generation potential.
In this work, the non-biodegradable organic waste The fast pyrolysis at 500 ° C, resulted in 51% bio oil,
named as green waste is investigated as a potential 17.6% bio char and 15% syngas. A large amount of heat is
substrate for a bio refinery concept based on required to run the pyrolysis process as 0.219 MWh/MWh
combination of pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion. dry biomass (1.8 MJ/kg of feed). Air drying at 200 °C
By using process modelling and simulation, pinch requires 0.043 MWh/MWh dry biomass. Regarding the
analysis, thermodynamic performance. The main effect of bio char addition on the methane production and
aim of the study was to evaluate whether or not the digestion process, the simulation results shows an
anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis process coupling approximately 7% increase in efficiency of anaerobic
could be beneficial from an energy and exergy point digestion – pyrolysis combined process by assuming 5%
of view. increase in methane content.
The results show that pyrolysis of lignocellulosic waste
can increase the biomethane production and integration
with CHP plant can increase the energy efficiency. The
Coupled the pyrolysis of lignocellulosic waste with
pyrolysis process gives 75% standalone efficiency.
anaerobic disgestion plant. Modified the process
However, the coupling of pyrolysis with CHP plant can
concept to increase the intergration level of these
make the process more robust, and the energy efficiency of
process. In this study, the pyrolysis of
up to 80% can be achieved. The biochar obtained from
lignocelluosic waste is intergrated with an
pyrolysis was sent to anaerobic digestion and added in the
operating combine heat and power plant, by using
digester to increase the quality of biogas. The total
its existing infrastructure for heat transport among
synergetic efficiency pyrolysis-anaerobic digestion-CHP
different pyrolysis operations.
plant was obtained at 79.7% which is 1.2 folds higher than
when the pyrolysis process was only integrated with
anaerobic digestion plant
IV. PROBLEM

One of the biggest challenges facing the world today is the ever-growing demand for energy
and how to meet this demand reliably and affordably. Traditional sources of energy are getting
scarce, being labeled as pollutants, or are socially unaccepted; at the same time, new
renewable sources are not economically viable on their own. Most industrial countries are
heavily dependent on fossil fuels to operate their power plants, so have started funding
projects and research to generate renewable energy as an alternative (or resilient) energy
source. Fossil fuels could pose a threat to national security, especially if it is imported from a
foreign source. Furthermore, alternative energy sources may reduce pollution and
contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and, thus, global warming.

The use of biomass as a source of energy has been further enhanced in recent years and special
attention has been paid to biomass gasification. Due to the increasing interest in biomass
gasification, several models have been proposed in order to explain and understand this
complex process, and the design, simulation, optimization and process analysis of gasifiers
have been carried out.

13
This proposal was devoted to comprehensively investigating the exergetic performance of a
gas-engine equipped anaerobic digestion plant producing electric power as well as
biofertilizer from organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW).
V. SCOPE OF WORK

Anaerobic digestion (AD) which is a biochemical route of converting biomass into a biogas
has high possibility to contribute in this context. Biogas is methane (CH4) dominant fuel
which can perhaps replace the natural gas. However, to increase the calorific value of biogas
its CO2 content needs to be decreased. There are several processes to upgrade the biogas by
increasing the CH4 content. This is sometimes not possible with a single substrate. Hence an
evolving technology known as anaerobic co-digestion is adopted for increasing the CH4
percentage composition in biogas. A simulation of the whole system will be conducted using
ASPEN PLUS software by simulating the Anaerobic Digester using different biomass and
feedstock ratios to find the optimum ratio that maximizes the methane in biogas produced.

Anaerobic co-digestion plant with biodegradable organic feedstock separated from municipal
solid waste (MSW) have become a mature technology in past decade. The biogas produced
can be upgraded to bio-methane or used in heat and power applications. However, not all the
municipal waste fractions such as lignocellulose and green waste, are suitable for
biodegradation. In this work, the non-biodegradable organic waste named as green waste is
investigated as a potential substrate for a bio refinery concept based on combination of
pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion. The main aim of the study was to evaluate whether or not
the anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis process coupling could be beneficial from an energy
and exergy point of view. Pyrolysis of lignocellulosic waste to produce biochar, syngas, and
bio-oil is an alternate treatment to consider. Pyrolysis produces the biochar and vapors.
Biochar was added in the digester to enhance the biomethane production. The vapors produced
in the pyrolysis process were converted to biomethane through the catalytic methanation
process. The combination gives the overall efficiency of 67%.

14
VI. METHODOLOGY

Aspen Plus HYSYS simulation model was developed for the AD process to produce biogas,
highlighting the economical potentials and environmental benefits. Four steps of AD
including hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis with eight reactions
were simulated based on the respective stoichiometries. Optimization has involved the search
to identify optimum feed flow rate and operating pressure to produce the maximum amount
of pure methane.

Anaerobic digestion, a well-established technology to generate biogas from sewage sludge, is

constrained by the hydrolysis (or solubilization) stage. Several pretreatments attempt to
overcome this limitation, with thermal hydrolysis emerging as the technology of choice due
to its techno-economic advantages. The objective of this work is to optimize the integration
of this energy intensive pretreatment within the wastewater treatment plant, ensuring that the
digestion performance improves in an energy-efficient way through Pinch and Exergy
analysis.
VII. TIMELINE

15
 REFERENCES

[1] IEA (2021), Global Energy Review 2021, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/global-
energy-review-2021

[2] Team, T. A. S. E. A. N. P. (n.d.). Vietnam's growing demand for Energy. The ASEAN
Post. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://theaseanpost.com/article/vietnams-growing-
demand-energy

[3] Salman, C. A., Schwede, S., Thorin, E., & Yan, J. (2017). Predictive modelling and
simulation of integrated pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion process. Energy Procedia, 105,
850–857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.400

[4] Salman, C. A., Schwede, S., Naqvi, M., Thorin, E., & Yan, J. (2019). Synergistic
combination of pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, and CHP plants. Energy Procedia, 158, 1323–
1329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2019.01.326

[5] Ravendran, R. R., Abdulrazik, A., & Zailan, R. (2019). Aspen plus simulation of
optimal biogas production in anaerobic digestion process. IOP Conference Series: Materials
Science and Engineering, 702(1), 012001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/702/1/012001

[6] Barati, M. R., Aghbashlo, M., Ghanavati, H., Tabatabaei, M., Sharifi, M., Javadirad, G.,
Dadak, A., & Mojarab Soufiyan, M. (2017). Comprehensive exergy analysis of a gas
engine-equipped anaerobic digestion plant producing electricity and biofertilizer from organic
fraction of municipal solid waste. Energy Conversion and Management, 151, 753–763.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2017.09.017

16