MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECT
Simulation and Optimization of Production of Hydrogen from
Waste Plastics
Under the Guidance of
Dr. Naresh Thota
Group 16
Sowthesh V
Atukuri Dhanumjay
Yasir Parvez
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OUTLINE
• INTRODUCTION
• LITERATURE REVIEW
• METHODOLOGY
• RESULTS
• FUTURE SCOPE
• REFERENCES
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INTRODUCTION
Hydrogen energy has emerged as a promising alternate for addressing the pressing
challenges of climate change and transitioning towards a sustainable energy future.
Hydrogen presents a versatile solution to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and enhance
energy security.
H2 can be produced using various methods, such as electrochemical, thermochemical,
photochemical, photocatalytic, and photoelectrochemical processes. Hydrogen has an
awesome energy storage capacity and the energy contained in 1 kg of hydrogen is about 120
MJ (=33.33 kWh), which exceeds double of most conventional fuels.
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Plastic waste accumulation is a growing global environmental concern, with millions
of tons generated annually and limited recycling or disposal options.
This project explores the conversion of waste plastics into hydrogen-rich syngas through
thermochemical gasification, offering a sustainable solution for both waste management and
clean energy production..
Using Aspen Plus process simulation, the study investigates the effects of key operating
parameters—such as temperature, pressure, air and steam flow rates—on the yields of hydrogen
and other major products from different plastic feedstocks (HDPE, PP, PS, PET)..
The hydrogen which is produced from the waste plastics falls under the category of brown/black
hydrogen since it uses gasification without using carbon capture. If carbon capture is added then
it falls under blue hydrogen.
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LITERATURE REVIEW
1. Proximate and Ultimate Analysis
2. Drying of Non-conventional Solids
3. RYield Reactor
4. Gasification of Plastics
5. Effects of inert on Gasification
• In the process, the plastic waste is converted in to syngas in a series of steps, pyrolysis,
combustion (oxidation) and gasification (reduction).
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Proximate and Ultimate Analysis
• Proximate analysis evaluates the physical and thermal properties of plastic waste by
measuring Fixed Carbon (FC), Volatile Matter (VM), Ash content, Moisture content
(MC).
• Ultimate analysis determines the elemental composition includes Carbon, Hydrogen,
Oxygen, Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Chlorine which influence combustion behavior and
pollutant formation.
• Energy yield is primarily influenced by Carbon and Hydrogen Content, with PP and
HDPE being highly suitable for hydrogen production due to their high hydrogen
content.
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Proximate and Ultimate Analysis
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Drying of Non-conventional Solids
• Non-conventional solids like biomass are modeled using MXNCPSD streams,
HCOALGEN/DCOALIGT property methods, and the SOLIDS thermodynamic
package.
• Drying behavior is modeled using experimental data, with key parameters like
temperature, gas velocity, and particle size influencing moisture removal.
• Aspen plus blocks like RSTOIC and FLASH simulate the drying stages, with
sensitivity analysis optimizing the energy.
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RYield Reactor
• Used in Aspen Plus to simulate the decomposition of complex, non-conventional
feedstocks like plastics into simpler components, as Aspen Plus does not contain
predefined thermodynamic properties.
• The reactor breaks down the plastics into elemental constituents based on the ultimate
and proximate analysis data.
• It operates on yield distribution rather than on reaction kinetics.
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Gasification of Plastics
• Gasification is a thermochemical process where a carbonaceous material (like PET) is
converted into syngas under limited oxygen. It actually involves 4 steps
• Drying (100-200 C): Removes moisture to enhance efficiency.
• Pyrolysis (300-600 C): Breaks down plastic into volatile hydrocarbons, char and gases.
• Oxidation: Partial combustion generates heat to drive further reactions.
• Reduction: Converts intermediate gases into syngas through various reactions.
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Gasification of Plastics
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Effects of inert on Gasification
• Inert bed materials like olivine stabilize temperature and enhance heat transfer, increasing
H₂/CO yields but lowering CH₄ and cold gas efficiency.
• Ash content and inert gases like N₂ from air reduce syngas quality, requiring optimized
air-to-biomass ratios to balance combustion and dilution.
• Catalytic inerts (e.g., dolomite) indirectly reduce tar formation by promoting cracking,
especially in waste-based gasification.
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METHODOLOGY
Flowsheet of the Process
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• In the simulation, a variety of plastics were used such as polypropylene, polystyrene,
high density polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate as the raw material.
• It is dried by using nitrogen from air using a RStoic reactor. The dry PET is then
decomposed using an RYield reactor based on proximate analysis.
• The decomposed products are then gasified using an Rgibbs reactor to produce
maximum hydrogen. It also produces some of the inorganic contaminants such as HCl,
H2S, and NH3.
• The inorganics and the water are removed using separator blocks.
• The final pure hydrogen is purified out using Pressure Swing Adsorption process.
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Results
Effect of input air flow rate on Outlet composition
Effect on outlet H2 flow on Inlet air flow Effect on outlet CO2 flow on Inlet air flow
70 1800
1600
60
1400
50
1200
40 1000
CO2 flow
H2 flow
ps ps
pp 800 pp
30 hdpe hdpe
pet pet
600
20
400
10
200
0 0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Vary Inlet air flow Vary Inlet air flow
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Results
Effect on outlet CO flow on Inlet air flow Effect on outlet CH4 flow on Inlet air flow
40
1000
35
900
800 30
700 25
CH4 flow
600 20 ps
pp
CO flow
500 ps hdpe
pp 15
pet
400 hdpe
pet 10
300
5
200
0
100 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Vary inlet air flow
00 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Vary Inlet air flow
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Results
Effect of Gasifier Temperature on Outlet composition
Effect of outlet H2 flow on Gasifier Temperature Effect of outlet CO flow on Gasifier Temperature
700
80
600
70
60 500
50 400
CO flow
ps
ps
H2 flow
40 pp
pp 300
hdpe
hdpe
30 pet
pet
200
20
100
10
0
0 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200
400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200
Temperaure of Gasifier
Temperature of Gasifier
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Results
Effect of outlet CO2 flow on Gasifier Temperature Effect of outlet CH4 flow on Gasifier Temperature
400 200
180
350
160
300
140
250
120
CO2 flow
CH4 flow
200 ps 100 ps
pp pp
hdpe 80 hdpe
150
pet pet
60
100
40
50
20
0 0
400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200
Temperature of Gasifier Gasifier Temperature
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Results
Effect of Gasifier Pressure on Outlet composition
Effect of outlet H2 flow on Gasifier Pressure Effect of outlet CO flow on Gasifier Pressure
80 700
70 600
60 500
50 400
ps
CO flow
pp
H2 flow
40 ps 300 hdpe
pp
pet
hdpe
30 200
pet
20 100
10 0
0 5 10 15 20 25
0 Pressure of Gasifier
0 5 10 15 20 25
Pressure of Gasifier
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Results
Effect of outlet CO2 flow on Gasifier Pressure Effect of outlet CH4 flow on Gasifier Pressure
180 80
160
70
140
60
120
50
100 ps
CO2 flow
CH4 flow
ps 40 pp
80 pp hdpe
hdpe pet
30
pet
60
20
40
10
20
0
0 0 5 10 15 20 25
0 5 10 15 20 25
Pressure of Gasifier
Pressure of Gasifier
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FUTURE SCOPE
• Include various reactor such as plug flow reactors (PFRs), Continuous Stirred Reactors
(CSTRs) for modelling the process.
• Study the gasification of mixed plastic waste or co-gasification with biomass to
simulate real-world waste streams..
• Explore heat recovery and integration options to improve the overall energy efficiency
of the process.
• Perform a techno-economic assessment to determine the commercial viability and
identify cost reduction opportunities.
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REFERENCES
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360716963_Simulation_and_Modelling_of_
Hydrogen_Production_from_Waste_Plastics_Technoeconomic_Analysis
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196890418306587
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196890418306587
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382007002809
