Preliminary Simulation Study and Heat Integration of a Highly Intensified and Flexible Process for Bio-DME and Electricity Production

We present the preliminary process modelling study and heat integration optimization for a novel highly intensified and flexible process for the co-production of bio-DME and electricity from biomass. The process combines two “sorption-enhanced” reactors: one holds a flexible sorption enhanced gasification process whilst the other undergoes a novel sorption enhanced DME synthesis. The novel system is being developed in the framework of the H2020 EU project FLEDGED. The preliminary process simulation is based on simplified (first-principle) models of the main process units while the heat integration optimization is performed with a systematic energy targeting methodology. The DME off-gas can be used in a gas turbine or in an internal combustion engine with minor differences in efficiency while the process waste heat can be efficiently recovered by a multiple-pressure-level heat recovery steam cycle. According to the results, the plant can achieve a biomass-to-DME conversion efficiency of 31.14 % (LHV basis) and a biomass-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 19.3 %.