Syngas production from oil sludge gasification and its potential use in power generation systems: An energy and exergy analysis

Thermo-chemical conversion of oil sludge (OS) is a promising technological alternative for management petroleum waste from crude oil refinery. In this study, an energetic and exergetic analysis has been approached, taking into account the exergy destruction by irreversibilities associated with syngas production and its potential use to power generation. A simulation kinetic model with air/steam mixtures by using Aspen-Hysys 8.6® software was accomplished to evaluate the effect of gasifying agents on OS gasification parameters. It was noted a decreasing trend of produced syngas LHV when equivalence ratio (ER) and steam to oil sludge ratio (SOS) are increased, reaching values between 5 and 10 MJ/Nm3 for ER > 0.30 ratios and SOS between 0.5 and 1.5, while syngas yield can range from 2.0 to 5.0 Nm3 H2/kg OS with hydrogen content close to 25% (mol.%) at the same conditions. Furthermore, when an integrated gasification power generation system and exergy balance were taken into account, exergy destruction was increased almost three times with respect to syngas production from OS gasification process, resulting in 64.4% of total exergy input of integrated plant. Considering the thermodynamic analysis, OS gasification process could become an added value technological alternative for oily waste treatment from the crude oil refining. •Syngas production from oil sludge gasification and power generation was simulated.•Thermodynamic analysis for syngas production from oil sludge conversion was performed.•Energy/exergy and gasification performance indicators were assessed and discussed.•Energy recovery from thermo-chemical conversion of petroleum waste was researched.