Compound-Resolved Gas–Water Assessment of RDF Pyrolysis with Wet Scrubbing: Operating Windows for Internal Combustion Engine Combined Heat and Power and Closed-Loop Water Management
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Pyrolysis of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) is a promising waste-to-energy route, but its use in higher-value applications remains limited by tar carryover, BTEX, heteroatom-containing compounds, and pollutant accumulation in recirculated scrubber water. This study evaluated operating windows for RDF pyrolysis coupled with direct wet scrubbing and closed-loop water reuse, with the aim of identifying regimes suitable for different end-use tiers. An L27 design of experiments was applied to 27 pyrolysis runs by varying pyrolysis temperature, residence time, scrubber liquid-to-gas ratio, scrubber-water temperature, and sequential reuse of the same scrubber-water inventory over 5, 10, and 15 cycles. Cleaned-gas pollutants were quantified by compound-resolved GC–MS after solid-phase adsorption sampling, while phenolics and PAHs in scrubber water were determined by extraction followed by GC–MS. The results showed that stronger scrubbing reduced gas-phase tar and BTEX burdens, whereas extended water reuse caused systematic accumulation of phenolics and PAHs and increased the composite water-loop hazard index. Boiler-grade operation remained feasible across a broad operating range, whereas ICE-CHP feasibility was restricted to a narrow robust regime and no robust microturbine-grade condition was identified. These findings show that operating windows for RDF pyrolysis must be defined jointly by gas-cleanliness and water-loop management constraints.
Source: Energies
DOI: 10.3390/en19081870
Authors: Sergejs Osipovs, Aleksandrs Pučkins
Institution: Daugavpils University
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7154047575