Comparative Analysis of CFD Modeling and Process Simulation for Pyro-Gasification of Biomass

Abstract

A comparative analysis of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling and process simulation (SIM) was carried out to evaluate biomass pyro-gasification, using experimental data from agave bagasse (AB) as a case study. Experimental data were obtained via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) under varying conditions, including non-isothermal (700 to 1000 °C) and isothermal (900 °C and 950 °C) gasification at different air-to-biomass ratios (ABR). CFD modeling in COMSOL Multiphysics focused on micro-scale mass and heat transfer phenomena, while Aspen Plus simulations provided macro-scale process insights. Results showed that SIM closely matched experimental product yields under isothermal conditions (maximum deviation: 4.23 wt.%), while CFD excelled in predicting gas composition under non-isothermal conditions (e.g., H₂ deviation: 3.29 vol.%). Sensitivity analysis showed how temperature and ABR are critical factors that influence the product yield and gas composition, highlighting the strengths of each modeling approach. These findings underline the potential of integrating CFD and SIM approaches for improving the accuracy of biomass conversion modeling, paving the way for optimized process designs and scalable industrial applications.