Modellazione e validazione sperimentale di un sistema integrato di valorizzazione della biomassa lignocellulosica residuale tramite gassificazione per la produzione di biocombustibili

The objective of the project is the quantitative and qualitative characterization of residual lignocellulosic biomass in Emilia Romagna for their thermoconversion into biofuels through gasification. The process will be composed of a biomass pre-treatment stage (shredding, drying and pelletising), followed by a fixed-bed autothermal gasification stage. The transformation of the syngas into hydrogen through a Steam Reforming process and into methanol through a methanol-genesis process will then be modeled. The production of biodiesel will also be studied through the transesterification of residual oil with the methanol produced from the previous stage. The Matlab Simulink environment will be used to study all the processes just described and to evaluate the potential for conversion of residual wood from Emilia Romagna into biofuels (hydrogen, methanol and biodiesel). Demonstrative prototypes will also be created for the experimental validation of the gasification process of residual biomass and the necessary pre-treatments.