Co-gasification of Turkish lignite and three plastic wastes in a lab-scale updraft gasifier: case-study equilibrium (gibbs free energy), openfoam CFD, analytical validation, and experimental-range benchmarking

Abstract

This study investigates the co-gasification of lignite and plastic waste with the aim of producing hydrogen-rich syngas while simultaneously addressing waste utilization challenges. A comparative modeling framework was developed by integrating one-dimensional analytical calculations (1D), Gibbs free energy minimization (GEM), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) using OpenFOAM. The results demonstrated that blending plastics with lignite enhanced hydrogen yield and syngas quality, with a 20 % plastic fraction identified as the optimum operating condition. The authors validate the modeling framework using literature-based experimental data, with deviations normally within +/- 10 %. The results demonstrate not just the technological viability of cogasification, but also their real-world implications for sustainable hydrogen production and waste-to-energy applications and represent a cleaner alternative to straight combustion.