After analyzing simulations of heat fluxes and fluid dynamics of a biogas production pilot plant, it was concluded that the results do not meet the parameters expected to scale-up to a fully productive and economically viable industrial plant, due to the lack of control of parameters related to the thermodynamic processes involved in the entire gasification process, which integrates pyrolysis, combustion and gasification in a single rotary reactor. The main conclusion was that the expected energy efficiency threshold will not be reached with the use of hydro calcite-based catalysts.

It was therefore necessary to postulate a novel thermo-degradation process that allows the individual monitoring of each of the thermodynamic stages of degradation (drying, pyrolysis, combustion and gasification) that take place in the gasification process of an organic waste, applied to rotary kiln configuration for the main reactor.

Our step by step approach was based on:

• Application of a novel thermodynamic and kinetic model to individualize the parameters that affect the processes of pyrolysis-dehydration and combustion-gasification in rotary kiln configuration.
• Simulation of the thermal processes by means of advanced tools that allow to optimize the operation parameters in an individualized way to the pyrolysis-dehydration and to the combustion-gasification.
• Conceptualization of the engineering that will allow to evaluate the parameters of thermodynamic and kinetic.

• Analysis of the viability of bio-oil generation: development of the reaction kinetic model applied to the combustion and gasification reactor, based on variations of the stoichiometry of O2 content and water vapor, as well as the reduction of nitrogen gas content in the final Syngas production.
• Verification of models and simulation an experimental pilot installation, capable to process  50 kg/h of wastes.