Waste tire pyrolysis using thermal solar energy: An integrated approach

Abstract

Pyrolysis is a well-known thermochemical process used to treat various types of solid waste that is often associated with an intensive energy demand. To this date, the heat source for pyrolysis has been mainly through burning fossil fuels (e.g. coal or natural gas) or via electric heating. As a result, pyrolysis is still considered an economically unattractive solid waste management technique. One environmentally-attractive solution would be to integrate solar thermal energy, via concentrated solar power (CSP) systems, into the pyrolysis process to reduce its dependency on fossil fuel. In the current work, we investigate the pyrolysis of waste tires integrated with CSP using linear Fresnel reflectors (LFRs) technology. The heat transfer fluid (HTF) is heated to elevated temperatures of 520 °C to provide the necessary thermal energy for the pyrolysis reactor operating at 550 °C. Using System Advisor Model (SAM) integrated with the Aspen Plus® tire pyrolysis flowsheet proved that solar energy in Lebanon can provide on average 47.14% of the annual energy demands of the pyrolysis reactor. Energy savings can decrease on average to 26.6% in winter season and increase to 60.8% in the summer. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd