Gasification and Characterization of Refinery Sludge Using Aspen Plus Simulation

Gasification is a process of converting organic or fossil based carbonaceous materials
into carbon monoxide & hydrogen known as syngas and carbon dioxide. This is achieved
by reacting carbonaceous feedstock at high temperature with a controlled amount of
air/oxygen often in combination with steam. Simulation of this process is conducted to
study the effect of different operating parameters on gasification of dried refinery sludge
(DRS) using a countercurrent gasifier. The composition of by-products in refinery sludge
is also analyzed and studied to determine its characteristics so as to determine the
behavior of the by-products. From our results, it can be concluded that the optimum
operating condition is obtained by gasifying refinery sludge at a temperature of 1200 to
1400°F with a flow rate of 10,000 lb/hr at ambient pressure.