A novel hydrogen and oxygen production model for hospitals from medical waste: Case in Jordan

Jordan is currently grappling with critical energy generation challenges, primarily due to its substantial dependence on imported energy from neighbouring countries. Concurrently, the nation faces persistent waste management difficulties, particularly concerning medical waste (MW), amid an ongoing economic crisis. In response to these dual challenges, the present study proposes a model for hydrogen and oxygen production from MW as a feedstock in a case study of Jordanian capital of Amman. The model integrates both empirical data and insights derived from the existing literature. To assess the influence of key operational variables, the model was evaluated under 27 distinct scenarios using full factorial DoE statistical optimization. The findings indicate that optimal performance was achieved at gasification temperature of 800 °C, steam to biomass ratio (S/B) of 2.0, and equivalence ratio (ER) of 0.4, yielding hydrogen and oxygen production rates of 67 kg/h and 519 kg/h, respectively. Additionally, the system attained exergy and energy efficiencies of 84 % and 72 %, respectively, with electrical output of 1.1 MW and 52 kW from the SOFC and ORC, respectively. These outcomes underscore the feasibility of harnessing MW for sustainable energy generation, offering a promising solution to alleviate the economic, environmental, and public health impacts historically associated with improper MW disposal.