Application of House of Quality in evaluation of low rank coal pyrolysis polygeneration technologies

• House of Quality method was used for assessment of coal pyrolysis polygeneration technologies.
• Low rank coal pyrolysis polygeneration processes based on solid heat carrier, moving bed and fluidized bed were evaluated.
• Technical and environmental criteria for the assessment of technologies were used.
• Low rank coal pyrolysis polygeneration process based on a fluidized bed is the best option.

Increasing interest in low rank coal pyrolysis (LRCP) polygeneration has resulted in the development of a number of different technologies and approaches. Evaluation of LRCP processes should include not only conventional efficiency, economic and environmental assessments, but also take into consideration sustainability aspects. As a result of the many complex variables involved, selection of the most suitable LRCP technology becomes a challenging task. This paper applies a House of Quality method in comprehensive evaluation of LRCP. A multi-level evaluation model addressing 19 customer needs and analyzing 10 technical characteristics is developed. Using the evaluation model, the paper evaluates three LRCP technologies, which are based on solid heat carrier, moving bed and fluidized bed concepts, respectively. The results show that the three most important customer needs are level of technical maturity, wastewater emissions, and internal rate of return. The three most important technical characteristics are production costs, investment costs and waste emissions. On the basis of the conducted analysis, it is concluded that the LRCP process utilizing a fluidized bed approach is the optimal alternative studied.