Abstract: The production of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the Tibet Autonomous Region increased from 1.73×105 t to 6.92×105 t from 2011 to 2021, with an average annual growth rate of 14.87%. With numerous glaciers and lakes in Tibet, the ecological environment is fragile and sensitive. At present, landfilling is the main method for waste disposal, which posed a risk of pollution to soil and groundwater. Based on the analysis of MSW production and regional distribution characteristics on the Tibetan Plateau, gasification was proposed to be a suitable treatment of MSW in Tibet. And the environmental benefits of waste gasification in Tibet were evaluated and analyzed. Air gasification experiment was carried out in a tubular furnace with 5 g model waste as raw material. The results showed that the optimal gasification conditions were reaction time as 20~30 min, air flow rate as 300 mL/min, moisture content of waste as 20%~30%, and vaporization temperature as 800~900 ℃. Under these conditions, the mass distribution of solid, liquid and gas phases were 8%~11%, 24%~28% and 60%~65%, respectively. The syngas yield could reach to 2.15 m3/kg, and the gas calorific value was 6.34 MJ/m3. The highest gasification efficiency could reach to 79.47%.

Key words: Tibetan Plateau, municipal solid waste, gasification