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1 Open-Source Interpretable Models for Waste Gasification and Pyrolysis: A DataDriven Framework for CEET Explorer Pavel Praks 1 , Martin Marek 2 , Jan Najser 3 1 VSB – Technical University of Ostrava, IT4Innovations, Ostrava, Czech Republic 2, 3 VSB – Technical University of Ostrava, ENET Centre, Ostrava, Czech Republic The growing demand for sustainable energy solutions is driving the development of advanced waste-to-energy technologies. To support transparency, this preprint introduces an open-source software tool for gasification and pyrolysis processes at the CEET Explorer innovation polygon, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava. The tool will comprise two parts: gasification and pyrolysis systems (see Figure 1). The gasification system will include a plasma torch, gasification reactor, hydrogen separator, hydrogen storage tanks, and fuel cells for electricity generation. Its primary objective is to simulate and maximize the production of hydrogen from municipal waste. The tool will also support auxiliary combustion of methane and carbon monoxide when fuel cells are not in use. Renewable integration will be achieved through wind turbines and photovoltaic panels supplying energy to an electrolyzer for additional hydrogen production from water. Key dependencies will include plasma torch temperature, influenced by nozzle constant, torch power, and filling pressure, which affect syngas composition and hydrogen yield. Electricity generation will depend on fuel cell efficiency, heating values, and installed capacity. Additional parameters will include hydrogen storage conditions (pressure, volume, temperature) and renewable energy utilization for electrolytic hydrogen production. The pyrolysis system will enable modelling and optimization for liquid fuel (pyrolysis oil) production, with syngas as a by-product. The proposed open-source framework will combine stoichiometric balances, symbolic regression, and polynomial regression to ensure mass and energy conservation while maintaining interpretability. By integrating process modeling, optimization, and renewable coupling, the software will provide a transparent and scalable approach to waste-to-energy at CEET Explorer. The open-source 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3913-7800 2 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6225-9187 3 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0614-9645
2 nature of the tool guarantees replicability and reproducibility, and validation within the Czech Republic, across Europe, and globally. Figure 1. Conceptual architecture of the data-driven waste-to-energy system integrating gasification and pyrolysis at CEET Explorer (VSB–Technical University of Ostrava). Municipal bio-wood waste (green) is processed via a primary gasification subsystem (light blue), optimized for hydrogen generation and electricity production via fuel cells, and a secondary pyrolysis subsystem (gold), optimized for liquid fuel yield. Outputs include clean energy carriers (hydrogen and electricity, sky blue) and carbon-rich products (pyrolysis oil and syngas, orange). A transparent modeling layer (beige) supports simulation and optimization using stoichiometric balances, symbolic and polynomial regression, and molar mass relations. Dotted blue links indicate informational/model influence rather than material/energy flow. Funding This preprint has been supported by EU funds under the project ‘Increasing the resilience of power grids in the context of decarbonisation, decentralisation and sustainable socioeconomic development’, CZ.02.01.01/00/23_021/0008759, through the Operational Programme Johannes Amos Comenius.
