Biogas

Biogas

 Biogas - natural decomposition of any organic

substance of animal or plant origin due to the
activity of anaerobic bacteria.
 Biogas consists of about CO2,CH4, trace
elements
Sources of biogas

 Wetlands
 Sewage Sludge
 Landfills
 Plant Material
 Animal Waste
 What is Biodigester?

 Biodigester - system that promotes

decomposition of organic matter.
 It produces biogas, generated through the
process of anaerobic digestion.
 Biogas generated can be used for cooking,
heating, electricity generation, and running a
vehicle.
Anaerobic Digestion

 Reduce
- Smell
- Greenhouse gas
- Pathogen level
 Improve fertilizer value of manure
 Protect water resources
The Process of Biodigestion

 Liquefaction
 Acid Production
 Acetate Production
 Methane Production
Liquefaction

 Complex organic matter is degraded to basic

structure by hydraulic bacteria.
- Protein -> Polypeptide and Amino Acid
- Fat -> Glycerin and Fatty Acid
- Amylose -> Monosacride and Polysacride
Acid Production

 Also called the acidogenesis

 Simple organic matters are converted into H2 and
CO2
 Bacteria in this process are called hydrogen-
producing bacteria and acid-producing bacteria.
 Bacteroides, Clostridium, Butyrivibrio,
Eubacterium, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus
Acetate Production

 Acetogenesis.
 The short-chain fatty acids are metabolized by
synthrophic acetogenic and homoacetogenic
bacteria into acetate, carbon dioxide, and
hydrogen.
 Clostridium aceticum and Acetobacterium
woodii
Methane Production

 Methanogenesis
 In this process, acetic acid, H2, CO2, are
converted into CH4.
 Methanococcus jannaschii
Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum
 Methane-producing bacteria have strict pH
requirement and low adaptability to temperature.
Required conditions

 a fermenter, which is supplied with an innoculum of

bacteria (methanogens and decomposers)
 anaerobic conditions
 psychrophilic (below 25◦C), mesophilic (25 – 45 ◦ C), and
thermophilic (45 – 70 ◦ C)
 optimum pH of 6.5 to 8
 organic waste (biomass) e.g. sewage, wood pulp
 VFA are intermediate compounds (acetate, propionate,
butyrate, lactate) produced during acidogenesis will inhibit
the methane production
 organic load - how much organic dry matter can be
fed into the digester, per volume and time unit
 BR = m * c / VR

BR organic load [kg/d*m³]

m mass of substrate fed per time unit [kg/d]
c concentration of organic matter [%]
VR digester volume [m³]
Hydraulic retention time (HRT)

 average time interval when the substrate is

kept inside the digester tank
 HRT = VR / V
HRT hydraulic retention time [days]
VR digester volume [m³]
V volume of substrate fed per time unit [m³/d]
Completely stirred anaerobic digester

 basic anaerobic treatment system

 equal hydraulic retention time (HRT) and
solids retention time (SRT)
 more suitable for wastes with high solids
concentrations
 high volumetric loading rate is only obtained
with quite concentrated waste streams with a
biodegradable COD content
 Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket
reactor
 most notable developments in anaerobic treatment process
technology
 wide applications in relatively dilute municipal wastewater treatment
 Influent flow - travels in an upflow mode through the sludge blanket -
passes out around the edges of a funnel - enhancement in the
solids retention in the reactor - efficiency in the solids separation
from the outward flowing wastewater
 limitation of this process is related to the wastewaters having high
solid content which prevents the dense granular sludge
development
 Fluidized and expanded bed
reactors
 small media, such as sand or granular
activated carbon, to which bacteria attach
 Good mass transfer resulting from the
high flow rate around the particles, less
clogging and short-circuiting
 difficulty in developing strongly attached
biofilm, detachment risks of
 microbe, negative effects of the dilution
near the inlet, high energy costs due to
the high recycle rate
Anaerobic filters

 high capability of biosolids

retention
 Applications of both upflow
and downflow packed bed
processes
 clogging by biosolids,
influent suspended solids,
and precipitated minerals
Basic Designs of Digester

 Continuous-fed
 Batch-fed
Continuous-fed System

 Suited for large-scale manure substrate

bioreactor.
 Steady biogas production can be expected.
 Requires high liquid content.
 Temperature, loading rate, and solid content
need to be carefully monitored.
Batch-fed System

 The simplest design.

 Low cost.
 The feedstock is loaded one batch at time.
 Irregular biogas production.
 Can operate on high solid content.
 Less susceptible to fluctuation of factors.
 Requires manual labor.
Storage

 Both biogas can be stored for on-farm uses.

 Biogas is used as it is produced.
 Temporary nature

 Low-Pressure Storage of Biogas - less than 2 psi)

 Medium-Pressure Storage of Cleaned Biogas - 2 and
200 psi
 High-Pressure Storage of Compressed Biomethane -
2,000 and 5,000 psi
Transpotation of biogas

 Distribution via dedicated biomethane

pipelines
 Distribution via the natural gas pipeline
 Over-the road transport of CBM
 Over-the-road transport of LBM
 Transportation - dedicated
biomethane pipelines

 Gathering system, interstate pipeline system, and

distribution system.
 Gathering system consists of low pressure, small
diameter pipelines that transport raw biogas from the
wellhead to the processing plant.
 Biogas - high sulfur and carbon dioxide contents (sour
gas), a specialized sour gas gathering pipe must be
installed. Sour gas is corrosive, its transportation from
the wellhead must be done carefully. 
 Interstate Pipelines

 Pipeline network extends across the entire

country
 Interstate pipelines are the 'highways' of biogas
transmission.
 High pressure in the pipeline, at pressures
anywhere from 200 to 1500 pounds per square
inch (psi), reduces the volume of the biogas
being transported (by up to 600 times)
 Distribution system

 The distribution system that actually delivers

natural gas to most retail customers, including
residential biogas users.
 Requirements of transportation

 Transmission Pipes -  6 to 48 inches in

diameter
  small diameter pipe is usually used only in
gathering and distribution systems
 strong carbon steel material
Compressor Stations 

 Highly pressurized as it travels through an interstate

pipeline.
 To ensure that the biogas remains pressurized,
compression of this natural gas is required periodically
along the pipe.
 This is accomplished by compressor stations, usually
placed at 40 to 100 mile intervals along the pipeline.
 The gas enters the compressor station, where it is
compressed by either a turbine, motor, or engine.
Metering Stations

 Allow pipeline companies to monitor the gas in

their pipes.
 metering stations - measure the flow of gas
along the pipeline, and allow pipeline companies
to 'track‘ gas as it flows along the pipeline.
 metering stations - employ specialized meters to
measure the natural gas as it flows through the
pipeline, without impeding its movement.
Valves
  Include a great number of valves
 work like gateways; they are usually open and allow gas
to flow freely, or they can be used to stop gas flow along
a certain section of pipe.
 If a section of pipe requires replacement or
maintenance, valves on either end of that section of
pipe can be closed
 large valves can be placed every 5 to 20 miles along the
pipeline
Control Stations

 Sophisticated control systems are required to

monitor the gas as it travels through all sections
 very lengthy pipeline network.
 monitoring and controlling the gas that is
traveling through the pipeline, centralized gas
control stations collect, assimilate, and manage
data received from monitoring and compressor
stations all along the pipe.
Over-the-Road Transportation of
Compressed Biomethane

 Energy density of biogas is extremely low at

ambient pressure as it must be compressed to
relatively high pressures (e.g., 3,000 to 3,600 psi)
to transport economically in over-the-road vehicles
 Transportation in DOT-approved tanks
 Water vapor content less than 10 ppm
 Minimum methane content of 98%
 Appropriate hazardous materials markings
Over-the-Road Transportation of
Liquefied Biomethane

 Liquid gas is transported at relatively low

pressures (e.g., 20 to 150 psi),
 cryogenic liquid (i.e., its nominal temperature is
-260º F)
 Should be used soon (typically within one
week) to avoid significant fuel losses from
thermal evaporation.
Biogas cleaning

 Hydrogen sulphide is a toxic gas, with a

specific, unpleasant odour, similar to rotten
eggs
 Sulphuric acid + water vapours
 Damage to the CHP engines, gas pipelines,
exhaust pipes etc.
 Biological or chemical
Biological Treatment

 Injection of small amount of air (2-8 %) into the

raw biogas
 2H2S + O2 -> 2H2O + 2S
 Sulphur precipitate is collected and added to the
storage tanks it is mixed with digestate to improve
fertiliser properties of digestate
 Sulfobacter oxydans - convert hydrogen sulphide
into elementary sulphur, in the presence of oxygen
Chemical treatment

 Adding ferrous solution to the feedstock.

 Ferrous compounds bind sulphur in an
insoluble compound in the liquid phase,
preventing the production of gaseous hydrogen
sulphide
Drying
 Humidity of biogas inside the digester is 100%,
water must be removed from the produced biogas
 Water contained in biogas depends on temperature.
 Water vapours can be condensed by cooling of the
gas - gas pipelines, transporting biogas from
digester.
 Water condensates on walls of the sloping pipes -
collected in a condensation separator
Application of Biogas

 The technology of biodigester is widely used in

China, Vietnam, India, and Central and South
America as well as in developed country.
 Anaerobic digester can be used in remote farm
area to produce biogas from manure and
protect water resources.
Engine applications

 Biogas can be used in both heavy duty and light

duty vehicles.
 Biogas provides a clean fuel for both SI (petrol)
and CI (diesel) engines
 Diesel engines require combination of biogas and
diesel while petrol engines run fully on biogas.
 clean combustion and reduced contamination of
engine oil.