Bioplastics on the Move! – How Can Plant Engineering React to the Biomass Boom?

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Other potentially critical intermediates and end products such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide are also produced. Design errors and material defects can cause accidents when structural parts fail to withstand biomass or gas pressure. Cogeneration plants, and the gas motors in particular, are one of the potential trouble spots. The introduction of solids by the pumps is another source of problems.

Biogas: the Dream of Foam Management

Biogas plants often operate at the margin of commercial viability. Technical problems and process interruptions resulting in extended downtime or high repair costs can have serious economic consequences at biogas plants. The uncontrolled buildup of foam is one of the most frequent causes of operational problems at biogas plants. Foam can lead to stoppages and cause defects in biogas reactors. The list of foam-related problems includes crust formation on reactor walls, gate failure, contamination and blockage of gas lines, condensate lines and recirculation pumps, excessive foam buildup and complete production stoppages. Gas yields decline and so does the profit margin.

Development of an early warning system to predict and avoid impending foam events is being explored at the Helmholtz environmental research center. Substrate samples from several biogas plants are being examined to reach a better understanding of the foam which forms at biogas plants. Samples from plants that maintain a stable operating state and do not produce foam are being analyzed to provide a reference. All of the data is entered into a database. This information will be used later on to determine causalities and make predictions based on the patterns that are detected.

Natural Gas Grade Biogas – The Revolution?

A totally new process is being developed at the University of Hohenheim for the production of natural gas grade biogas. What sets this method apart is the fact that the methane bacteria which are responsible for biogas production are themselves being used to maintain the pressure and purity levels which are needed for natural gas grade biogas. The university researchers are developing a special instrumentation and control system for that purpose.

Downstream compression and purification of the gas is no longer necessary, and that reduces energy costs by up to 40 %. The next step will be to build a prototype of the new system in Hohenheim.... more on page 6!

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