Activated Carbons For Biogas Treatment Applications

Jacobi Helps Make Green Electricity

Biogas is produced by an anaerobic digestion or fermentation of biodegradable organic matter. This process can be done under controlled conditions in digesters or can happen spontaneously in landfill sites. Different types and mixtures of organic feedstock are used in digesters such as manure, energy crops, household waste, sewage sludge, industry waste. The produced biogas contains mainly methane, carbon dioxide and other trace components. This composition depends on the mixture of the organic feedstock used to produce the biogas or the composition of the stored organic waste in dumpsites. The table below shows the percentage composition of biogas:

Component	Content	Effect
CH4	50 to 75 Vol. %	Combustible biogas components
CO2	25 to 50 Vol. %	Reduces the fuel value; raises the methane content and thereby the anti-knock properties of motors; promotes corrosion (weak carbonic acid); if the gas is also damp it damages alkaline fuel cells
H2S	100-10,000 ppmv	Corrosive in aggregates and pipelines (stress corrosion); SO2 emissions after combustion or H2S emission if combustion is incomplete; catalytic converter poison
NH3	0 to 1 Vol. %	NOx emissions after combustion; harmful for fuel cells; increase the anti-knocking properties of motors
Water vapour	1 to 5 Vol. %	Contributes to corrosion in aggregates and pipelines; condensate damages instruments and aggregate; danger of icing of pipelines and vents at frost temperatures lowers the calorific value of the gas
Dust	>5 μm	Clogs vents and damages fuel cells
N2	0 to 5 Vol. %	Reduces the fuel value; raises the anti-knock properties of motors
Siloxane	0 to 50 mg m-³	Only forms in sewage and landfill gas from cosmetics, wash powder, printing inks etc.; acts as a quartz grinding medium and damages motors
Terpenes	100-1000 mg/m-³	They can corrode gaskets and plastic piping (PE) and they mask the odour component (THT) that is added to green gas for leakage detection

Table 1: Composition of biogas species and their effects

The use of activated carbon in Biogas production

Activated carbon is widely used as for the purification of biogas. Jacobi activated carbons have been successfully used for

The removal of Siloxanes from biogas
Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) abatement
Terpene removal for the production of green gas

Jacobi’s activated carbon products and mobile filter units EcoFlow™ have been used successfully used for the purification of Biogas.

JACOBI’S BIOGAS SOLUTIONS

ACTIVATED CARBON

Jacobi offers application specific activated carbons for biogas processing:

Extruded activated carbon (EAC)
Impregnated carbon
Catalytically enhanced carbon

MOBILE FILTERS

Jacobi has a full range of mobile filters for flow rates up to 4,000m³/h biogas per filter. Our wide range of rental filters offer the following advantages:

EcoFlow™ filters are rented via the local sales offices, avoiding international transport
They are then installed by local Jacobi service teams, based close by and able to reach you quickly
The teams will also speak your language, meaning there are no delays due to communication difficulties
Filters are compact and optimized for logistics
We offer engineering capabilities in case the filters need to be tailored towards your applications
Support tools are available to improve the operating conditions towards an optimal performance and lowest cost for the customer.

SPENT ACTIVATED CARBON COLLECTION

Jacobi has a European network of spent carbon collection centres. In these collection centres we can group the used product before transporting it cost-effectively to one of the reactivation centres.

Reactivation capabilities in France and Germany
Spent carbon management facilities throughout Europe

CONTACT THE TEAM

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