Why bio gas and what methods are available?
Biogas is a natural gas also known as bio fuel or bio mass and is produced by breaking down organic materials removing all oxygen from the matter.
The fermentation or digestion (anaerobic) of a.o. biomass, sewage, manure, municipal waste or waste from waste water produces merely bio fuel that consists of carbon dioxide and methane.
Biogas from wood is retrieved when you gas out wood or other biomass. It consists merely of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, nitrogen and traces of methane.
Methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen can also be oxidised with oxygen. The energy coming out of the oxygen allows biogas to be used as a fuel.
The process of producing biogas
Ethanol can be produced from biomass by the hydrolysis and sugar fermentation processes of amongst others sugar beet. Cellulose and hemi cellulose portions are broken down (hydrolysed) by enzymes or diluted acids into sucrose sugar that is then fermented into ethanol.
A by product of the production process is a crop mesh that is processed to biogas in fermentation tanks.
To achieve an intensive mixing of the matter and a good recovery it is necessary to re-circulate supernatant liquor and a part biogas by using a pumping system. In addition, part of the supernatant liquor gets pumped into a 15 m high tank that is situated further away.
The suspension of residues from the bio ethanol production process and anaerobic bacteria needs to circulate very smoothly for 19 hours a day.
In practice, it is difficult to find a pumping system for this application. Why?
- The pumps needs to handle fluid media as well as gas parts
- The shear strain needs to be minimal
- The capacity of the pump needs to be flexible
- The device needs to have a long service life
- The pump needs to be reversible as the suction happens both from the top of the fermentation tank and also from the bottom
The solution: an industrial hose pump
Verder has chosen an industrial hose pump. Peristaltic pumps are perfectly able to handle gas-fluid-suspensions, and are resistant to any aggressive or gas influence
The flow of the peristaltic pump had to be approx 5 m3/h against a pressure of 2-3 bar. Suction head to the tank was ca. 3-4 meter.
The solids part to be pumped are approx. 5% and consists of soft solids, husks and fibres. Operational temperature of the Verderflex industrial hose pump was 45 °C. The fluid was of a watery composition.
The Verderflex peristaltic pump guarantees a soft and gentle transportation and is also able to handle the gas in the medium. It is easy to have a linear control via a speed regulation. The Verderflex pump is a reversible pump that can change the running direction without any problems. The customer now has 2 pumps in a large-scale test plant.
Advantages of the Verderflex Industrial hose pumps:
- Gentle transportation of the medium
- Reversible, easy to control
- Good suction
- Good service life
Do you have a similar pumping problem? Please contact us by sending an e-mail or contact your local specialist.
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