BIOFerm Energy Systems – Carbotech PSA Gas Upgrading

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BIOFerm Energy Systems – Carbotech PSA Gas Upgrading

A Viessmann Group Member

About the Company:

BIOFerm Energy Systems is a leading provider of turnkey anaerobic digestion and gas upgrading systems in North America – with over 450 digester installations and 900 PSA installations (including gas upgrading) through the Viessmann Group.

About the Solution:

BIOFerm offers complete, turnkey gas upgrading systems and gas-to-grid injection units as North America’s exclusive provider of Carbotech Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) plants through the Viessmann Group. Their gas upgrading plants utilize PSA technology to scrub raw biogas—from AD systems, landfills, municipalities, wastewater treatment plants, agricultural operations, etc—to create a high-value RNG product.

Over 900 of their Carbotech PSA systems have been installed to-date, including CNG and natural gas pipeline injection projects.

Unique in the biogas industry is their ability to provide modular, all-inclusive gas upgrading solutions that include all the necessary upgrading components, such as:

  • Compressor
  • Thermal oxidizer
  • Chiller
  • Booster blower
  • Industry-standard control system over all equipment
  • Complete system performance guarantee
Their pre-manufactured, pre-tested, and pre-assembled PSA systems upgrade biogas in an environmentally-conscious manner and typically result in a methane recovery rate of >99%. Onsite installation costs are often also minimized due to the skid-ready nature.

Key attributes of the Carbotech PSA technology include:

  • Capable of meeting stringent pipeline requirements
  • Removes oxygen from the gas
  • Capable of handling high-nitrogen gas
  • In-house volatile organic compound (VOC) removal technology
  • High methane yield and no increased methane losses over time
  • Low operating costs and system efficiency
  • Modular approach
  • Technology emphasis on high processing efficiency
Carbotech PSA gas upgrading is a dry process operating with no water, wastewater or chemical products and includes the following steps:
  1. Raw biogas is compressed
  2. Condensed water vapor is removed through a cooling system
  3. Trace components removed with activated carbon
  4. Conditioned biogas is channeled through the PSA adsorbers which are filled with carbon molecular sieves designed for adsorption
  5. CO2, H2O, H2S, NH3, siloxanes, odors and parts of O2 and N2 are removed by adsorption
  6. RNG is produced
  7. RNG is injected into the grid, or further upgraded to CNG
Compared to typical chemical and water scrubber systems and membrane technology, the PSA technology has: no process water/process water conditioning; no waste water/waste water treatment; no chemicals; and no off gas with toxic contaminants.

BIOFerm Energy Systems 440 Science Drive Suite 300 Madison, WI USA 608-467-5523 Visit Company Website

Solution Type

  • AD Support

Vendor

  • Equipment Vendor

Product

  • Energy

Problem

  • GHG
  • Odor
  • Pathogens

To view additional information about this vendor, click below.

Solution Strengths, Weaknesses and Critical Indicators

Anaerobic Digester Associated Technology:

NOTE: There are several technology types that are used as part of an integrated manure management system that includes an anaerobic digester and are not applicable to manure management in other cases. The impact of these technologies on the critical indicators are represented as those of an entire anaerobic digester system.

   

  • Long usable life and can be run reliably
  • Creates energy and generates environmental credits
  • Requires proper preparation of the feedstock
  • Requires other technologies for energy utilization
  • Requires other technologies for digestate handling
  • Proper feeding & system monitoring is required to avoid system downtime
  • Proven technology for odor control, GHG reduction and pathogen reduction

Newtrient Comments/Opinions:

Biogas upgrading technology:

  • Produces renewable natural gas (RNG) by removing carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, oxygen and water vapor from biogas
  • Includes technologies such as membrane separation, pressure swing adsorption and water scrubbing
  • Used to treat biogas from an anaerobic digester
  • Most systems are technically complex
  • Interconnection to the national gas infrastructure typically requires large systems and proximity to large volume gas lines
  Newtrient will continue to work with BIOFerm on continued updates to the technology and the dairy manure application as they develop more projects in the United States.

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