SUSTAINABLE

ENERGY.

USE OF BIOMETHANE AS A
SUSTAINABLE FUEL
DONE BY:

VEDANT KARNATAK (17BEM0049)

SOUNAK SARKAR (17BEM0076)
GANDHAR PANSARE (17BEM0057)
SHUBHAM SHAH (17BEM0045)
 Introduction
• Achieving solutions to possible shortage in fossil fuels and environmental
problems that the world is facing today requires long-term potential
actions for sustainable development. In this regard, renewable energy
resources appear to be one of the most efficient and effective solutions.
• Biogas has globally remained a renewable energy source derived from
plants that use solar energy during the process of photosynthesis.
• Being a source of renewable natural gas, it has been adopted as one of
the best alternatives for fossil fuels after 1970’s world energy crisis.
• Biogas production is a three stage biochemical process comprising
hydrolysis, acidogenesis/acetogenesis and methanogenesis.
What is biomethane gas?
Biogas is a colorless, flammable gas produced via anaerobic digestion of animal, plant,
human, industrial and municipal wastes amongst others, to give mainly methane (50-
70%), carbon dioxide (20-40%) and traces of other gases such as nitrogen, hydrogen,
ammonia, hydrogen sulphide , water vapor etc.
Biomethane’s benefits include:
• Net zero emissions
• Interchangeability with existing natural gas usage
• Ability to capture methane emissions from other processes such as landfill and
manure Potential economic opportunity for regional areas
• Generation of skilled jobs in planning, engineering, operating and maintenance of
biogas and biomethane plants.
Biomethane is a naturally occurring gas which is produced by the anaerobic
digestion of organic matter such as dead animal and plant material, manure,
sewage, organic waste, etc. Chemically, it is identical to natural gas which is
stored deep in the ground and is also produced from dead animal and plant
material.

Biomethane production eliminates the release of a great deal of methane and

other harmful gases into the atmosphere. In addition, biomethane reduces the
need for fossil fuels by which it further reduces the emissions of greenhouse
gases into the air. By reducing the need for firewood, helps preserve the forests
which in turn helps lower concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Since biomethane is chemically identical to natural gas, it can be used for the
same applications as natural gas. It can be used for electricity generation, water
heating, space heating, cooking as well as to fuel vehicles.
CASE STUDY : Australia
Australia’s report card on reducing its greenhouse gas emissions is not exactly glowing, but there
are ample opportunities to get it on track during this period of rapid change in the energy sector.
Gas provides nearly one quarter of Australia’s total energy supply. Around 130,000 commercial
businesses rely on gas, and it delivers 44% of Australia’s household energy to more than 6.5 million
homes which use natural gas for hot water, domestic heating, or cooking.

Gas has lower greenhouse emissions than most other fuels, and the gas used in power generation
has about half the emissions of the current electricity grid. Even so, natural gas can do more to
help Australia meet its carbon-reduction targets.

An industry document released last year, Gas Vision 2050, explains how new technologies such as
biomethane and hydrogen can make that happen, by replacing conventional natural gas with low-
emission alternative fuels.

THE SOLUTION BIO-METHANE.

AUSTRALIA’S POTENTIAL FOR BIOMETHANE
While Australia currently does not have any upgrading plants, the production of biomethane can
provide a huge boost to Australia’s nascent biogas industry. The main use for biogas in Australia is
for electricity production, heat, and combined heat and power.Australia’s biogas sector has more
than 240 anaerobic digestion (AD) plants, most of which are associated with landfill gas power units
and municipal wastewater treatment.

There are untapped opportunities to produce biomethane using municipal sewage sludge, red meat
processing waste, residues from breweries and distilleries, food waste, and poultry and cattle
manure.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency is currently supporting the Australian Biomass for
Bioenergy (ABBA) project. The Australian Renewable Energy Mapping Infrastructure (AREMI)
platform will map existing and projected biomass resource data from the ABBA project, alongside
other parameters such as existing network and transport infrastructure, land-use capability, and
demographic data.
AUSTRALIA’S BIOGAS SECTOR
 The Chemistry Behind Biogas.

Biogas technology amongst other processes (including thermal, pyrolysis, combustion and
gasification) has in recent times also been viewed as a very good source of sustainable
waste treatment / management, as disposal of wastes has become a major problem
especially to the third world countries.

The effluent of this process is a residue rich in essential inorganic elements like nitrogen
and phosphorus needed for healthy plant growth known as biofertilizer which when
applied to the soil enriches it with no detrimental effects on the environment.
 Bio-Wastes

– The content of biogas varies with the material being decomposed and the environmental
conditions involved.
– Potentially, all organic waste materials contain adequate quantities of the nutrients
essential for the growth and metabolism of the anaerobic bacteria in biogas production.
However, the chemical composition and biological availability of the nutrients contained
in these materials vary with species, factors affecting growth and age of the animal or
plant.
– Various wastes have been utilized for biogas production and they include amongst
others; animal wastes, industrial wastes , food processing wastes, plant residues etc.
– Many other wastes are still being researched on as potential feedstock for biogas
production.
Paper As A Bio-Waste.
Waste papers are readily available from schools, offices, printing presses, factories etc.,
and in some developing countries are littered on the street as waste. These already
constitute a nuisance with the poor waste management system prevalent especially in the
third world countries. Therefore, using it as feedstock for biogas production will be a
cheaper source of energy generation as well as a good waste management option.

According to a study it revealed that paper waste is a very good biogas producer, with
effective retention period of 77 days, its gas flammability ceased for a period of two
weeks before resumption. It was concluded that the paper waste would require some
form of treatment like co-digesting it with animal wastes to impart sustained gas
flammability.

Cellulosic wastes are generally known to be poor biogas producers because of their poor
biodegradability.

One treatment method for improving the biogas production of various feedstocks is co-
digesting them with animal and/or plant wastes.
BIODIGESTER
DESIGN FOR A PW:CD
& PW:A BIOIGESTER.

A VIT Case Study

STEP I : PREPARATION OF WASTE

• The paper waste (PW) was soaked in a plastic water bath overnight to
allow for partial decomposition by aerobic microbes [19], and the pH
was noted.

• For the PW-A, 8kg of the paper waste was mixed with 27kg of water,
while for the PW: CD, 4kg each of paper waste and cow dung were
blended and mixed with 27kg of water, bringing all of them to water
to waste ratio of approx. 3:1.

• The moisture content of the wastes determined the water to waste

ratio.
STEP 2 : CHARGING OF DIGESTERS

• The two variants were charged into the 50L metal prototype
digesters as originally weighed out.

• The wastes were charged up to ¾ of the digester leaving ¼ head

space for collection of gas.

• The digester contents were stirred adequately and on a daily basis

to ensure homogenous dispersion of the constituents of the
mixture.

• Gas production measured in dm 3/kg of slurry (35kg) was obtained

by downward displacement of water by the gas.
STEP 3 : SAMPLE CALCULATIONS
STEP 4 : RESULTS

The experiment was carried

out under ambient
temperature range of 26 to
36 C and influent
temperature range of 32 to
42 C within a retention
period of 45 days.

The two digester systems

commenced biogas
production within 24hr of
charging the digesters.
 STEP 5 : INFERENCES
• The onset of flammability also took place at different lag periods (which is from the
time of charging the digester to the onset of gas flammability).
• The paper waste alone system (PW) became flammable within 24hr of charging the
digester, even though gas production reduced drastically and flammability also
discontinued only to resume after 14 days.
• The cumulative biogas yield of the paper waste was lower than that of the blended
system.
• Waste containing cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lignin and plant wax are very
difficult to biodegrade and their hydrolysis can be the rate determining step in the
anaerobic digestion process.
• The initial combustion of the gas may have been as a result of the initial microbes in
the charged digester.
• When hydrolysis and acidogenesis commenced, there may have been a higher release
of free fatty acids making the environment hostile to the microbes that convert
wastes to biogas which are known to be very sensitive to pH and survive optimally at
pH range of 6.5 to 8.0.
• This may have brought about the sudden drop in biogas production. However when
the flammable biogas production resumed, it was observed that the gas production
was quite high and continued long after the blend had nearly stopped production.
• Adequate physicochemical properties are known to affect biogas production. The
volatile solids (VS) should be high enough to effect reasonable biogas production. The
C/N ratio has been given to be optimum in the range of 20-30:1.
• This is because the microbes that convert waste to biogas take up carbon 30 times
faster than nitrogen. The C/N ratio of the paper waste was much higher than the
optimum range required for effective biogas production and may have also affected
the yield.
• The paper waste and cow dung (PW: CD) became flammable on the 6th day and the
flammability was sustained throughout the retention period. Blending the paper
waste with cow dung brought about the sustained onset of gas flammability with
higher cumulative biogas yield during the chosen retention period.
• This is also because blending the waste with cow dung favorably enhanced the
physicochemical properties of the wastes as well as the microbial load of the blend
especially at point of charging and peak of production .
Biogas as alternate fuel
for I.C. Engines

A Review
Technical Parameters of Biogas for engine performance.

Technical parameters of biogas are very important because of their effect on the
combustion process in an engine. Those properties are:-

• Ignitability of CH₄ in mixture with air: CH₄: 5...15 Vol. %, Air: 95...85 Vol. %
• Mixtures with less than 5 Vol. % and mixtures with more than 15 Vol. % of CH₄
are not properly ignitable with spark ignition.
• Combustion velocity in a mixture with air at p = 1 bar: cc = 0.20 m/s at 7% CH₄,
cc = 0.38 m/s at 10% CH₄
• The combustion velocity is a function of the volume percentage of the burnable
component, here CH₄. The highest value of cc is near stoichiometric air/fuel
ratio, mostly at an excess air ratio of 0. 8 to 0.9. It increases drastically at higher
temperatures and pressures.
• Temperature at which CH₄ ignites in a mixture with air Ti = 918K ... 1023 K -
Compression ratio of an engine, ‗e‘ at which temperatures reach values high
enough for self-ignition in mixture with air(CO₂ content increases possible
compression ratio) e = 15...20

• Methane number, which is a standard value to specify fuel's tendency to knocking

(uneven combustion and pressure development between TDC and BDC).
Methane and biogas are very stable against knocking and therefore can be used
in engines of higher compression ratios than petrol engines.

• Stoichiometric air/fuel ratio on a mass basis at which the combustion of CH₄ with
air is complete but without unutilized excess air
Problems to use Biogas in I.C. Engines

• High CO₂ content reduces the power output, making it uneconomical as a

transport fuel. It is possible to remove the CO₂ by washing the gas with water.
The solution produced from washing out the CO₂ is acidic and needs careful
disposal.

• H₂S is acidic and if not removed can cause corrosion of engine parts within a
matter of hours. It is easy to remove H₂S, by passing the gas through iron
oxide (Fe₂0₃ -rusty nails are a good source) or zinc oxide (ZnO). These materials
can be re-generated on exposure to the air, although the smell of H₂S is
unpleasant.

• There is high residual moisture which can cause starting problems.

• The gas can vary in quality and pressure

 Purification of Biogas for I.C. Engines
Removal of CO₂

CO₂ is high corrosive when wet and it has no combustion value so its removal is must
to improve the biogas quality. The processes to remove CO₂ are as follows

a) Caustic solution, NAOH- 40% NAOH + CO₂ = NAHCO₃

b) Refined process, K₂CO₃ - 30 % K₂CO₃ + CO₂ = 2KCO₃

CO₂ removal from biogas can be done by using chemical solvents like mono-
ethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine and tri- ethanolamine or aqueous solution of
alkaline salts, i.e. sodium, calcium hydroxide and potassium. Biogas bubbled through
10% aqueous solution of MEA can reduce the CO₂ content from 40 to 0.5- 1.0% by
volume. Chemical agents like NaOH, Ca(OH)₂, and KOH can be used for CO₂
scrubbing from biogas. In alkaline solution the CO₂ absorption is assisted by agitation.
NaOH solution having a rapid CO₂ absorption of 2.5-3.0% and the rate of absorption
is affected by the concentration of solution.
Removal of H₂S

• In physical separation pressurized water is used as absorbent, as both CO₂ and

H₂S are water soluble agents. The water scrubbing method is used for biogas up
gradation. The rate of CO₂ and H₂S absorption depends upon the factors such
as, gas flow pressure, composition of biogas, water flow rates, and purity of
water and dimension of scrubbing tower.
• A purity of 100% CH₄ can be obtained by a pressurized water scrubbing tower
with counter current. A reduction of CO₂ from 30% to 2% in biogas is achieved,
when the gas flow rate was 1.8m³/h at 0.48 bar pressure and water flow rate
was of 0.465m³/h in a continuous counter current type scrubber.
• Compressed biogas at 5.88 bar pressure while passed through a 6 m high
scrubbing tower at a flow rate of 2m³/h gives 87.6% removal of CO₂.
• Solid membrane of acetate-cellulose polymer has permeability for CO₂ and H₂S
is 20 to 60 times greater than CH₄, when the biogas flow pressure is maintained
at 25-40 bar.
• Generally the membrane permeability is <1mm.
Biogas in I.C. Engine applications
• Biogas can be used in both heavy duty and light duty vehicles. Light duty vehicles
can normally run on biogas without any modifications whereas, heavy duty vehicles
without closed loop control may have to be adjusted, if they run on biogas.
• 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. Use of biogas as an engine fuel offers several advantages. Being a clean fuel
biogas causes clean combustion and recesses contamination of engine oil. Biogas
cannot be directly used in automobiles as it contains some other gases like CO₂, H₂S
and water vapor. For use of biogas as a vehicle fuel, it is first upgraded by removing
impurities like CO₂, H₂S and water vapor.
• After removal of impurities it is compressed in a three or four stage compressor up
to a pressure of 20 MPa and stored in a gas cascade, which helps to facilitate quick
refueling of cylinders. If the biogas is not compressed than the volume of gas
contained in the cylinder will be less and the engine will run for a shorter duration.
DUAL FUEL ENGINE

• Biogas generally has a high self-ignition temperature hence; it cannot be directly

used in a CI engine. So it is useful in dual fuel engines. The dual fuel engine is a
modified diesel engine in which usually a gaseous fuel called the primary fuel is
inducted with air into the engine cylinder.

• This fuel and air mixture does not auto ignite due to high octane number. A small
amount of diesel, usually called pilot fuel is injected for promoting combustion. The
primary fuel in dual fueling system is homogeneously mixed with air that leads to
very low level of smoke.

• Dual fuel engine can use a wide variety of primary and pilot fuels. The pilot fuels are
generally of high cetane fuel. Biogas can also be used in dual fuel mode with
vegetable oils as pilot fuels in diesel engines.
• Introduction of biogas normally leads to deterioration in performance and
emission characteristics. The performance of engine depends on the amount of
biogas and the pilot fuel used. Measures like addition of hydrogen, LPG, removal
of CO₂ etc. have shown significant improvements in the performance of biogas
dual fuel engines.

• The ignition delay of the pilot fuel generally increases with the introduction of
biogas and this will lead to advance the injection timing. Injectors opening
pressure and rate of injection also are found to play important role in the case of
biogas fueled engine, where vegetables oil is used as a pilot fuel.

• The CO₂ percentage in biogas acts as diluents to slow down the combustion
process in Homogenous charged compression ignition (HCCI) engines. However,
it also affects ignition. Thus a fuel with low self-ignition temperature could be
used along with biogas to help its ignition. This kind of engine has shown a
superior performance as compared to a dual fuel mode of operation
Biogas in Dual Fuel Engine applications

• In this case, the normal diesel fuel injection system still supplies a certain amount of
diesel fuel. The engine however sucks and compresses a mixture of air and biogas
fuel which has been prepared in external mixing device. The mixture is then ignited
by and together with the diesel fuel sprayed in. The amount of diesel fuel needed for
sufficient ignition is between 10% and 20% of the amount needed for operation on
diesel fuel alone.

• Operation of the engine at partial load requires reduction of the biogas supply by
means of a gas control valve. A simultaneous reduction of airflow would reduce
power and efficiency because of reduction of compression pressure and main
effective pressure. So, the air/fuel ratio is changed by different amounts of injected
biogas.

• All other parameters and elements of diesel engine remain unchanged.

Advantages
• Operation on diesel fuel alone is possible when biogas is not available.
• Any contribution of biogas from 0% to 85% can substitute a corresponding part of
diesel fuel while performance remains as in 100% diesel fuel operation.
• Because of existence of a governor at most diesel engines automatic control of
speed/power can be done by changing the amount of diesel fuel injection while the
biogas flow remains uncontrolled. Diesel fuel substitutions by biogas are less
substantial in this case.

Limitations
• The dual fuel engine cannot operate without the supply of diesel fuel for ignition.
• The fuel injection jets may overheat when the diesel fuel flow is reduced to 10% or
15% of its‘ normal flow. Larger dual fuel engines circulate extra diesel fuel through the
injector for cooling.
• To what extent the fuel injection nozzle can be affected is however a question of its‘
specific design, material and the thermal load of the engine, and hence differs from
case to case.
• A check of the injector nozzle after 500 hours of operation is recommended
Biogas in HCCI Engine applications.

• The Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) concept is a potential for

achieving a high thermal efficiency and low Nitrogen Oxide (NO) emission. The
HCCI engine with 50 % biogas as a primary fuel and 50% diesel as pilot fuel gives a
maximum NO of 20 ppm is a major advantage over biogas diesel dual fuel mode.

• In biogas diesel dual fuel mode, the presence of CO₂ in biogas lowers the thermal
efficiency however, in biogas diesel HCCI (BDHCCI) mode CO₂ reduces high heat
release rate. The break mean effective pressure (BMEP) in BDHCCI mode is in the
range of 2.5 bar to 4 bar. The smoke and Hydro Carbon (HC) level were also low
when the biogas is used as a primary fuel for BDHCCI mode.

• For HCCI operation the inducted charge temperature is required to be maintained

at 80-135°C, which can be obtained from the exhaust heat. Thus, biogas with
HCCI engine gives high efficiency and low emission.
Conclusion

• The study concludes the biogas production from organic wastes, its
‘composition and properties for use in I.C. Engines. Different techniques for
CO₂, H₂S scrubbing are discussed, among which water scrubbing is a simple
continuous and cost-effective method for purification.

• Attention is also focused for making biogas as alternate fuel in Diesel Engines
and dual fueling is recommended to be the best one for biogas CI operation.
Drop of CO₂ in biogas for dual fueling increases the thermal efficiency.

• In biogas HCCI mode, the presence of CO₂ controls the high heat release rate;
hence the durability of engine components will not be affected.

Therefore, it is recommended to use biogas as alternate fuel in diesel engines.