MemGas™ - membrane technology for biogas upgrading
Anaerobic digestion is a globally widespread technology for wastewater treatment, anaerobic stabilization of sewage sludge or processing of waste biomass. The main product is biogas, which can be used to produce heat and electricity or can be upgraded to a higher energy standard - biomethane. Compared to biogas, biomethane has a more flexible use as it is compatible with the natural gas distribution network or can be used as a fuel for cars (bioCNG). The membrane separation process (MemGas™) can be used for biogas upgrade into biomethane.
MemGas™ technology involves three main steps: biogas pre-treatment, biogas compression and methane separation using EVONIK membranes. The technology is based on the permeability and selectivity of the membrane in respect to different gases.
Pre-treatment of biogas consists of drying and subsequent adsorption on activated carbon. This step serves to remove pollutants such as H2O, NH3, H2S, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or siloxanes. The pre-treated biogas is then compressed to 12-16 bar and passed on to membrane separation. The membrane modules are installed in a patented three-stage setup to ensure the highest possible yield of the entire process. The performance of each MemGas™ unit is individually optimized based on customer requirements while maintaining an appropriate balance between investment and operating costs and local legislation.
Benefits:
- Safe and reliable pre-treatment of biogas for optimal membrane protection
- High methane yield (>99%) and low methane losses
- Suitable for flow rates from 30 Nm3/h to 10,000 Nm3/h of raw biogas
- Low energy consumption (0.3 – 0.4 kWh/Nm3 of raw biogas)
- No chemicals, no water consumption
- Quick start-up and easy maintenance
- Compact and preassembled process for easy installation
- Compressor with heat recovery to improve energy balance
- Fully automated and remote controlled
Resources
| MemGas Brochure.pdf |
Membraine separationAnimation |