1. Project name:
An innovative process for simultaneous utilization of hydrogen and in-situ biogas upgrading
2. Source:
The Danish Council for Independent Research | Technology and Production Sciences | Individual postdoctoral grants
3. Participants:
4. Summary of the project
This project proposes an innovative process in which hydrogen produced by water electrolysis using excess electricity from wind mills, will be biologically converted by binding CO2 to CH4 in biogas reactors. Simultaneous H2 utilization and in-situ biogas upgrading will be achieved in such process, giving synergistic advantages for both wind mills and biogas plants. The effects of hydrogen on the biochemistry and microbiology of the process, and the technical solutions for improving hydrogen utilization in the biogas reactors will be studied in order to optimize the conversion of hydrogen to methane in biogas reactors. This idea of the current project has never been applied and it offers several advantages: (1) Contributes to cheaper upgrading cost of biogas due to low CO2 content in biogas; (2) Increased energy efficiency by full utilization of the wind mill capacity; (3) Possibility to control electricity production according to the energy demand variations.
5. Scheduled events
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WP1. Operation of biogas reactor with the addition of hydrogen
Outcome: Maximum biogas potential of H2; kinetics of hydrogen utilization; potential process inhibition; effect on metabolic conversion of the substrates; stability of the new process
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WP2. Technological solutions for increasing H2 utilization and CO2 removal
Outcome: method to maintain suitable pH, efficient hydrogen distribution system, maximum CO2 removal for alternating H2 concentrations, optimal operational parameters
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WP3. Microbial community analysis
Outcome: microbial community characterization upon H2 addition, metabolic pathway changes upon H2 addition, giving possibility of process optimization at microbial level
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WP4. Modeling of the process
Outcome: dynamic model, optimization of the process
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WP5. System analysis and technological, environmental and economical assessment
Outcome: evaluation of the proposed technology in terms of economical efficiency, technological superiority and environmental sustainability
Time Table
The project will be a 3 year study that will be initiated from 1st July of 2012.
6. Publications
Content under construction...
7. Conferences
Content under construction...
8. Patents
Content under construction...