A new Biogas Dehumidification System (BDS) from HRS Heat Exchangers removes water from biogas with technology developed to help fully optimise anaerobic digestion (AD) plants fuelled with food waste.
The majority of Australia's food-waste AD plants produce electricity, with or without using the heat generated, using combined heat and power (CHP) generation units.
The removal of water from biogas protects CHP engines from corrosion and cavitation and the BDS also comes with a standard heat recovery section, increasing an anaerobic digestion plant’s overall energy efficiency to reach maximum environmental and economic returns.
Inefficient CHP engines can mean loss of revenue from electricity sales so HRS says heat recovery systems are critical.
“The BDS reduces biogas temperatures from around 40ºC to approximately 5-7ºC, condensing more than 90 per cent of the water volume,” HRS international sales and marketing director Matt Hale says.
HRS says the Biogas Dehumidification System was developed to dehumidify biogas following a series of enquiries from companies with AD plants.
“With a CHP engine being one of the most expensive pieces of equipment on a food waste AD plant, protecting it makes good business sense. By removing water from biogas before it enters a CHP engine, the BDS helps to extend an engine’s lifespan,” Hale says.
Suitable for anaerobic digestion plants of all sizes, the HRS BDS comes skid-mounted for easy access and freecom of movement, and features an automatic control panel for full process control.
