Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTSSubproject: Use of process tomography to optimize the methane formation process
The use of power-to-gas is an essential prerequisite for meeting the targets set for the energy transition. Ex situ processes for biological methanation are presented as particularly advantageous. However, the introduction of such processes, for example on biogas plants, requires a further development of the currently known technical solutions towards efficient and economic plants. According to expert estimates, widespread use of power-to-gas plants is expected from 2030 onwards.
The overall objective of the "BioStore" project is the development of a reaction kinetically adapted reactor design with optimized gas injection to achieve hydrogen conversions of 99 % and resulting methane contents in the product gas > 95 %, considering an economically viable energy input for methanation. By incorporating the process tomography successfully used at Fraunhofer IKTS for the evaluation of multiphase systems, the overall process of methanation is qualified in such a way that an economic process is obtained for retrofitting biogas plants.
Following approaches are pursued in the project:
- Use of an adapted gas injection system for the generation of finely dispersed gas bubbles,
- Use of a flow-optimized design of built-in components,
- Selection of a biochemically and procedurally adapted concentration of methane-forming microorganisms in the reactor and
- Selection of optimized process parameters such as gas velocity.
The planned coupling of the process tomographic evaluation and the quantification of the reactive kinetic process sequences in a methanation reactor to be carried out forms the basis for the fulfillment of the set project objectives.
Funding: SAB/EFRE
Project period: July 2018 till November 2021
Project partners: DBI - Gastechnologisches Institut gGmbH Freiberg, Affiliated institute of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg (DBI-GTI)
