Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Pipeline-Quality Methane from Anaerobic Digestion Systems
EPA Contract Number: EPD11051Title: Pipeline-Quality Methane from Anaerobic Digestion Systems
Investigators: Jayaraman, Ambal
Small Business: TDA Research Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: March 1, 2011 through October 12, 2011
Project Amount: $80,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2011) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Waste , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Large farms and feedlot operations produce large quantities of manure in a small area. Anaerobic digester units capable of producing pipeline quality methane installed at each farm or dairy could be instrumental in eliminating the difficulties associated with the transport of manure offsite. If consumed properly, use of manure-derived fuels also can protect against environmental problems such as groundwater leaching and greenhouse gas emissions (methane emissions) associated with land filling of the farm wastes. The use of anaerobic digester gas reduces the amount of methane emitted into the atmosphere and provides a new and untapped resource of energy.
TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) is developing a vacuum swing adsorption (VSA)-based system for upgrading the biogas produced from farm wastes to pipeline specifications. TDA’s system uses a novel low-cost, high-capacity CO2 adsorbent to convert the biogas to pipeline quality methane. The vacuum swing adsorption process results in a low methane loss; more than 95 percent of the methane entering the separation unit is sent to the pipeline, and the unit has very low capital and operating costs.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
In Phase I, TDA successfully demonstrated the feasibility of its VSA system to produce pipeline quality methane from biogas in bench-scale experiments and showed the system's economic viability through process simulations and engineering analysis. In Phase II, TDA will build and test a sub-scale prototype unit and scale up production of the sorbent.
Supplemental Keywords:
Waste-to-Energy, Biogas, Pipeline Methane, Adsorption, CO2 removal, Methane EmissionsSBIR Phase II:
Pipeline-Quality Methane from Anaerobic Digestion Streams | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.