[Digestion] Compressing Biogas into a Tank

[gp baron]

Komusta to all and thank you for responding to my inquiry.
   
  My digesters are small units (in the 5 & 8 m3 size range.) They are designed to produce cooking fuel from backyard farm animal manures. Biogas produced overnite is typically used to cook breakfast. Gas produced during the day is used for dinner. 
   
  I suspect, when biogas is produced, more is developed when pressure in the container is low and less is produced when gas has accumulated and pressure is higher. Is this true? Is biogas production affected by pressure? Would negative (or vacuum) pressure produce more gas? 
   
  When biogas is used for cooking -- the flames begin strong, weaken and make cooking difficult. By compressing biogas and regulating pressure to a burner, a strong and constant flame can be maintained for faster and more efficient cooking.
   
  I have no plans to liquefy biogas but I would like to compress it to say 50 psi and bubble it through a column of water (changed daily) before containing it into a pressure tank. Would this effort help remove CO2 and other impurities? Or are higher pressures of 10 bar (150 psi) necessary? Are there other methods like passing the gas through wood chips, charcoal and/or sand & stones available to make biogas a better cooking fuel?   
   
  Mabuhay & more power!
   
  Gerry

Paul Harris <paul.harris at adelaide.edu.au> wrote:
  G'day Gerry,

Biogas does react with mineral oil (we havd several destroyed
compressors to attest to this!) but synthetic oil is apparently OK.

Methane will not liquify at room temperatures and getting high pressures
is very energy intensive.

Hope this is some help,
HOOROO

gp baron wrote:
> 
> Can biogas be compressed, using a regular air compressor, into a tank? As biogas is 60% methane (CH4), would it have adverse reactions with oil in an air compressor the way acetylene (C2H2) would?
> 
> I have seen biogas stored in bladders, huge rubberized bags and telescoping / floating metal tanks. I also remember some discussion in this forum that biogas can be compressed and even be liquefied. These options, however, are too bulky, non-transportable, complex and expensive.
> 
> If biogas can be compressed using regular air compressors into a stainless steel compressed air tank (if necessary) to minimize / avoid corrosion -- it would be easier to use say for cooking, lighting, heating, etc. The tank can be re-filled when needed and brought to where the gas will be used. We can have a simple and practical way to make better use of this fuel.
> 
> Kindly share any information and/or experience you have. Thank you in advance.
> 
> Gerry
> - -
> Gerardo P. Baron
> Philippine (Home Biogas System)
> Email: gpbaron4091 at yahoo.com
> Phone: +63 927 407 1142
> _______________________________________________
> Digestion mailing list
> Digestion at listserv.repp.org
> http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_listserv.repp.org
> Beginner's Guide to Biogas
> http://www.adelaide.edu.au/biogas/
> http://info.bioenergylists.org

-- 
Mr. Paul Harris
Room G8, Leske Building
Faculty of Sciences,
The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, AUSTRALIA 5371
Ph : +61 8 8303 7880
Fax : +61 8 8303 7979
mailto:paul.harris at adelaide.edu.au
I now use "MailGuard" - if you do not get a reply please make contact
again (by fax?)
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/directory/paul.harris
Member IOBB http://www.iobbnet.org/drupal/

CRICOS Provider Number 00123M
----------------------------------------------------------- 
This email message is intended only for the addressee(s) 
and contains information that may be confidential and/or 
copyright. If you are not the intended recipient please 
notify the sender by reply email and immediately delete 
this email. Use, disclosure or reproduction of this email 
by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly 
prohibited. No representation is made that this email or 
any attachments are free of viruses. Virus scanning is 
recommended and is the responsibility of the recipient.