[Digestion] Digestion Digest, Vol 11, Issue 16

Sat May 19 14:41:10 CDT 2007

Greetings New Zealand and Michigan,

The microbial group collectively known as the "sulfur" bacteria oxidize
H2S to sulfuric acid (nasty, but non-odorous and non volatile). Fittingly,
these organisms "like" low pH - even in the 2-4 range. If they didn't
they'd hardly be in the H2S oxidizing business.

Years ago I saw an application of this phenomenon in treating H2S rich gas
from an anaerobic digester. Basically, the gas wafted up through a neat
pile of wooden slats wetted by recirculated spray. Think the old sewage
treatment standby - the "trickling filter" (or in English parlance
"bacteria bed") - if that is familiar to you. The H2S was effectively
removed. The methane does not get removed - not that there are no methane
oxidizing bacteria - there certainly are. But methane oxidizers like
near-neutral pH, hence do not develop in the system.

It would take a short time to get good growths going on the wooden slats -
but you can depend on the H2S oxidizers setting up residence.

Iron sponge?? Yeh, but not tin cans. And anyway always better to use
microbiology.

Regard from the cool green hills of West Virginia.

Mel

Melvin S. Finstein, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Environmental Science
 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Head, ArrowBio USA

105 Carmel Road
Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 242-0341
Email: finstein at envsci.rutgers.edu
Skype: melvinfinstein

Melvin S. Finstein, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Environmental Science
 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Head, ArrowBio USA

105 Carmel Road
Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 242-0341
Email: finstein at envsci.rutgers.edu
Skype: melvinfinstein

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>    1. Re: Digestion Digest, Vol 11, Issue 15 (Mike Walter)
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 19 May 2007 02:49:56 +0000
> From: Mike Walter <sailingmike50 at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Digestion] Digestion Digest, Vol 11, Issue 15
> To: <digestion at listserv.repp.org>
> Message-ID: <BAY133-W156EEABDFFE08CD6D03C7CB7310 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
>
> Thanks to Steve Rodda,
> Greetings to you and New Zealand!  When farmers transfer swine manure
> around here one can smeel the H2S in a solid 2 mile radius.  When I
> consider the cubic feet...it boggles my mind.  I believe we are the only
> area in the US that has three super-fund sites of pollution.  Michigan
> would be at the north end of what it called the rust belt in the US.
> Heavy Industry from WW ll into the present day has polluted the great
> lakes area. General Motors, Dow Chemical and smelting iron ore over the
> decades has really left a mark.  Consequently, any refinery (of any sort
> even a digester) would have to remove any trace of H2S because of the
> public outcry.  Generally speaking, people won't be employed by it.  In
> the past, for a job that pays like the auto companies people gave up their
> lungs, backs and hearing to the factories.
> You're correct about the insulation.  I put two inches of foam under the
> poured floor.  Along the edges, I places another two inches of foam
> vertically, 18 inches deep to redirect the heat that intended escaping
> under the edges of the slab.
> Excellent criticism on your part!
> I know just the junkyard with shreaded iron shrouds to send the biogas
> through.  When I build my model, of a scrubber I'll send pictures and
> results.
> Thanks'
> Mike Walter
>
>
>
>> From: digestion-request at listserv.repp.org> Subject: Digestion Digest,
>> Vol 11, Issue 15> To: digestion at listserv.repp.org> Date: Fri, 18 May
>> 2007 12:00:06 -0400> > Send Digestion mailing list submissions to>
>> digestion at listserv.repp.org> > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World
>> Wide Web, visit>
>> http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/digestion_listserv.repp.org>
>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to>
>> digestion-request at listserv.repp.org> > You can reach the person managing
>> the list at> digestion-owner at listserv.repp.org> > When replying, please
>> edit your Subject line so it is more specific> than "Re: Contents of
>> Digestion digest..."> > > Today's Topics:> > 1. Re: delivering biogas in
>> cylinders (adkarve)> 2. Home scale digesters (Steve Rodda)> > >
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------->
>> > Message: 1> Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 08:35:45 +0530> From: adkarve
>> <adkarve at pn2.vsnl.net.in>> Subject: Re: [Digestion] delivering biogas in
>> cylinders> To: digestion at listserv.repp.org> Message-ID:
>> <009001c798fd$094ae6c0$4d69fea9 at adkarve>> Content-Type: text/plain;
>> charset=iso-8859-1> > Dear Mr. Bingham,> Being a habit forming drug,
>> alcohol suffers from government restrictions on> production, storage,
>> transport, sale and use. With alcohol, you are> mercilessly delivered to
>> the whims of government officials, who demand> bribes at ever step. That
>> is why I do not even think of alcohol.> Yours> A.D.Karve> > -----
>> Original Message -----> From: Bingham <bingham at zekes.com>> To: adkarve
>> <adkarve at pn2.vsnl.net.in>> Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 10:28 PM>
>> Subject: Re: [Digestion] delivering biogas in cylinders> > > > What does
>> ethanol sell for in your area? You can convert sorghum grain> into> >
>> ethanol much faster and with smaller equipment. The DDG byproduct can
>> be> > sold as fish feed or livestock feed or ran through a digester.
>> The> highest> > and best use my be to convert the ethanol into cash and
>> find a waste> product> > for the digester? If your customers need
>> bottled gas for domes
> tic use,> your> > basic business plan seems sound but Paul is right, the
> energy necessary to> > compress a mixture of biogas and CO2 may be much
> higher than you can> > imagine. It is my understanding a standard LPG (
> propane )cylinder may not> > work.> > BB> >> > > > > >
> ------------------------------> > Message: 2> Date: Fri, 18 May 2007
> 13:39:32 +1200> From: Steve Rodda <sancreed at hyper.net.nz>> Subject:
> [Digestion] Home scale digesters> To: digestion at listserv.repp.org>
> Message-ID: <464D03D4.6090902 at hyper.net.nz>> Content-Type: text/plain;
> charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed> > Principally to Mike Walter> Hello. I
> am wondering if you are about to make the mistake I did.> > >We live in
> the northern latitudes and our winters easily get to -20 degrees F. In
> trying to achieve the 95 degree F mark I am considering building the walls
> a piling dirt up to 6-8 feet up the sides. in order to take advantage of
> the consistent tempts below ground. > >> Below ground temperatures are
> constant - from what I have read, 5 > degrees C. The point is you need
> insulation also - otherwise there will > be major heat loss.> I didn't
> insulate beneath my digester and I can vouch that with cold > rains - the
> digester slows down.> Be careful with what you read - I followed the
> suggestion that the > ground would help prevent heat loss - didn't think
> and simply carried > on. Also didn't drain around it, as you can see!> >
> >Concerning scrubbers, one report I read says that drawing the biogas
> through composted cow manure can remove 85% of the H2S. > >> From what I
> understand , H2S is a small component - could say a trace. > Would you be
> contemplating a device that doesn't warrant the effort?> > >Another solid
> medium is a product called Iron Sponge but I've heard it "Rat Holes". This
> makes it inefficient. There are other products on the market. Many of
> these companies want to sell the equipment along with the medium. There
> are liquid scrubbers using ethanol. But I want to create a system I don't
> have to baby sit all the time. A passive system sou
> nds more cost effective and easier to operate. > >> I use rusty cans
> crushed up-- rat holes? Maybe. However I have to > change the cans
> periodically (in my case a few months), but no baby > sitting. Certainly
> Passive!> > kia ora> (a greeting from New Zealand)> Steve Rodda> > > > > >
> > > > ------------------------------> >
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