Mobile Biogas Purification for Network Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small biogas producers face high installation and maintenance costs, as well as technical constraints and minimum production volume requirements, making it difficult for them to produce biomethane for injection into natural gas networks, while natural gas network managers need reliable and sufficient renewable gas supplies.
Innovation Solution
A process involving biogas production, storage, collection, purification, and injection into a natural gas network using a mobile collection device and shared purification equipment, which reduces costs for producers and ensures reliable biomethane supply to the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If small biogas producers install their own purification and injection systems, then they can produce biomethane for network injection, but the installation and maintenance costs become prohibitively high
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple small biogas producers combine their production volumes to share a common mobile purification unit and injection system. The purification unit serves multiple producers sequentially, allowing each to access biomethane injection capability without bearing the full cost of individual installation and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile purification unit is designed to serve multiple producers and can be deployed to different locations. This universal device performs purification functions for various producers' biogas, reducing the need for each producer to maintain dedicated infrastructure.
2Reliability
If small biogas producers upgrade their biogas individually, then they can produce biomethane, but the minimum production volume requirements are not met
Solution Approach 1:
The system aggregates biogas from multiple small producers into a single purification stream. By combining volumes from several producers, the system meets the minimum production volume requirements for efficient biomethane production and network injection.
Solution Approach 2:
The production process is segmented into separate stages: individual producers generate biogas independently, then volumes are aggregated at collection points, and finally combined volumes are purified together. This allows small producers to participate without meeting minimum volumes individually.
3Ease of manufacture
If a mobile collection device is used to aggregate biogas from multiple producers, then cost is reduced, but the complexity of collecting and transporting gas increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a mobile purification unit that can move between different producer locations rather than requiring fixed infrastructure at each site. This dynamic approach reduces overall infrastructure complexity while enabling aggregation from multiple producers.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile collection device acts as an intermediary between individual producers and the purification system. It aggregates biogas from multiple sources and transports it to purification locations, simplifying the interface between distributed producers and centralized processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process allows for the efficient treatment and injection of biomethane from multiple small biogas production sites into natural gas networks, providing a cost-effective and reliable source of renewable gas, addressing the challenges faced by both small producers and network managers.
Implementation Method 1
for each plant Ii, a means of storing the biogas produced
Implementation Method 2
a mobile device for collecting biogas from the producers
Implementation Method 3
The mobile device for collecting biogas from the producers preferably contains a means of compression for filling an integrated mobile gas storage means
Implementation Method 4
a device for purifying the collected biogas so as to produce biomethane
Implementation Method 5
a device for injecting the biomethane into the natural gas network to be supplied
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to the production of biomethane intended for supplying a natural gas network from n biogas production plants Ii, with i varying from 1 to n, in which each of the plants produces and stores the biogas which is collected at each of the plants via a mobile collection device and the collected biogas is purified so as to produce biomethane which is subsequently injected into a natural gas network. The invention also makes provision for storing the biogas, partially purified biogas, or biomethane in order to ensure the continuity of the supply of biomethane to the network during the collection round.