M.B. Kulkarni; P.M. Ghanegaonkar
Abstract
The toxicity and corrosion potential of hydrogen sulfide in raw biogas underlines the need for biogas purification. Several techniques available for removal of hydrogen sulfide from biogas are out of the reach for common end users due to lack of knowledge, higher running costs, and insufficient ...
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The toxicity and corrosion potential of hydrogen sulfide in raw biogas underlines the need for biogas purification. Several techniques available for removal of hydrogen sulfide from biogas are out of the reach for common end users due to lack of knowledge, higher running costs, and insufficient operational skills. The present experimental study aims to propagate hydrogen sulfide removal techniques amongst the end users by using a low-cost chemical absorption technique and packed column reactors. Commercial grade chemicals like monoethanolamine, sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, granular activated carbon, and steel wool were used for biogas purification in packed column reactors of 1.2 liters capacity. Hydrogen sulfide removal efficiency up to 92.41% was achievable using single purification columns. The efficiency achieved by using multiple purification column was up to 96.84%. Hydrogen sulfide removal efficiency was calculated for experimental variants like the use of a dedicated purification column, multiple purification columns, flow variations and pressure variations of raw biogas. The data for the frequency of regeneration/replacement of different chemicals was also determined. The simplicity of operation and the use of low-cost reagents in the present study can enable the use of these methods amongst end users of biogas technology for minimizing health hazards and corrosion problems.
M.B. Kulkarni; P.M. Ghanegaonkar
Abstract
There is a great need to implement low-cost and user-friendly methods for further propagation of biogas technology in India. Environment unfriendly disposal of floral waste causes serious environmental pollution. Literature shows a limited research work regarding the anaerobic ...
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There is a great need to implement low-cost and user-friendly methods for further propagation of biogas technology in India. Environment unfriendly disposal of floral waste causes serious environmental pollution. Literature shows a limited research work regarding the anaerobic digestion of floral waste for biogas generation. The present experimental work aims to propagate floral waste as a sustainable source of biogas energy in India. Using different techniques like novel alkaline pretreatment, solar heating of the digester and co-digestion with food waste give enhanced biogas production from floral waste. A novel alkaline pretreatment of the floral waste using sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate gives an improvement in biogas output by 106%, with a saving in the cost of chemical pretreatment up to 96%, compared to traditional sodium hydroxide pretreatment. Also, solar heating of the digester increases the biogas output by 122% as compared to digesters in ambient conditions. Co-digestion of the floral waste with food waste also improves biogas output by 32.6%. Raw biogas from floral waste contains over 57% methane, which is higher than the previous studies. Large-scale application of the techniques can benefit the society.