Operational Guidelines Plönninge Biogas Plant

Operational guidelines for Plnninge biogas plant
Release History Version 1.0, June 2011
Any question about this document should be addressed to: Bioprocess Control Sweden AB Scheelevgen 22 SE-223 63 Lund Sweden Tel: Fax: Web: +46 (0)46 163950 +46 (0)46 163959 www.bioprocesscontrol.com
E-mail: info@bioprocesscontrol.com
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 2 Description of the plant ............................................................................................... 1
DESCRIPTION OF THE OPERATIONAL UNITS .................................................... 3 2.1 Operational units for solid and liquid materials .......................................................... 5 Manure tanks 1 & 2 .............................................................................................. 6 Mixing tank .......................................................................................................... 7 Buffer tank .......................................................................................................... 15 Digester .............................................................................................................. 17 Digestate storage containers 1 & 2 ..................................................................... 19 Raw gas storage .................................................................................................. 21 Gas room ............................................................................................................ 23 Upgrading unit.................................................................................................... 25 High pressure gas storage ................................................................................... 26 Filling station...................................................................................................... 27 Stirling engine .................................................................................................... 28 Gas burner .......................................................................................................... 29 Torch .................................................................................................................. 30 Control cabinet ................................................................................................... 33 Work station ....................................................................................................... 34 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 2.1.4 2.1.5 2.2 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4 2.2.5 2.2.6 2.2.7 2.2.8 2.3 2.3.1 2.3.2 2.4
Operational units for storage, purification, analysis and distribution of biogas ........ 21
Control room.............................................................................................................. 31
Heating/cooling system ............................................................................................. 35
CONTROL PANEL ....................................................................................................... 36 3.1 3.2 Start menu .................................................................................................................. 37 Process overview (Huvud)......................................................................................... 38 Mixing tank menu (Blandningstank) .................................................................. 39 Manure tank 1 (Pumpbrunn 2) ........................................................................... 41 Manure tank 2 (Pumpbrunn 3) ........................................................................... 43 Buffer tank menu (Bufferttank) .......................................................................... 45 Digester menu (Rtkammare) ............................................................................ 48 Digestate storage unit (Efterrtkammare) .......................................................... 52 Gas measuring menu (Gasmtning) ................................................................... 55 Gas consumption menu (Gasanvndning) .......................................................... 58
3.2.1 3.2.2 3.2.3 3.2.4 3.2.5 3.2.6 3.2.7 3.2.8 3.3
Digester settings menu ..................................................................................................... 49
Data logger (Logging) ............................................................................................... 60
3.3.1 3.3.2 3.3.3 3.4 3.4.1 4
Logger 1 ............................................................................................................. 61 Logger 2 ............................................................................................................. 62 Logger 3 ............................................................................................................. 63 Alarm list (Larm) ............................................................................................... 65
Energy measuring (Energimtningar) ....................................................................... 64
ANALYSIS AND MONITORING ............................................................................... 66 4.1 Determination of feedstock characteristics ................................................................ 66 pH ....................................................................................................................... 66 Moisture content ................................................................................................. 67 Total (TS) and volatile solids (VS) .................................................................... 68 Biochemical methane potential (BMP) test ....................................................... 69 Temperature ....................................................................................................... 71 pH ....................................................................................................................... 71 Alkalinity ............................................................................................................ 71 Nutrients and toxins ........................................................................................... 72 Biogas flow and composition ............................................................................. 73 Volatile fatty acids (VFA) and dissolved hydrogen (DH) ................................. 74 Sampling points .................................................................................................. 74 Analysis of liquid samples ................................................................................. 80 4.1.1 4.1.2 4.1.3 4.1.4 4.2 4.2.1 4.2.2 4.2.3 4.2.4 4.2.5 4.2.6 4.3 4.3.1 4.3.2 4.4 4.5
Monitoring of process parameters in anaerobic digestion process ............................ 70
Sampling and analysis ............................................................................................... 74
Analysis of gaseous samples ..................................................................................... 89 Online monitoring and data logging .......................................................................... 93
EVALUATION OF THE OPERATION AND PROCESS PERFORMANCES ...... 94 5.1 Process operation ....................................................................................................... 94 Organic loading rate (OLR) ............................................................................... 94 Hydraulic retention time (HRT) ......................................................................... 94 Gas normalization .............................................................................................. 95 Gas productivity ................................................................................................. 95 Gas yield ............................................................................................................. 96 VS reduction ....................................................................................................... 96 5.1.1 5.1.2 5.2 5.2.1 5.2.2 5.2.3 5.2.4 5.3
Process performances ................................................................................................ 95
Process stability ......................................................................................................... 97
DOCUMENTATION ..................................................................................................... 99 6.1 6.2 Navigation ............................................................................................................... 100 Sorting of raw data (Rdatasortering) ..................................................................... 101
6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9
Raw data (Rdata) ................................................................................................... 102 Manual data (Manuell data) ................................................................................. 103 Daily data (Dagsvrden) .......................................................................................... 105 Weekly data (Veckovrden) .................................................................................... 107 Monthly data (Mnadsvrden) ................................................................................. 109 Printable document (Utskriftsformulr) .................................................................. 112 How to insert data from the data logger .................................................................. 113 Download data from Datalogger ...................................................................... 113 Insert data into Process_data.xlsm ................................................................... 116
6.9.1 6.9.2 7
METHODOLOGY FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS ....................................... 120 7.1 Meetings .................................................................................................................. 121
OPERATIONAL ROUTINES .................................................................................... 122 8.1 8.2 Daily operational routines ....................................................................................... 122 Weekly operational routines .................................................................................... 133
PROCESS EVALUATION ......................................................................................... 136 9.1 9.2 9.3 Weekly evaluation ................................................................................................... 136 Saving the data for weekly evaluation ............................................................. 138 Monthly evaluation .................................................................................................. 142 Yearly evaluation ..................................................................................................... 143 9.1.1
INTRODUCTION
The Plnninge biogas plant serves as a demonstration and research site and was built to promote small scale biogas production. It is situated at Plnninge Agricultural High School and is operated in collaboration with Region of Halland. Region of Halland has, together with Bioenergicentrum Halland, an ambition to promote regional development related to renewable energy sources. The focus is on agricultural enterprises and most of the work is carried out by Plnninge Agricultural High School. To ensure that this facility can serve as a demonstration plant for future farm-based biogas plants in the region and around the world, it is important that the plant can be run as efficiently as possible and that the produced biogas can be fully utilized. The purpose of this document is to serve as a support and a guide for operators at the Plnninge biogas plant.
1.1
Description of the plant
General The biogas plant in Plnninge is a small farm scale plant that has been in operation since 2004. It was constructed by Lckeby Water AB with the original objective of decomposing remnant silage and cow manure from farms and other available waste products in the area. The volume of the digester is 300 m3 with an expected gas production of 250-300 Nm3/day. The average retention time of the digester is around 30 days, depending on the availability of manure. Operation Manure from around 80 cows is collected in a manure tank, which is then pumped into a larger mixing tank. Furthermore, this is mixed, in the same tank, with more solid substrates (e.g. silage or potatoes). Iron chloride (FeCl3) is also added to reduce the amount of hydrogen suphide (H2S) in the produced biogas, by precipitation of FeS from sulphur-containing compounds. The mixed material is then pumped further into a buffer tank where it spends around one day before it is fed into the digester. The digester is top mixed with two sets of impellers and it is kept at an average temperature of 37 C. As the material is fed into the digester, digested slurry or digestate is removed into two serial connected storage units, where it is stored for around half a year before it is used as a fertilizer to cultivate crops at the farm. The produced gas is consumed in three different ways using the following systems: i) in a gas burner for producing heat; ii) in a Stirling engine for producing electricity and heat; and iii) in an upgrading unit for producing biomethane as a vehicle fuel.
Originally, only the gas burner was installed at the plant but, in order to promote the production of higher value products, the Stirling engine and the biogas upgrading unit were installed in 2008; the Stirling engine started operations in 2011.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OPERATIONAL UNITS
The most important operational units at the Plnninge biogas plant are presented in this section. They have been divided into four categories: 1) Operational units for liquid and solid materials 2) Operational units for gas flows 3) Operational units in the control room 4) Heating / cooling system An overview picture of the Plnninge biogas site, where some of the larger operational units have been marked, can be seen in Figure 2-1.
Figure 2-1 Satellite photo (Google maps) of Plnnige biogas site.
A simplified process drawing of Plnninge biogas plant can be seen in Figure 2-2.
Pi
FI
Fruit & Vegetables Horse manure
Potatoes
Gas alarm
Torch
Silage
Condensed water Condensation trap SF2 Condensation trap SF1
GF1
GFL1
Manual loading Raw gas storage GL1, Condensed water X-ripper
LS
Iron chloride
LC
FI
TC LC
P1
TC
LC
Mixing tank PB1, 50 m3
LC
P4 Digester RK1, 300 m3

PS
P6
Digestate storage 1 ERK1, 1600 m3
LC
Buffer tank BT1, 12 m3 P2
P7 Manure tank 1 PB2, 12 m3

LC
LC
Digestate storage 2 ERK2, 1500 m3
P3 Manure tank 2 PB3, 50 m3

TI TI
Electric production
FI LC PS LS TC PI
Flow indicator Level control Tryckutlsare Level switch

FI
Stirling engine SM1, 8kW (36 kW)
Temperature control Pressure indicator Manure storage LT1, 1200 m3 Gas burner GP1, 60 kW Water scrubber High pressure gas Gas pump WS1 storage
Figure 2-2 Simplified process drawing of the Plnnige biogas plant.
2.1
Operational units for solid and liquid materials
In this section all the operational units that handle the liquid and solid material in the Plnninge biogas plant are listed and described. A summary of their properties can be seen in Table 2-1.
Table 2-1 Summary of operational units handling liquid and solid material. Abbreviati Volume Mixing on (m3) Manure tank 1 Manure tank 2 PB2 PB3 12 50 50 Recirculation Recirculation Submersible mixer, recirculation Recirculation Mixer Heating No No No Sensors Level Level Level Connections Connections in out Stable (cow) PB1 Stable (calf) LT1
Mixing tank PB1
PB2, Manual BT1 loading PB1 RK1, ERK1 ERK1
Buffer tank BT1 Digester RK1
12 300
No Yes
Level
Level, level BT1 switch, temperature (2) Level No No RK1 ERK1 PB2, PB3, RK1
Digestate storage 1 Digestate storage 2 Manure storage
ERK1 ERK2 LT1
1600 1500 1200
Submersible mixer (2) Mobile mixer Mobile mixer
No No No
ERK2 -
In total, there are eight operational units handling the solid and liquid material in Plnninge.
2.1.1 Manure tanks 1 & 2
Figure 2-3 Photos of manure tank 1.
A B C D E F
Housing covering the manure tank Tap for manure sampling Container used for loading the 1.7 m3 pilot plant (described in a separated document) with manure Pipe for recirculation Motor for recirculation pump Manure tank (lid)
Role The role of the manure tanks is to collect and store manure from the cow stables. Dimensions The manure from the cow stable is collected in two tanks (PB2 and PB3) that are situated below ground. Both tanks have a rectangular shape with PB2 having a volume of 12 m3 and PB3 having a volume of 50 m3. Mixing The tanks are mixed by recirculation of the content. The same pump is used for both recirculating and removing content. This is controlled by an actuator that regulates a 3 way valve. Connections Manure tank 1 (PB2) is connected to the main cow stable on the incoming side and the mixing tank on the outgoing side.
Manure tank 2 (PB3) is connected to the calf stable on the incoming side and the manure storage tank (LT1) on the outgoing side. The content can also be pumped to the buffer tank (BT1) by manually regulating several valves. Sensors Both manure tanks have level sensors to monitor the occupancy of the tank and to make sure that no flooding will occur or the pumps will go dry. Regulation/Automation The outgoing pump is regulated by the level in the manure tank and in the mixing tank. A maximum and minimum level is specified by the user in the control panel. The minimum level is important in order to avoid that the pump goes dry and the maximum level is important in order to avoid flooding of the tank. If the level reaches the minimum level the outgoing pump will be inactivated, whereas if it reaches the maximum level the outgoing pump will be activated in order to reach an acceptable level in the mixing tank. Operation At the moment, only manure tank 1 (PB1) is in operation. The manure is pumped from the manure tank into the mixing tank.
2.1.2 Mixing tank
Figure 2-4 Photo of mixing tank.
A B C D E F G
Waste containers for fruit and vegetables Feeder band connecting the funnel and the mixing tank Loading funnel for waste Disintegration unit with cutting knifes Mechanical lid for covering mixing tank Mixing tank Container for FeCl3 solution
Role The role of the mixing tank is to mix the solid substrates with the manure. Dimensions The mixing tank is situated below ground and has a cylindrical shape with a total volume of 50 m3. The tank is covered with a lid to minimize the odors and keep away the rain water. Mixing The mixing is carried out with a submersible mixer and recirculation of the content. As for the manure tank, the same pump is used for recirculating and pumping away the content, controlled with an actuator that regulates a T-valve. The submersible mixer is manually operated using an on/off button placed next to the control panel.
Figure 2-5 Photo of the buttons for controlling the submersible mixer.
Connections The mixing tank is connected to the manure tank 1 (PB2) on the incoming side and the buffer tank on the outgoing side. Sensors The mixing tank has a level sensor to monitor the occupancy of the tank and to make sure that it will not flood or that the pump goes dry. Regulation/Automation The outgoing pump is regulated by the level of the mixing tank and the buffer tank. A maximum and minimum level is specified by the user in the control panel. The minimum level is important in order to avoid that the pump goes dry and the maximum level is important in order to avoid flooding of the tank. If the level reaches the minimum level the outgoing pump becomes inactive, whereas if it reaches the maximum level the outgoing pump will be activated in order to reach an acceptable level in the buffer tank. Operation In the mixing tank, the manure from manure tank 1 is mixed with all the solid substrates. The substrates are manually added with the help of a front loader, or a lift system for certain containers. When the lift system is used, the substrate is also passed through a disintegration unit equipped with knives for reducing the size of the solid material. To load substrate through the front loader, the cover has to be opened from an open/close panel located next to the tank. Miscellaneous In the mixing tank, FeCl3 solution is added manually from a container placed next to the tank. X-ripper (to be installed)
Figure 2-6 Pictures of the X-ripper (Vogelsang).
Role The role of the X-ripper is to reduce the particle size of the added solid substrate. Its robust design, using the proven double-shaft system, allows for economical shredding of large amounts of solids in liquid media. Connections The X-ripper is connected to the mixing tank. Operation The solid material is loaded into the receiving funnel and shredded by the X-ripper before falling into the mixing tank. More detail description needs to be added once the X-ripper is installed on the site. Supplier Company: Adress: Contact person Tel: E-mail:
Vogelsang Sverige AB Duvesjn 450 SE 442 92 Romelanda Klas-Gran Brevik +46 (0) 31 7512 70 0 brevik@vogelsang-gmbh.com
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Old macerator
Figure 2-7 Photo of old macerator.
Role The role of the old macerator is also to reduce the particle size of the added solid substrate. Connections The old macerator is connected to the mixing tank. Regulation/Automation The old macerator is controlled manually from a control panel located next to the unit. Operation The solid material is loaded into the receiving funnel where it is ground down and fed into the mixing tank.
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Substrate handling units
Figure 2-8 Photos of substrate handling units.
A B C D E
Bunker silos Lifting device for 200 L barrels 200 L barrels 140 L waste containers Loading of glucose from a 200 L barrel
Many different types of substrates are added to the mixing tank. The substrates are either added directly to the mixing tank with a front loader, or via the old macerator unit or the Xripper. Examples of how several substrates are processed and handled can be seen in Table 2-2. 12
Table 2-2 Example of several processed substrates. Storage Silage Potatoes Bunker silo 140 L waste container, bunker silo 140 L waste container 200 L barrel 200 L barrel Bunker silo Pretreatment No X-ripper, old macerator Old macerator No Heated (winter) No Front loader Yes Yes/No (with old macerator) No Yes Yes Yes Maximum storage time Several months 1 month
Fruit and Vegetables Jam Glucose Horse manure
1 week 1 month Several months Several months
FeCl3 solution container Biogas from anaerobic digestion of animal waste (i.e. manure) typically contains 500 to 3000 ppm of H2S, depending on the composition of solid substrates. Removal of H2S is needed to reduce air pollution, protecting at the same time the power generation equipment, and increasing the safety of the operations.
Figure 2-9 Photo of FeCl3 solution container.
Role The role of the FeCl3 solution is to reduce the levels of H2S in the produced gas. The iron precipitates out the sulfur and prevents the production of H2S in the digester. 13
Connections The FeCl3 solution container is connected to the mixing tank. Regulation/Automation The FeCl3 solution container is operated with a manually switched tap. Operation Every day, a certain amount of FeCl3 solution is added into the mixing tank by the operator. The addition of the solution is regulated by opening and closing a tap.
Front loader
Figure 2-10 Photo of the front loader.
Role The role of the front loader is to transport some of the solid material from its storage unit and to load it into the mixing tank. Operation The front loader is shared by the whole farm and should only be operated by personnel with proper training. It has a few different lifting devices for different types of material. A device formed like a scoop is normally used to handle loose material, like silage and horse manure, while a specially designed device with attachment points is used to handle liquid or semisolid materials in barrels, such as jam and glucose. Miscellaneous The lifting device for loading loose material has weighting cells for controlling the loaded amount of material. Since the front loader is shared by the whole farm, it is important to be handled with care. 14
2.1.3 Buffer tank
Figure 2-11 Photo of the buffer tank.
A B C D E F
Buffer tank Motor for pump Actuator for T-valve T-valve Recirculation pipe Pipe to digester
Role The role of the buffer tank is to provide an additional place for the substrate to mix and be further disintegrated before pumped into the digester. Dimensions The buffer tank is situated below the ground and has a rectangular shape with a total volume of 12 m3. The tank is covered with a lid to minimize the odors and keep away the rain water. Mixing The buffer tank is mixed by recirculation of the content. The same pump is used for recirculating and pumping away the content. This is controlled by an actuator that regulates a valve in a T-connection.
15
Connections The buffer tank is connected to the mixing tank (PB1) on the incoming side and the digester (RK1) on the outgoing side. Sensors The buffer tank has a level sensor to monitor the occupancy of the tank and to make sure that no flooding will occur or that the pump will go dry. Regulation/Automation The outgoing pump is controlled from the control panel where the user can regulate the frequency of pumping and the amount of material pumped in during each cycle. A maximum and minimum level can also be provided by the user. If the level reaches the minimum level the outgoing pump will become inactive, whereas if it reaches the maximum level the outgoing pump will be activated. A flow alarm is activated if the level does not decline as much as it should when the outgoing pump is turned on.
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2.1.4 Digester
Figure 2-12 Photos of the digester and digestate pump.
A B C D E F
Ladder for climbing to digester roof Biogas outlet pipe Top cover and motor for mixer Digester Manhole cover Digestate feeding pump
Role In the digester, the anaerobic degradation of the organic material in to biogas is taking place. Dimensions The digester has a cylindrical shape with a total volume of 300 m3. Mixing The content of the digester is mixed by a top mixer with impellers at two different levels. The speed of the mixer can be controlled. At the top of the mixer there are two specially designed rotor blades which prevent formation of floating hard layers inside the digester. More detail description needs to be added once rotor blades are installed on the site. 17
Connections The digester is connected to the buffer tank on the incoming side and digestate storage 1 on the outgoing side. There is also an outgoing biogas pipe from the top of the digester. Sensors The digester has three sensors Bottom temperature sensor Top temperature sensor Level sensor Regulation/Automation The operation of the digester is controlled mainly in three ways: 1) The level in the digester is maintained by controlling the pump for the outgoing sludge. The sought level is entered in the control panel and is maintained by activating or deactivating the outgoing pump. 2) The temperature in the digester is maintained by controlling a shunt valve that regulates the flow of heating water. A PID controller regulates the shunt valve based on the difference between the setpoint temperature and the actual temperature. The setpoint temperature, along with the P (Proportional), I (Integral) and D (derivative) constants can be entered in the control panel. 3) The top mixer is controlled by an on/off timer as well as a direction setting in the control panel.
Operation Normally, feeding from the buffer tank is set to give a retention time in the digester of around 30 days. The temperature is normally set to be around 37 C and the slurry volume is normally set to be around 270 m3 (i.e. the height of the slurry level is about 760 cm). Miscellaneous The digester has a manhole cover at the bottom, where it is possible to enter in the digester when it is empty. There is also a smaller manhole cover on the top. There is a ladder on the side of the digester, allowing the possibility to climb onto the digester roof. Supplier Company: Adress: Contact person Tel: E-mail: Svenska Neuero Stuna Storegrden 521 98 Broddetorp Stefan Persson 046-249630 info@neuero.se 18
2.1.5 Digestate storage containers 1 & 2
Figure 2-13 Photos of digestate storage container 1 (upper) and digestate storage container 2 (bottom).
A B C
Cover of digestate storage 1 Digestate storage container 1 Digestate storage container 2
Role In the digestate storage container 1 & 2, the digestate is stored when coming from the digester until used as a fertilizer. Dimensions Digestate storage container 1 has a total volume of 1600 m3 and digestate storage container 2 a total volume of 1500 m3. Mixing Digestate storage container 1 has two submersible mixers that are regulated via the control panel. Digestate storage container 2 has no mixing.
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Connections The digestate storage container 1 is connected to the digester on the incoming side and the digestate storage container 2 on the outgoing side. The digestate storage container 1 can also be connected to the manure storage tank and the buffer tank. The digestate storage container 2 is connected to the digestate storage container 1 on the incoming side. The digestate storage container 2 is emptied by pumping its content into the fertilizer tanks. Sensors There is a level sensor in the digester storage container 1. Regulation/Automation The digestate storage container 1 is filled with digestate from the digester using a pump. The content of the digestate storage unit 1 is then flown by gravity force into the digestate storage container 2. Operation The digestate storage container 1 is filled first when the digestate is pumped out from the digester. Miscellaneous No gas from any of the digester storage units is collected. The digester storage container 1 has an open cover only for preventing the rain water and digester storage container 2 has no cover at all. The digester storage container 2 is mainly emptied during spring and fall, when the fertilizer is needed for cultivating crops.
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2.2
Operational units for storage, purification, analysis and distribution of biogas
2.2.1 Raw gas storage
Figure 2-14 Photos of raw gas storage.
A B C D
Raw gas storage container Gas pipe from pilot plant Valve for connection to pilot plant Water block
Role The role of the raw gas storage unit is to store the produced raw gas in order to maintain a stable flow to the gas utilization units (upgrading, burner and Stirling engine). Connections The raw gas storage unit is connected to the gas system of the plant. The pressure in the raw gas storage unit and the gas fan in the gas room determine if the gas flows out from the storage unit or not.
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Sensors The raw gas storage unit has two sensors: A Level sensor (%), which can measure how full the storage unit is. A Pressure sensor (mbar), which measures the pressure in the raw gas storage unit. Operation The gas storage unit is filled as the biogas produced from the reactor. The emptying is dependent on the gas level in the storage unit as well as the status of the gas utilization units. Normally, the upgrading unit is prioritized and activated when the level in the gas storage is above 60 % and deactivated at a level below 20 %. The Stirling engine is normally activated when the upgrading unit cannot take any more gas (i.e. high pressure storage is full) and is also normally activated at levels above 60 % and deactivated at a level below 20 %. The gas burner is the third in line and is normally activated when the level of the gas storage is above 80 % and deactivated at a level below 20%. The torch is ignited if the pressure in the gas storage gets too high. Miscellaneous The raw gas storage has a water block controlling the release in the atmosphere of the excess gas (i.e. when the pressure in the storage unit exceeds 13-14 mbar).
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2.2.2 Gas room
Figure 2-15 Photos of gas room.
23
A B C D E F G H I J K
Gas filter Incoming gas pipe Outgoing gas pipe to upgrading unit Outlet for gas sampling Condensation trap Outgoing gas pipe to Stirling engine Flow meter for measuring the flow to gas burner Flow meter for measuring total gas flow Gas fan Outgoing gas pipe for torch Outgoing gas pipe for gas burner
Role The gas room is the core of the gas system at the biogas site and contains most of the sensors, valves and fans. The unit for removing condensation is also located in the gas room, where the gas sampling also takes place. Connections The gas room is connected to the gas storage/digester on the incoming side and the upgrading, Stirling engine, gas burner and torch on the outgoing side. Sensors Four sensors are placed in the gas room: two pressure sensors two flow meters Miscellaneous The gas room contains a gas filter to make sure no particles are coming into any of the gas utilization units.
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2.2.3 Upgrading unit
Figure 2-16 Photo of upgrading unit (water scrubber).
A B C
Upgrading unit Scrubber column Gas compressor
Role The role of the upgrading unit is to upgrade the biogas to biomethane by removing the carbon dioxide (CO2). The technique used is water scrubbing, i.e. dissolving the carbon dioxide into water at high pressure. Capacity The upgrading unit can handle raw gas flows up to 18 m3/hour. Connections The upgrading unit is connected to the raw gas storage unit on the incoming side and the high pressure storage on the outgoing side. Regulation/Automation The upgrading unit is activated when the sought level in the raw gas storage is obtained and the high pressure storage is not full (below 170 bar). This is carried out by opening a valve and activating the fan in the gas room. Supplier Company: Adress: Homepage: Contact person: Tel: Email:
Biorega AB L Rya SE - 314 92, Lngaryd www.biorega.se Peter Karlsson +46 (0)371 430 11 peter.karlsson@svnaturbruk.se 25
2.2.4 High pressure gas storage
Figure 2-17 Photo of high pressure gas storage unit.
A B
High pressure gas storage for biomethane Pressure sensor
Role The role of the high pressure gas storage unit is to store the upgraded biomethane at a high pressure (230 bar) so it can be filled into vehicles using the standard gas filling system. Connections The high pressure gas storage unit is connected to the upgrading unit on the incoming side and the gas pump on the outgoing side. Sensors A pressure sensor is used. Operation The high pressure storage unit is filled up when the upgrading unit is active. It is emptied when the gas pump from the filling station is used.
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2.2.5 Filling station
Figure 2-18 Photo of the filling station.
A B
Filling pump Payment system for gas filling
Role The filling station allows the filling of the upgraded biomethane in corresponding vehicles. Connections The filling station is connected to the high pressure gas storage unit on the incoming side. Sensors The filling station has a flow meter that measures the amount of gas that is filled into a car. Operation A valve on the filling device opening connects the high pressure storage unit to the gas tank in the car. The pressure difference between the two systems makes the gas flow from the high pressure storage unit into the car reservoir until an equal pressure is achieved.
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2.2.6 Stirling engine
Figure 2-19 Photo of the Stirling engine.
Role The role of the Stirling engine is to produce electricity by utilizing the compression and expansion of gas given from the heat produced from the combustion of biogas. Capacity The production capacity of the Stirling engine is 8 kW electricity, whereas the total capacity (including heat) is 36 kW. Connections The Stirling engine is connected to the raw gas storage unit on the incoming side. The heating system is lead through the Stirling engine, where it absorbs some of the produced heat. Before the heating water reaches stirling engine, it is lead through a cooler (see heating/cooling system below) to make sure the incoming water is at a low enough temperature. The leftover products from the combustion are released into the atmosphere through a chimney.
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Regulation/Automation The Stirling engine is activated when the sought level in the raw gas storage is obtained and the prioritized gas utilization units (upgrading unit) cannot consume more gas. This is carried out by opening a valve and activating the fan in the gas room. 2.2.7 Gas burner
Figure 2-20 Photo of the gas burner.
Role The role of the gas burners is to combust the incoming biogas and produce heat in the heating system. Capacity According to the specification, the capacity of the gas burner is supposed to be 60 kW. However, normally a lower capacity, close to 50 kW, is obtained. Connections The gas burner is connected to the raw gas storage unit on the incoming side. The heating system is lead through the gas burner were it absorbs the produced heat. The leftover products from the combustion are released into the atmosphere through a chimney in the roof.
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Sensors The gas burner is equipped with temperature sensors. Regulation/Automation The gas burner is activated when the sought level in the raw gas storage is obtained and the prioritized gas utilization units cannot consume more gas. This is carried out by opening a valve and activating the fan in the gas room.
2.2.8 Torch
Figure 2-21 Photo of the torch.
Torch for excess biogas
Role The role of the torch is to burn of any excess gas the other gas utilization units cannot consume. This is carried out to avoid the release of the gas into the atmosphere. Capacity The torch is designed to handle gas flows up to 10 m3/h. Connections The torch is connected to the raw gas storage on the incoming side. The leftover products from the combustion are released into the atmosphere.
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Regulation/Automation The torch is activated when the pressure in the raw gas storage exceeds a certain limit. This is carried out by opening a valve and activating the fan in the gas room. The pressure that activates the torch is specified in the control panel.
2.3
Control room
31
Figure 2-22 Photos of the control room.
A B C D E F G H
I
Pipe and valve controlling the substrate entering the digester Pipe and valve controlling the substrate leaving the digester Moisture analyzer Gas composition analyzer Digestate sampling hose Digestate pump Stirling engine Shunt valve regulating the heating of the digester
Control panel
J K L M
Gas burner Control cabinet Computers and printer Work station
The control room is the place where the operation of the biogas plant is controlled via the control panel. This is also the location of the Stirling engine, gas burner, large parts of the heating/cooling system, as well as for simple substrate analysis. The control room also contains a work station with a computer, where all data can be entered and accessed. In the control room a number of tools (e.g., moisture analyzer, pH meter, portable gas analyzer) are also available.
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2.3.1 Control cabinet
Figure 2-23 Photos of the control cabinet.
A B
Control cabinet Control panel
The control cabinet is the place for the electronic communication interface. Here all the operational units are centrally controlled. A short description of some of the units in the control cabinet is presented below. PLC The PLC (Programmable Logical Controller) is a local computer that controls all processes in the plant. It receives incoming signals from sensors and sends out outgoing signals to control pumps, valves, etc. Relays The relays determine if certain processes or units are active or not (e.g. motors, valves, etc). This is performed with the help of electromagnets that open or close certain high voltage electrical circuits using low voltage or low current circuits.
33
Digester top mixer frequency converter It regulates the speed of the top mixer in the digester by regulating the frequency of its power input. It operates within a 0-60 Hz interval.
2.3.2 Work station
Figure 2-24 Photo of the work station.
The work station is the place where all information regarding the process is gathered and processed. The process data from the datalogger in the control panel can also be downloaded onto a computer at the work station.
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2.4
Heating/cooling system
Figure 2-25 Photo of the heating/cooling system.
A B C
Shunt valve WM1 Cooler
The heating/cooling system at the site is connected to the same system that Plnninge Agricultural High School also uses. This makes it possible to easily utilize the extra heat produced from the gas burner. A measuring device (WM1) measures the heat energy produced and consumed by the plant by monitoring the incoming and outgoing heating water. The only operational unit that is heated by the heating/cooling system is the digester. This process is controlled by a shunt valve (A) that acts on signal from a PID controller in the PLC. The heat energy that is consumed in the digester is monitored by the device WM1 (B). The heating/cooling system is also used to cool the upgrading unit and the Stirling engine. To make sure the Stirling engine can operate properly, a cooler (C) is connected to the heating/cooling system just ahead of the engine. This is necessary since the Stirling engine requires cold incoming water to be able to handle the excess heat produced in the compression/expansion process.
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CONTROL PANEL
Figure 3-1 Photo of control cabinet with control panel.
Many parts of the process can be monitored and controlled from the control panel. A touch screen is used to navigate between the different menus. It is developed by Apptronic in 2004 and has been continuously updated over the years. The control panel can be found on one of the control cabinet doors in the control room (Figure 3-1). 36
In this section all the menus in the control panel are described. The menus are presented with a screenshot together with a table of all of their functionalities. 3.1 Start menu
Figure 3-2 Screenshot of start menu.
From the start menu (Figure 3-2) you can navigate between the four different main menus (process overview, energy measuring, alarm list and system). A list of the functionalities in the start menu can be seen in Table 3-1.
Table 3-1 Functionalities of the start menu. A B C D Name versikt Energimtning Larm System Action Go to process overview menu Go to energy measuring menu Go to alarm list Go to system menu Information displayed
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3.2
Process overview (Huvud)
Figure 3-3 Screenshot of process overview (versikt) menu.
From the process overview menu (Figure 3-3) the different menus available in the control panel including the operational panels, alarm list, data logger and energy measuring can be accessed. In Table 3-2 a list of all functionalities in the process overview can be seen.
Table 3-2 Functionalities of process overview menu.
A B C D E F G H I J K L Name Blandningstank Pumpbrunn 2 Prumpbrunn3 Bufferttank Rtkammare Efterrtkammare Gasmtning Gasanvndning Huvud Larm Energimtning Loggning Action Go to mixing tank menu Go to manure tank 1 menu Go to manure tank 2 menu Go to buffer tank menu Go to digester menu Go to digestate storage menu Go to gas measuring menu Go to gas utilization menu Go to start menu Go to alarm list Go to energy measuring menu Go to data logger Separate information displayed 1 2 3 pump symbol Producerad energi Frbrukad energi Pump to digestate storage on (green) or off (white) Produced energy for the current day (kWh) Consumed energy for the current day (kWh) Information displayed Mixing tank pump on (green) or off (white) Manure tank 1 pump on (green) or off (white) Manure tank 2 pump on (green) or off (white) Buffer tank pump on (green) or off (white) Raw gas storage pressure (mbar)
38
3.2.1 Mixing tank menu (Blandningstank)
Figure 3-4 Screenshot of the mixing tank menu.
From the Mixing tank (Figure 3-4) menu, the operation of the mixing tank can be controlled. You can choose to have it in automatic mode (the pumping and mixing are automatically controlled) or manual mode. A list of the functionalities in the mixing tank menu can be seen in Table 3-3.
Table 3-3 Functionalities of mixing tank menu. A B C D E F G H I Name Instllningar Driftslge Ventil AV1 Pump P1 versikt Larm Energimtning GP 1 PB2 Action Mixing tank settings menu Change between automatic and manual operation of the pump Change between circulation and feeding mode for the pump Turn pump on or off in manual mode Process overview menu Alarm list Energy measuring menu Buffer tank menu Manure tank 1 menu Information displayed If pump operation is in automatic or manual mode If pump direction is in circulation or feeding mode If pump is on (0) or off (1)
1 2 3 4
Level indicator Niv i PB1 Valve symbol AV1 Pump symbol P1
Separate information displayed Liquid level in mixing tank as well as lower and upper boundaries Liquid level and corresponding volume in mixing tank If pump direction is in circulation or feeding mode If pump is on or off
39
Mixing tank settings menu
Figure 3-5 Screenshot of the mixing tank settings menu.
Functionalities From the mixing tank settings menu, instructions on how the mixing tank should be operated can be set. Parameters such as circulation time for each feeding of material as well as the upper and lower level boundary of the mixing tank can be controlled. A list of the functionalities in the mixing tank menu can be seen in Table 3-4.
Table 3-4 Functionalities of mixing tank settings menu. A B C D Name Cirkulationstid vre niv i tank Undre niv i tank Tillbaka Action Set time for circulation ahead of feeding Upper boundary for liquid level Lower boundary for liquid level Go back to the Mixing tank menu Information displayed Current time for circulation ahead of feeding Current upper boundary for liquid level Current lower boundary for liquid level
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3.2.2 Manure tank 1 (Pumpbrunn 2)
Figure 3-6 Screenshot of manure tank 1 menu.
Functionalities From the manure tank 1 menu (Figure 3-6) the operation of the manure tank 1 can be controlled. It can be operated in automatic mode (the pumping and mixing is automatically controlled) or manual mode. A list of the functionalities in the manure tank menu can be seen in Table 3-5.
Table 3-5 Functionalities of manure tank 1 menu. A B C D E F G H I 1 2 3 4 Name Instllningar Driftslge Ventil AV2/3 Pump P2 versikt Larm Energimtning PB1 PB3 Level indicator Niv i PB2 Valve symbol AV2 Pump symbol P2 Action Manure tank 1 settings menu Change between automatic and manual operation of the pump Change between circulation and feeding mode for the pump Turn pump on or off in manual mode Process overview menu Alarm list Energy measuring menu Mixing tank menu Manure tank 2 menu Information displayed If pump operation is in automatic or manual mode If pump direction is in circulation or feeding mode If pump is on (0) or off (1)
Separate information displayed Liquid level in manure tank 1 as well as lower and upper boundaries Liquid level and corresponding volume in manure tank 1 If pump direction is in circulation or feeding mode If pump is on or off
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Manure tank 1 settings menu
Figure 3-7 Screenshot of manure tank 1 settings menu.
Functionalities From the manure tank 1 settings (Figure 3-7) menu, the instructions on how the manure tank 1 should be operated can be set. Parameters such as circulation time before each feeding of material as well as the upper and lower level boundary of the manure tank 1 can be controlled. A list of the functionalities in the manure tank 1 menu can be seen in Table 3-6.
Table 3-6 Functionalities of manure tank settings menu. A B C D Name Cirkulationstid vre niv i tank Undre niv i tank Tillbaka Action Set time for circulation (mixing) before feeding Upper boundary for liquid level Lower boundary for liquid level Manure tank 1 menu Information displayed Current time for circulation (mixing) before feeding Current upper boundary for liquid level Current lower boundary for liquid level
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3.2.3 Manure tank 2 (Pumpbrunn 3)
Functionalities From the manure tank 2 menu (Figure 3-8), the operation of the manure tank 2 can be controlled. It can be operated in automatic mode (the pumping and mixing is automatically controlled) or manual mode. A list of the functionalities in the manure tank 2 menu can be seen in Table 3-7.
Table 3-7 Functionalities of manure tank 2 menu. A B C D E F G H I Name Instllningar Driftslge Ventil AV5 Pump P3 versikt Larm Energimtning PB1 PB3 Action Manure tank 2 settings menu Change between automatic and manual operation of the pump Change between circulation and feeding mode for the pump Turn pump on or off in manual mode Process overview menu Alarm list Energy measuring menu Mixing tank menu Manure tank 1 menu Information displayed If pump operation is in automatic or manual mode If pump direction is in circulation or feeding mode If pump is on (0) or off (1)
1 2 3 4
Separate information displayed Liquid level in manure tank 2 as well as lower and upper boundaries Liquid level and corresponding volume in manure tank 2 If pump direction is in circulation or feeding mode If pump is on or off
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Manure tank 2 settings menu
Figure 3-9 Screenshot of the manure tank 2 settings menu.
Functionalities From the manure tank 2 settings (Figure 3-9) menu, the instructions on how the manure tank 2 should be operated can be set. Among the parameters which can be set are the circulation time for each feeding of material as well as the upper and lower level boundary of the manure tank 2. The functionalities presented in the manure tank 2 settings menu are listed in Table 3-8.
Table 3-8 Functionalities of the manure tank 2 settings menu. A B C D Name Cirkulationstid vre niv i tank Undre niv i tank Tillbaka Action Set time for circulation ahead of feeding Upper boundary for liquid level Lower boundary for liquid level Manure tank 2 menu Information displayed Current time for circulation ahead of feeding Current upper boundary for liquid level Current lower boundary for liquid level
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3.2.4 Buffer tank menu (Bufferttank)
Figure 3-10 Screenshot of the buffer tank menu.
Functionalities From the buffer tank menu (Figure 3-10), the operation of the buffer tank can be controlled. The operation can be set in automatic mode (the pumping and mixing is automatically controlled) or manual mode. A list of the functionalities in the buffer tank menu can be seen in Table 3-9.
Table 3-9 Functionalities of the buffer tank menu.
A B C D E F G H I J Name Instllningar Driftslge Ventil AV11 Pump P4 Fldesmtning versikt Larm Energimtning PB3 RK1 Action Buffer tank settings menu Change between automatic and manual operation of the pump Change between circulation and feeding mode for the pump Turn pump on or off in manual mode Go to Fldesmtning menu Process overview menu Alarm list Energy measuring menu Manure tank 2 menu Digester menu Information displayed If pump operation is in automatic or manual mode If pump direction is in circulation or feeding mode If pump is on (0) or off (1)
1 2 3 4
Separate information displayed Liquid level in buffer tank as well as lower and upper boundaries Liquid level and corresponding volume in buffer tank If pump direction is in circulation or feeding mode If pump is on or off
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Buffer tank settings menu
Figure 3-11 Screenshot of the buffer tank settings menu.
Functionalities From the buffer tank settings (Figure 3-11) menu, the instructions on how the buffer tank should be operated can be set. The circulation time for each feeding of material as well as the upper and lower level boundary of the buffer tank can be set here. The feeding to the digester as well as setting from which operational unit the buffer tank is filled. A list of the functionalities listed in the buffer tank settings menu can be seen in Table 3-8.
Table 3-10 Functionalities of the buffer tank settings menu.
A B C D E F G H Name Cirkulationstid vre niv i tank Undre niv i tank Beskickningsintervall Beskickningsmngd Nivhllningsfunktion Nivhjning Tillbaka Action Set time for circulation ahead of feeding Upper boundary for liquid level Lower boundary for liquid level Set how often the digester is fed Set how much is fed each time Set which tank that should feed to the buffer tank Set additional margin of height for liquid filling when the lower boundary level is reached Buffer tank menu Information displayed Current time for circulation ahead of feeding Current upper boundary for liquid level Current lower boundary for liquid level Current setting for how often the digester is fed (min) Current setting for how much is each time (m3) Current order of tanks that should pump to the he buffer tank Current additional margin of height for liquid filling when the lower boundary level is reached
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Buffer tank flow measuring menu
Figure 3-12 Screenshot of the buffer tank flow measuring menu.
Functionalities From the buffer tank flow measuring menu (Figure 3-12), the feeding of the digester can be followed. A list of the functionalities listed in the buffer tank flow measuring menu can be seen in Table 3-11.
Table 3-11 Functionalities buffer tank flow measuring menu.
A Name Tillbaka Action Back to buffer tank menu Information displayed
1 2 3 4
Momentant flde Beskickad mngd Dygnsmngd Total mngd
Separate information displayed Current flow rate to digester Volume counter for each individual feeding cycle Volume fed to digester current day (starts at 00:00) Total amount fed to digester since flow meter was installed
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3.2.5 Digester menu (Rtkammare)
Figure 3-13 Screenshot of the digester menu.
Functionalities From the digester menu (Figure 3-13) the operation of the digester can be controlled. The operation can be set to automatic mode (the pumping to the digestate storage is automatically controlled) or manual mode. Changing the settings for the temperature control and the mixer can also be performed in this menu. A list of the functionalities in the digester menu is presented in Table 3-12.
Table 3-12 Functionalities of the digester menu. A B C D E F G H I Name Instllningar Driftslge Ventil AV11 Pump P4 Temp I RK1 Mixer symbol OM5 versikt Larm Energimtning Action Digester settings menu Change between automatic and manual operation of the pump Change between circulation and feeding mode for the pump Turn pump on or off in manual mode Digester temperature control menu Mixer settings menu Process overview menu Alarm list Energy measuring menu Information displayed If pump operation is in automatic or manual mode If pump direction is in circulation or feeding mode If pump is on (0) or off (1) Current temperature in digester If mixer is on or off
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J K 1 2 3
BT1 ERK1 Level indicator Niv i RK1 Pump symbol P6
Buffer tank storage Digestate storage menu Separate information displayed Liquid level in digester as well as lower and upper boundaries Liquid level and corresponding volume in digester If digestate pump is on or off
Digester settings menu
Figure 3-14 Screenshot of the digester settings menu.
Functionalities From the digester settings (Figure 3-14) menu, the instructions on how the digester should be operated can be set. The setpoint for the digester temperature and the lower level boundary can be specified in this menu. A list of the functionalities in the digester settings menu can be seen in Table 3-12.
Table 3-13 Functionalities of the digester settings menu. A B H Name Undre niv I tank Temp. brvrde Tillbaka Action Set lower boundary for liquid level Set temperature setpoint Digester menu Information displayed Current lower boundary for liquid level (cm) Current upper boundary for liquid level (C)
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Digester temperature menu
Figure 3-15 Screenshot of the digester temperature menu.
Functionalities From the digester temperature menu (Figure 3-15), the set point for the digester temperature can be set and the latest temperature trends can be followed. A list of the functionalities in the digester temperature control menu can be seen in Table 3-14.
Table 3-14 Functionalities of the digester temperature control menu. A B C Name Brvrde REGULATOR Tillbaka Action Set the digestate temperature setpoint Go to digester temperature control menu Back to digester menu Information displayed Current digester temperature setpoint (C)
1 2 3
Temp TC50 Temp TC51 Graph
Separate information displayed Current temperature in from lower sensor in digester Current temperature in upper sensor in digester Temperature trends for the upper and lower sensor for the last 4 days
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3.2.5.1.1 Digester temperature control menu
Figure 3-16 Screenshot of the digester temperature control menu.
Functionalities In the digester temperature control menu (Figure 3-16), the control parameters for the PID controller that regulates the digester temperature can be modified. A list of the functionalities in the digester temperature control menu can be seen in Table 3-15.
Table 3-15 Functionalities of the digester temperature control menu. A B C D E F Name K-vrde I-vrde D-vrde Samplingsperiod Min. Max. Action Set the K constant (proportional coefficient) Set the I constant (integral coefficient) Set the D constant (derivative coefficient) Set the sampling frequency (0=continuous) Set the minimum controller output Set the maximum controller output Separate information displayed Current controller output (signal to shunt valve) Current digester temperature Digester temperature setpoint Current controller output (signal to shunt valve) Information displayed Current value for K constant Current value for I constant Current value for D constant Current sampling frequency Current minimum output Current maximum output
1 2 3 4
Utstyrt vrde r Br Ut
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3.2.6 Digestate storage unit (Efterrtkammare)
Figure 3-17 Screenshot of the digestate storage unit menu.
Functionalities From the digestate storage unit menu (Figure 3-17), the operation of the digestate storage unit 1 and the manually control of the mixers in the digestate storage unit 1 can be controlled. A list of the functionalities listed in the digestate storage unit menu can be seen in Table 3-16.
Table 3-16 Functionalities of the digestate storage unit menu. A B C D E F G H 1 2 3 4 Name Instllningar ERK1 till LT1 Omrrare OM60/61 versikt Larm Energimtning RK1 GAS M Level indicator Niv i ERK1 Mixer symbol OM60 Mixer symbol OM61 Action Digestate storage unit 1 settings menu Pumping from digestate storage unit to manure storage unit menu Set digestate storage unit 1 mixers on or off Process overview menu Alarm list Energy measuring menu Digester menu Gas measuring menu Information displayed
If mixers is on (0) or off (1)
Separate information displayed Liquid level in digestate storage 1 Liquid level and corresponding volume in digestate storage 1 If mixer OM60 is on or off If mixer OM61 is on or off
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Settings menu of the digester storage unit
Figure 3-18 Screenshot of the digestate storage unit settings menu.
Functionalities From the settings menu of the digestate storage unit (Figure 3-18), the instructions for the operation of the digestate storage unit can be controlled by setting an upper level boundary. When the upper level is reached, an alarm is activated. A list of the functionalities in the digestate storage unit 1 settings menu can be seen in Table 3-17.
Table 3-17 Functionalities of the digestate storage settings menu. A B Name vre niv I tank Tillbaka Action Set upper boundary for liquid level Back to digestate storage menu Information displayed Current upper boundary for liquid level (cm)
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Pumping from digestate storage unit to manure storage unit (ERK1 till LT1)
Figure 3-19 Screenshot of pumping from digestate storage to manure storage menu.
Functionalities From the settings menu of the digestate storage settings (Figure 3-19) menu, the instructions on how to pump from the digestate storage unit to manure tank unit 1 are specified. Setting pumping duration and time for starting and stopping the pump can also be performed in this menu. A list of the functionalities in the menu for pumping from digestate storage unit to manure storage unit can be seen in Table 3-18.
Table 3-18 Functionalities of the menu for pumping from digestate storage unit to manure storage unit. A B C Name Pumpning ska pg i Starta Tillbaka Action Set duration time for pumping Start and stop pumping Back to digestate storage menu Information displayed Current set duration time for pumping If the pump can be started or stopped
Frlupen tid
Separate information displayed How long time the pump has been active since started
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3.2.7 Gas measuring menu (Gasmtning)
Figure 3-20 Screenshot of the gas measuring menu.
Functionalities From the gas measuring menu (Figure 3-20), the current gas flows, raw gas storage pressure as well as operation of the torch can be followed. A list of the functionalities in the gas measuring menu can be seen in Table 3-19.
Table 3-19 Functionalities of the gas measuring menu. A B C D E F G H 1 2 3 Name GM1 GM3 Instllningar versikt Larm Energimtning ERK1 GAS PC1 GFA1 GF1 Action Go to gas flow meter menu Go to gas flow meter menu Go to gas measuring settings menu Process overview menu Alarm list Energy measuring menu Digestate storage menu Gas utilization menu Separate information displayed Current pressure in raw gas storage If torch is on (green) or off (white) and current days online time of torch If gas pump in on (green) or off(white) Information displayed Current flow rate in flow meter 1 Current flow rate in flow meter 2 (gas burner)
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Gas measuring settings menu
Figure 3-21 Screenshot of the gas measuring settings menu.
Functionalities From the gas measuring settings menu (Figure 3-21), the raw gas storage pressure limit for activating the torch can be set. A list of the functionalities in the gas measuring settings menu can be seen in Table 3-20.
Table 3-20 Functionalities of the gas measuring settings menu. A B Name Tndning av gasfackla Tillbaka Action Set minimum raw gas storage pressure for activation of torch Go to back to gas measuring menu Information displayed Current minimum raw gas storage pressure for activation of torch (mbar)
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Gas flow meters menu
Figure 3-22 Screenshot of the gas flow meters menu.
Functionalities From the gas flow meters menu (Figure 3-22), the process parameters of the two gas flow meters in the system can be followed. A list of the functionalities in the gas flow meters menu can be seen in Table 3-21.
Table 3-21 Functionalities of the gas flow meters menu. A Name Tillbaka Action Back to gas measuring meter Information displayed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Momentat (GM1) Dygnsvrde (GM1) Totalt (GM1) Momentat (GM3) Dygnsvrde (GM3) Totalt (GM3)
Separate information displayed Current value for gas flow meter (total gas flow) (m3/h) Gas produced the current day (total gas flow) (m3/d) Total gas production of the plant (total gas flow) m3 Current value for gas flow meter (gas burner) (m3/h) Gas produced the current day (gas burner) (m3/d) Total gas production of the plant (gas burner) (m3)
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3.2.8 Gas consumption menu (Gasanvndning)
Figure 3-23 Screenshot of the gas consumption menu.
Functionalities From the gas consumption menu (Figure 3-23), the gas consumption units can be monitored. The status of several gas alarm systems can also be followed in this menu. A list of the functionalities in the gas consumption menu can be seen in Table 3-22.
Table 3-22 Functionalities of gas consumption menu. A B C D E F Name Instllningar versikt Larm Energimtning GAS M PB1 Action Go to gas utilization settings menu Process overview menu Alarm list Energy measuring menu Gas measuring menu Mixer tank menu Information displayed
1 2 3 4 5
GASLAGER GASVARNARE GASPANNA STIRLING FORDONSGAS
Separate information displayed Level in raw gas layer (%) Level of gas alarm (not functioning) If gas burner is on (green) or off (white) and on time the current day so far If stirling engine is on (green) or off (white) and on time the current day so far If upgrading unit is on (green) or off (white) and on time the current day so far
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Gas consumption settings menu
Figure 3-24 Screenshot of the gas consumption settings menu.
Functionalities From the gas consumption settings menu (Figure 3-24), the settings controlling the levels for the upgrading unit, Stirling engine and the gas burner can be set. This is carried out by specifying a filling level of the raw gas storage unit at which the gas consumption should be activated, as well as a corresponding level when it should be deactivated. A list of the functionalities in the gas consumption settings menu can be seen in Table 3-23.
Table 3-23 Functionalities of gas flow meter menu.
A B C D E F G H I Name Start (Fordonsgasanl.) Stopp (Fordonsgasanl.) Start (Sterlingmotor Stopp (Sterlingmotor Max (Gaspanna) Start (Gaspanna) Stopp (Gaspanna Gaslarm Tillbaka Action Set raw gas storage level to activate upgrading unit Set raw gas storage level to deactivate upgrading unit Set raw gas storage level to activate Stirling unit Set raw gas storage level to deactivate Stirling unit Set the maximum raw gas storage level for the gas burner Set raw gas storage level to activate gas burner unit Set raw gas storage level to deactivate gas burner unit Set gas alarm level to give gas alarm Back to gas utilization menu Information displayed Current raw gas storage level to activate upgrading unit Current raw gas storage level to deactivate upgrading unit Current raw gas storage level to activate Stirling unit Current raw gas storage level to deactivate Stirling unit Current the maximum raw gas storage level for the gas burner Current raw gas storage level to activate gas burner unit Current raw gas storage level to deactivate gas burner unit Current gas alarm level to give gas alarm
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3.3
Data logger (Logging)
Figure 3-25 Screenshot of the data logger menu.
Functionalities From the data logger menu (Figure 3-25) the three different loggers in the control panel can be accessed. A list of the functionalities in the data logger menu can be seen in Table 3-24.
Table 3-24 Functionalities of data logger menu. A B C D E F G H Name Loggning 1 Loggning 2 Loggning 3 Ls av nu Nollstll Huvud versikt Larm Action Go to Logger 1 menu Go to Logger 2 menu Go to Logger 3 menu View the latest collected data points Erase the loggers Back to start menu Go to process overview menu Go to alarm list Information displayed
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3.3.1 Logger 1
Figure 3-26 Screenshot of the Logger 1 menu.
Functionalities From the logger 1 menu (Figure 3-26), the parameters stored in the logger can be seen and their trends for the four last days can be monitored. A list of the functionalities in the logger 1 menu can be seen in Table 3-25.
Table 3-25 Functionalities of logger 1 menu. A B C Name Tillbaka Loggning 2 Loggning 3 Action Back to data logger menu Go to logger 2 menu Go to logger 3 menu Information displayed
1 2
LOGGER 1 Graph
Separate information displayed Parameters stored in logger 1 Four day trend lines for parameters stored in logger 1
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3.3.2 Logger 2
Figure 3-27 Screenshot of the Logger 2 menu.
Functionalities From the logger 2 menu (Figure 3-27), the parameters stored in the logger can be seen and their trends for the four last days can be monitored. A list of the functionalities in the logger 2 menu can be seen in Table 3-26.
Table 3-26 Functionalities of logger 2 menu. A B C Name Tillbaka Loggning 1 Loggning 3 Action Back to data logger menu Go to logger 1 menu Go to logger 3 menu Information displayed
1 2
LOGGER 2 Graph
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3.3.3 Logger 3
Figure 3-28 Screenshot of Logger 3 menu.
Functionalities From the logger 3 menu (Figure 3-28), the parameters stored in the logger can be seen and their trends for the four last days be monitored. A list of the functionalities in the logger 3 menu can be seen in Table 3-27.
Table 3-27 Functionalities of the logger 3 menu. A B C Name Tillbaka Loggning 1 Loggning 2 Action Back to data logger menu Go to logger 1 menu Go to logger 2 menu Information displayed
1 2
LOGGER 3 Graph
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3.4
Energy measuring (Energimtningar)
Figure 3-29 Screenshot of the energy measuring menu.
Functionalities From the energy measuring menu (Figure 3-29), the amount of energy that has been consumed and produced can be monitored. A list of the functionalities in the energy measuring menu can be seen in Table 3-28.
Table 3-28 Functionalities of energy measuring menu. A B C 1 2 3 Name Huvud versikt Larm Totalvrden Dygnsvrden Graph Action Back to start menu Got to process overview menu Go to alarm list Information displayed
Separate information displayed Readings of totally produced (blue) and consumed (red) energy Readings of produced (blue) and consumed (red) energy for the current day Trend lines of the produced (blue) and consumed (red) energy
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3.4.1 Alarm list (Larm)
Figure 3-30 Screenshot of the alarm list.
Functionalities From the gas alarm list (Figure 3-30) the gas consumption units can be monitored. The status of several gas alarm systems can also be followed in this menu. A list of the functionalities in the gas consumption menu can be seen in Table 3-29.
Table 3-29 Functionalities of alarm list. A B C D E F Name ESC Arrow up Checkmark Magnifying glass Wristwatch Arrow down Action Go back to previous menu Go up in list Acknowledge alarm Zoom in Display the time for the alarms Go down in list Information displayed
Alarm list
Separate information displayed Current alarms in list and if they are active (red) or acknowledged (grey)
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ANALYSIS AND MONITORING
There is an increasing need to analyze the liquid or solid raw materials before their use as feedstock (substrates) in anaerobic digestion processes and also to monitor suitable process parameters which can give early indications of imbalances in the microbial system and early warnings of external disturbances.
4.1
Determination of feedstock characteristics
Biogas can be produced from a broad range of substrates that are suitable for anaerobic digestion, e.g. manure, residual sludge, energy crops, municipal solid waste and industrial waste. Operation of a pilot and/or full-scale anaerobic digester working on a single substrate or in a co-digestion mode requires analysis of each substrate. The substrate should be characterised with regard to pH, moisture content, total (TS) and volatile solids (VS) and also to its potential to produce bio-methane.
4.1.1 pH pH is a measure of the acidity/alkalinity of a solution. A neutral solution (H2O) has a pH of 7. Alkaline or basic solutions have a pH higher than 7 and acidic solutions less than 7. pH is defined as negative decimal logarithm of the hydrogen concentration in a solution; a low pH indicates a high concentration of hydrogen ions [H+], while a high pH indicates a low concentration. pH = log[H +] (1)
pH can be measured experimentally using a pH sensor, which consists of an ion-selective electrode covered with a glass membrane and a reference electrode (e.g. calomel or silver chloride electrode).The pH sensor measure a potential difference between the ion-selective and the reference electrodes, and this potential difference is dependent of hydrogen concentration according to the Nernst equation: E = E0 + nF ln[H +]
RT
(2)
66
Figure 4-1 Photo and schematic representation of a pH sensor.
The pH value of the substrate influences the growth of microorganisms; most methanogens and acetogens grow best near neutral pH conditions, whereas acidogens prefer to live in weak acidic conditions.
4.1.2 Moisture content Moisture content (MC) is the quantity of water contained in a sample. The gravimetric method is a widely used method for determination of trace amounts of water in a sample. This can be done by drying a known amount of sample in an oven. The moisture analyzer is based on the principle of thermogravimetric analysis: the sample is weighted both before and after drying (using a 400 W halogen lamp as a heating source); the water content is calculated as the ratio between the difference in amounts of the sample before (mWet) and after drying (mDried) and the initial amount of sample, and the moisture content is usually expressed as weight %. % =

100
(3)
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Figure 4-2 Photo of the moisture analyzer used for the determination of the total solids of a target sample.
The total content of solids is a measure of the amount of material remaining after all the water has been evaporated. % =

100 = 100 (%)
(4)
4.1.3 Total (TS) and volatile solids (VS) The dry matter, i.e. all inorganic and organic compounds, is often expressed as TS and can be measured according to a standard protocol. For a given biomass sample, it is necessary to heat the sample up to 105 C in order to remove all water content. VS is represented by the organic compounds in the sample. After finishing the TS measurement, heating the sample up to 550 C for two hours should be continued for burning up the organic matter. The weight difference between the sample after heating at 105 and 550 C reflects the VS content of the biomass. The next three steps are usually followed to determine the TS and VS of a target sample: 1). Preparation a) Heat a dish to 550 C for 1 h. b) Place the dish in a desiccator for cooling. 2). TS determination a) Weigh the dish and record this value. b) Add 2-3 ml of a representative sample into the dish. c) Place the dish with the sample in an oven preheated to 105 C and allow the volatiles to evaporate for 20 h.
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Figure 4-3 The main steps performed for TS determination.
3). VS determination a) Take the dish out of the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature in a desiccator. b) Weigh the dish and record the value. c) Transfer this dish into a furnace pre-heated to 550 C (ignition). d) After 2 h, take the dish out of the furnace and cool it to RT in a desiccator. e) Weigh the dish and record the value.
Figure 4-4 The main steps performed for VS determination.
TS is calculated as the ratio between the amount of dried sample (mDried) and the initial amount of wet sample (mWet), whereas VS is calculated as the ratio between the difference in the amount of sample after drying and burning (mBurned) and the initial amount of sample. % = % =

100 100
(5) (6)
4.1.4 Biochemical methane potential (BMP) test A laboratory-scale procedure in which substrates are characterized and then evaluated using the biochemical methane potential (BMP) analysis is usually carried out in the first step. This test provides a preliminary indication of the biodegradability of a substrate and of its potential to produce methane via anaerobic digestion. The conventional BMP assay involves incubating a substrate inoculated with anaerobic bacteria for a period of 30 to 60 days, commonly at 37 C, and monitoring the biogas production and its composition throughout the test. Most such tests require a relatively high 69
workload for manual sampling of the produced gas at different time points, followed by analysis, data recording and processing. The Automatic Methane Potential Test System (AMPTS) II follows the same analysing principles as conventional biochemical methane potential tests, which make the results fully comparable with common methods. However, in an AMPTS, the sampling, analysis and recording are fully integrated and automated, the bio-methane production being recorded continuously 24 h per day, 7 days per week with minimal workload. The system is able to analyse substrates with or without pre-treatment in order to allow biogas producers to determine the methane production potential and degradation profile of any substrate, providing the optimum co-digestion possibilities, retention times and plant utilisation.
Figure 4-5 Photo of AMPTS and a screenshot with the graph page.
The AMPTS provides the following advantages over conventional BMP tests: (i) automated analytical procedure, reducing workload and time, (ii) on-line and real-time data logging of total biogas or bio-methane production and flow rate, (iii) user friendly interface for real-time data display and analysis overview, (iv) high quality data allowing extracting process kinetic information, (v) easy and low maintenance, (vi) cost effectiveness, (vii) possibility of multiplexing, allowing simultaneous evaluation of co-digestion and substrate pre-treatment.
4.2
Monitoring of process parameters in anaerobic digestion process
Anaerobic digesters require monitoring of critical parameters (e.g. temperature, pH and buffering capacity, the concentration of nutrients and inhibitors, gas composition) in order to obtain an optimal production efficiency and biogas yield. However, due to the expensive and/or time-consuming character of most analysis methods for anaerobic digestion, industrial digesters are usually not extensively monitored and only few parameters may be continuously measured, such as pH and gas flow. Therefore the loading rate of a digester has to be kept relatively low for safety reasons.
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4.2.1 Temperature Anaerobic treatment is normally carried out within two distinct temperature ranges: i) thermophilic range, where the optimal temperature is about 55 C, and ii) mesophilic range, where the optimal digestion occurs at about 37 C. The advantages of thermophilic digestion over the mesophilic one include a high CH4 production rate and the support of a higher organic load. However, thermophilic digestion appears unstable in comparison to degradation under mesophilic conditions due to denaturation of enzymes at high temperature. Besides the two temperature ranges mentioned before, methanogenesis is also possible at temperatures below 20 C, under psycrophilic conditions, but occurs at lower rates. At this low temperature, the enzymatic hydrolysis of organic matter rich in carbohydrates is also slow. In conclusion, the mesophilic conditions are the most used for the anaerobic digestion of organic materials.
4.2.2 pH For the successful operation and control of the anaerobic fermentation it is essential to measure the reactor pH since a change in pH is a good indicator of process stress for the systems with low buffer capacity or alkalinity. The pH of the reactor should be maintained close to neutrality in anaerobic processes (between 6.8 and 7.4) to ensure stable operation. Each of the microbial groups involved in the process has a specific pH region for optimal growth. For the acidogens the optimal pH is around 6, whereas for the acetogens and methanogens the optimal pH is around 7. For example, process overloaded results in excessive production of fatty acids and this will be reflected in decreased pH if the buffering capacity of the fermentation liquid is low. 4.2.3 Alkalinity Another important parameter in anaerobic digestion systems is alkalinity, which is a measure of the capacity of a sample to resist a change in pH. For maintaining a neutral pH and a stable operation of the reactor, the fermentation mixture should provide enough buffering capacity to neutralize any possible volatile fatty acids (VFA). Carbonic acid (bicarbonate form), dihydrogen phosphate, hydrogen sulphide and ammonia are the compounds that provide a significant buffering capacity around pH 7. Even if alkalinity represents the total concentration of bases in solution, it is expressed as ppm or mg/L CaCO3. Alkalinity is determined by a titration method using a buret/digital titrator and a pH meter. Titration is the addition of small quantities of the reagent (H2SO4 or HCl) to the sample until the sample reaches a certain pH known as an endpoint (pH of 4.3).
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Figure 4-6 Photo of the digital titrator used for the determination of alkalinity.
Alkalinity (AK, expressed as mg CaCO3/L) is calculated as a function of the volume (Vacid) and normality of standard acid (Nacid) which is used for titration. CaCO3 (sample) + 2H+(acid) Ca2+ + H2CO3 =
50000
(7)
At pH 4.3, more than 99% of the bicarbonate system is converted to carbonic acid. If VFA are present, more than 80% of the total VFA will be measured and this leads to overestimation of the total alkalinity. Therefore a new end point is proposed, titration of a sample to a pH of 5.75. At this pH 80% of the bicarbonate will be converted to H2CO3 and VFA will have less contribution on the alkalinity giving a better measure of the buffering capacity. For a stable operation it is recommended to have partial alkalinity of 1200 mg CaCO3/L. 4.2.4 Nutrients and toxins Efficient biodegradation requires that nutrients, such as N, P, and trace elements are available in sufficient amounts. The most important nutrients are nitrogen and phosphorus and it has been suggested as a rule of thumb, that COD:N:P ratio should be kept at a minimum of 250:5:1. The anaerobic digestion of a substrate with high nitrogen content (e.g. manure or a feedstock with high protein content) will release ammonium and this will lead to ammonia inhibition. Therefore, co-digestion of manure with carbohydrate rich-organic wastes will improve the C/N ratio and will lead to a more efficient digestion. It has also been reported that supplementation of trace elements, such as Ni and Co, stimulates anaerobic processes.
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Besides compounds which stimulate anaerobic digestion process, there are toxic compounds which can inhibit the degradation. Methanogens are commonly considered to be the most sensitive to toxicity, although all microorganisms involved in digestion can be affected. The toxicity of NH3, H2S and VFA is pH dependent since only the non-ionized forms exhibit microbial toxicity. Ammonia is toxic at a pH higher than 7. At pH 8, 10% is in free ammonia which is more toxic than ammonium ion (90%). In general, free ammonia levels should be kept below 80 ppm to avoid toxic effect. H2S and VFA (acetate, propionate, butyrate) are toxic at pH below 7. As the pH decreases, the concentration of the undissociated form of the acid increases relative to the ionized form. Digester failure occurs when the concentration of the undissociated VFA (expressed as acetic acid) reach a level of 30 ppm. Volatile acid accumulation has been used, therefore, as an indicator of system imbalance. Heavy metal ions exhibit toxicity for the microorganisms by inactivating the sulphydryl groups (thiolic groups) of their enzymes in forming mercaptides. Methanogenic bacteria are very sensitive to O2. In an anaerobic digester, any O2 present in the digester will be rapidly consumed by hydrolysing and acidogenic bacteria.
4.2.5 Biogas flow and composition Monitoring of the biogas production rate and composition is common at pilot and full-scale anaerobic digester facilities. Inhibition of methanogenesis would cause a decrease in gas production and overloading would result in increased gas production at the beginning, followed by a decrease when VFA have accumulated. The proportion of CH4 to CO2 in biogas depends on the substrate. However, temperature, pH and pressure can also alter the gas composition slightly. Typical gas composition for carbohydrate feeds are 55% CH4 and 45% CO2, while for fats the gas can contain as much as 75% CH4.
Figure 4-7 Photos of the gas sampling port and the gas sensor.
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Even though measuring parameters such as biogas production and composition is common at biogas plants, they have been shown not to be sensitive enough for process monitoring and control. Due to limitations in mass transfer between liquid and gas phases, the gas-phase concentration does not always reflect the actual concentration in the liquid.
4.2.6 Volatile fatty acids (VFA) and dissolved hydrogen (DH) Propionate, butyrate and valerate are intermediate compounds from the acidogenic step and can be converted further into CH4 and CO2 through the acetogenesis step. Accumulation of these acids results in a decreased pH, leading to an increased amount of protonated VFA which causes inhibition of degradation of the feedstock. Since accumulation of these compounds reflects an imbalance between the microbial groups involved in the degradation, monitoring of these intermediates is therefore a method of tracking the status of the process. The concentration of dissolved hydrogen has also been shown to be a key factor in the fermenter since its concentration affects thermodynamics and the degradation pathway of the anaerobic process. Hydrogen works as both an intermediate and electron carrier in the degradation process. High hydrogen concentrations can inhibit volatile acid degradation, resulting in VFA accumulation. Thus, hydrogen accumulation can be suggested as an early stage indicator of process imbalance and toxic inhibition.
Figure 4-8 Photo of a hydrogen sensor.
Selection of parameters for process monitoring and control depends on the reactor configuration, the characteristics of the feedstock, and available sensors, as well as the implemented control strategy, and may not be generally applicable. However, it is quite common that several parameters are monitored at the same time, as they can provide complementary information about process dynamics.
4.3
Sampling and analysis
4.3.1 Sampling points At the Plnninge biogas site, the liquid samples can be collected mainly from four places (i.e. manure tank, mixer tank, buffer tank and digester) whereas the gas sampling is carried out from the condensation trap in the gas room. 74
Sampling from the manure tank For sampling from the manure tank a sampling stick and a bucket are required; a description of the operational steps to be followed is presented below.
Figure 4-9 Photo of the sampling port from the manure tank.
1) In the control panel, access the manure tank menu and do the following tasks:
Figure 4-10 Screenshots of manure tank 2 menu with instructions on how to turn on the mixing.
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a) Make sure the level is high enough for using the pump. The level should be above 50 cm. b) Turn the pump on manual mode. c) Turn the pump on recirculation mode. d) Start the pump and run it for at least five minutes. 2) Remove the cover of the manure tank. 3) Take a sample using the sampling stick. Immerse the stick a bit below the upper liquid level and mix in order to get a more representative sample. 4) Empty the content of the sample stick in the bucket. 5) Place the cover back on the manure tank. 6) Take the bucket with the sample back into the control room for analysis. 7) In the control panel, perform the following steps: a) Turn off the pump. b) Turn the pump on automatic mode again. Sampling from the mixing tank For taking a sample from the mixing tank, a sampling stick and a bucket are required. 1) In the control panel, access the mixing tank menu and do the follwing tasks (same as for manure tank): a) Make sure the level is high enough for using the pump. The level should be above the lower boundary. b) Turn the pump on to manual mode. c) Turn the pump on to recirculation mode. d) Start the pump and run it for at least five minutes. 2) Turn on the submersible mixer. 3) Remove the cover of the mixing tank. 4) Take a sample using the sampling stick. Immerse the stick a bit below the liquid level and mix in order to get a more representative sample. 5) Empty the content of the sample stick in the bucket. 6) Put the cover back on the mixing tank. 7) Take the bucket with the sample back into the control room for analysis. 8) Turn off the submersible mixer. 9) In the control panel, perform the following steps: a) Turn off the pump. 76
b) Turn the pump on automatic mode again.
Sampling from the buffer tank For taking a sample from the buffer tank, a sampling stick and a bucket is required. 1) In the control panel, access the buffer tank menu and do the follwing tasks (same as for manure tank): a) Make sure the level is high enough for using the pump. The level should be above the lower mark. b) Turn the pump on to manual mode. c) Turn the pump on to recirculation mode. d) Start the pump and run it for at least five minutes. 2) Remove the cover of the buffer tank. 3) Take a sample using the sampling stick. Immerse the stick a bit below the liquid level and mix in order to get a more representative sample.
Figure 4-11 Photo of the sampling stick immersed in the buffer tank.
4) Empty the content of the sample stick in the bucket.
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Figure 4-12 Photo of the sampling stick emptied in the bucket.
5) Put the cover back on the buffer tank. 6) Take the bucket with the sample back into the control room for analysis. 7) In the control panel, perform the following steps: a) Turn off the pump. b) Turn the pump on automatic mode again. Sampling from the digester For taking a sample from the digester, a bucket is required. 1) Make sure the valve of the digestate hose (situated behind the control room) is closed (the tap is in the opposite direction to the hose).
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Figure 4-13 Photo of the valve of the digestate hose in closed position.
2) Go back inside and open (in the same direction as the hose) the valve and hold it open for three seconds.
Figure 4-14 Photo of the pump from the control room.
3) Go outside, carefully open the valve (the tap should be in same direction as the hose) while holding the hose outlet firmly into the collecting bucket. The digestate will now flow into the bucket.
Figure 4-15 Photo of the valve of the digestate hose in open position and the bucket full with a sample collected from the digester.
4) When no more digestate is flowing from the hose outlet, close the valve again.
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Figure 4-16 Photo of the valve of the digestate hose in closed position.
Sampling from the condensation trap (in the gas room) For taking and analyzing a gas sample from the condensation trap, an MSA Altair 5IR sensor is required.
Figure 4-17 Photo of the MSA Altair sensor for measuring CH4 and H2S concentrations in a gas sample.
4.3.2 Analysis of liquid samples The only tests currently performed for raw materials, at the Plnninge biogas plant, are the measurement of moisture content (which is indirectly a measure of the total solids) and the pH. These measurements are performed using a moisture analyser (Kern MLB_N, version 2.1, Germany) and a pH sensor (Impo electronic, type 1510, Denmark), respectively.
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Figure 4-18 Photo of Kern MLB_N moisture analyser situated in the control room.
Determination of moisture content 1) Turn on the analyzer by pressing the On/Off button until digits appears on the display. 2) The analyser needs a pre-heating process before measurement. For that, place a sample tray on the tray support and press the Start/Stop key to initiate the heating.
Figure 4-19 Photo of the moisture analyzer when the Start key is pressed for initiating the heating.
3) When the temperature of the analyser reaches equilibrium, a downward arrow is displayed on the top right corner. Open the lid and place a sample tray previously kept at room temperature in the tray support.
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Figure 4-20 Photo of the sample tray placed on the tray support of the moisture analyzer.
82
4) Press the Tare button and wait the value on the display to stabilize.
Figure 4-21 Photo of the Tare key from the moisture analyzer.
5) When a downward arrow appears on the top right corner of the display, the sample may be placed in the sample tray. Make sure that the sample is properly mixed before sampling. Use a proper sample quantity, e.g. 5-10 g.
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Figure 4-22 Photo of the previously mixed sample added to the sample try of the moisture analyser.
6) When the display shows a stable value, close the heating cover to start the analysis. A blinking bright light should appear inside the moisture analyser.
Figure 4-23 Photo of the sample before staring the moisture analyser.
7) When the change of moisture content per minute (drying rate) is below 0.1%, the measurement is completed. Open the heating cover and remove the sample using the tray handle. Turn off the analyzer by pressing the On/Off button. 8) Calculate the TS value by subtracting the displayed value of moisture content from 100. 84
Figure 4-24 Screenshot of the Excel file process_data.xlsm.
8) Enter the aquired TS value for the sample in the excel file process_data.xlsm.
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Determination of pH
Figure 4-25 Photo of the pH sensor situated in the control room.
1) Turn on the pH sensor by pressing the On button until numbers appears on the display.
Figure 4-26 Photo of the pH electrode.
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2) Remove the protection cap of the electrode. Place the sensor in the buffer standard solution(s) and calibrate it (single- or two-point(s) calibration).
Figure 4-27 Photo of the protection cap of the pH electrode.
3) Place the electrode in the sample. Be sure that the membrane of the electrode is well immersed in the liquid.
Figure 4-28 Photo of a pH electrode immersed in a liquid.
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4) Place the sensor on a solid surface and make sure the electrode remains stable and doesnt get completely submerged.
Figure 4-29 Photo of a pH meter registering pH of a target sample.
5) Wait for the pH value to stabilize (normally takes 2-3 minutes). 6) Remove and rinse the electrode under running water. 7) Make sure that the protection plastic cap still contains storage liquid and place it back over the membrane of the sensor.
Figure 4-30 Screenshot of the Excel file process_data.xlsm.
8) Enter the registered pH value for the sample in the Excel file process_data.xlsm 88
4.4
Analysis of gaseous samples
The analysis of the biogas samples are performed using an MSA Altair sensor.
Figure 4-31 Photo of MSA Altair sensor for measuring biogas composition.
1) Turn on the MSA Altair sensor by pushing down on the button in the middle and holding it for a few seconds until a sound is generated and the screen lights up.
Figure 4-32 Photo of MSA Altair sensor in On position.
89
2) Perform a pump test by blocking the tube until the screen displays Pump test OK.
Figure 4-33 Photo of MSA Altair sensor in its test stage.
3) When the calibration is finished, the FRISKLUFT SETUP will appear on the display and at that moment press the right button.
Figure 4-34 Photo of the gas outlet on the condensation trap.
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4) Open the valve for the gas outlet on the codensation trap.
Figure 4-35 The connection of the gas sensor with the gas outlet on the condensation trap.
5) Connect the sample unit to the gas outlet by placing the plastic tube of the sampling unit inside the plastic tube of the gas outlet.
Figure 4-36 Photo of the display of the gas sensor.
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6) Wait for the values on the display to stabilize (this usually takes 1-2 minutes) and then note the values for CH4 and H2S concentration.
Figure 4-37 Photo of the gas sensor placed in its holder for charging.
7) Place the sampling unit back in its holder for charging. Make sure that the green light is on.
Figure 4-38 Screenshot of the Excel file containing the registered values for CH 4 and H2S concentrations.
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8) Enter the registred values for CH4 and H2S concentrations in the Excel file process_data.xlsm.
4.5
Online monitoring and data logging
Several process parameters are measured online to give information about the operation of the plant. A number of these parameters are also locally saved in the computer of the control panel. Totally, there are three data loggers that save and store daily the measured values of 14 parameters (Table 4-1). There is a memory limit in the data logger which causes it to overwrite older values after a certain time (after about 2-3 months). Therefore, it is important to download the data on a regular basis.
Table 4-1 Parameters that are logged in the data logger. Logger 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 Logger 2 1 2 3 4 5 Logger 3 Name in control panel TC50 TC51 LC5 LC6 GM1 DYGN GM3 DYGN EM1 DYGN WMM1 DYGN WMM2 DYGN GP1 TID DYGN FI5 DYGN Name in Excel filea Temp1 Temp2 Niv RK Niv ERK Gasflde Gasflde panna EM1 WMM1 WMM2 Tid gaspanna Beskickning Description Temperature digester bottom Temperature digester top Level in digester Level in digestate storage unit 1 Daily gas production Daily gas flow in gas burner Consumed electricity by operational units Consumed heat energy by digester Produced heat from plant Gas boiler on time Amount fed to digester
a)
1 STERLING TID DYGN Tid stirling Stirling engine on time 2 FORDON TID DYGN Tid uppgradering Upgrading on time 3 FACKLA TID DYGN Tid fackla Torch on time Excel file for data handling in Plnninge. More information is given in section 6. Documentation.
The data from the logger can be downloaded as a csv (comma separated values)-file that can be open in Excel. A guide of how this conversion is carried out is presented in chapter 6.
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EVALUATION OF THE OPERATION AND PROCESS PERFORMANCES 5.1 Process operation
5.1.1 Organic loading rate (OLR) The OLR is a measurement of how much organic material is loaded into the digester each day 3 and is expressed as / /. This parameter considers both the concentration and the amount of the incoming substrate and is independent of the digester size, thus representing a very good parameter for regulating the feeding of the digester and in the same time assessing the performances of the digester. A recommended value to start with for a mesophilic process (35-39 C) is normally around 23 3 / / ; however, the processes should also be tested at higher levels of ORL. The OLR can easily be calculated by dividing the concentration of the incoming substrate ( , ) with the inflow ( ) to the digester (Equation 8). = , (8)
5.1.2 Hydraulic retention time (HRT) The HRT is a measurement of how long time the incoming material spends in the digester on average. A too short HRT can lead to a washing-out of the bacteria (due to the fact that more bacteria is leaving the digester than they can reproduced) which can cause digester crashes. As a recommendation, the HRT should be kept above 20 days to make sure there is no risk of bacteria cells washout. A longer HRT will also lead to a longer time for the bacteria to degrade the substrate which in turn will increase the gas yield. However this will also lower the productivity in most cases (see section 5.2). Therefore, it is important to find a good balance for HRT. The HRT can easily be calculated by dividing the average volume of liquid in the digester ( , ) to the average inflow ( ) (Equation 9). = , (9)
Table 5-1 Process operation parameters. Recommended value OLR HRT >3 kg VS/m /day 30 days
3
Comment Varies from process to process, changes in OLR should be conservative Should be kept above 20 days
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5.2
Process performances
There is a number of parameters used to evaluate the performances of a biogas plant. These parameters are often standardized, making it possible to compare different plants with each other and get a good understanding of what performances should be expected. The normalized accumulated volume of gas, gas productivity and the reduction in VS are the most representative parameters which are reviewed and evaluated in a daily, weekly and/or monthly basis.
5.2.1 Gas normalization Gas normalization is a way to get a standardized measurement of the gas volume or flow rate by compensating for the effects of temperature and pressure. The pressure deviation is often so small that it can be excluded. Since raw biogas contains small amounts of water vapor, this effect should be also removed. There are several standards for carrying out such compensation; below is the one accepted by IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry). = , 273.15 273.15 + (10)
= 1
10
1730 .630 8.19625 +233,426
(11)
1013
5.2.2 Gas productivity The gas productivity is a standardized parameter to measure and compare how productive a biogas digester is. It is a measurement that describes the amount of gas produced per reactor 3 3 volume and day with the unit / / . Since the parameter considers the volume of the digester, it may be used for comparison of performances of different biogas plants. The parameter can be calculated from either the total volume of biogas and/or methane. For standardization, the gas is usually normalized by compensating for the effect of temperature, pressure and water content; the normalized values are around 9% lower than the ones for the raw biogas.
3 3 A well performing plant has a biogas productivity (Pbiogas) of around 2-3 / / 3 3 and a methane productivity of 1-2 / / . However, these values depend greatly of what type of substrate is used and the configuration of the plant. The gas productivity (P) can be calculated by dividing the average normalized gas flow (F) with the total volume of the digester (Vdigester) (Equations 12 and 13):
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(12)
(13)
5.2.3 Gas yield The gas yield is a standardized parameter to measure and compare how efficient a biogas digester is. It is a measurement that describes the amount of gas produced per amount of 3 organic material and is expressed as / . Since the parameter considers how much gas is produced per amount of organic material, it may be used as a comparison between biogas plants digesting the same or similar substrates. Similarly to the gas productivity, this parameter can be calculated with both total biogas and/or methane. For standardization, the gas is usually normalized by compensating the effect of temperature, pressure and water content; the normalized values are around 9% lower than the ones for the raw biogas.
3 A well performing plant usually has a biogas yield of 0.6-0.8 / and a methane 3 3 productivity of 0.4-0.5 / / . As mentioned above, these values depend greatly on what type of substrate is digested. For a farm scale plant where manure and carbohydrate rich substrates normally are digested, these values are normally somewhat lower. A good way to find out what level to be expected is to perform a BMP analysis (see section 4.1.4). A rule of thumb is that the process should have a similar or higher gas yield compared to the gas potential from the BMP analysis to be considered as a well performing process.
The gas yield can be calculated by dividing the average normalized gas flow with the organic loading rate (OLR) (Equations 14 and 15): = (14) (15)
5.2.4 VS reduction The VS reduction is another measurement that indicates the efficiency of the anaerobic process. It corresponds to the amount of the organic material that was digested during fermentation. This is an especially interesting parameter if the focus is on waste reduction instead of gas production. The expected VS reductions depend greatly on the type of substrate digested. The VS reduction can be calculated by dividing the difference between the incoming and outgoing VS to the incoming VS (Equation 16). If the volumetric inflow and outflow can be 96
assumed to be the same (if the volume in the digester is constant) this can be calculated by the same equation but with concentration of VS instead of the mass. = , , , (16)
Table 5-2 Process performance parameters. Recommended value Gas productivity Methane productivity Total gas yield Methane yield VS reduction >1 Nm /m /d >0.6 Nm3/m3/d >0.5 Nm3/kgVS >0.3 Nm /kgVS >60 %
3 3 3
Comment
Depends greatly on type of substrate Depends greatly on type of substrate Depends greatly on type of substrate
5.3
Process stability
One of the most important aspects of having a well performing process is to have a stable process. The losses in gas production can be substantial if the process gets disturbed. Aside from that, a constant environment usually makes the microorganisms in the digestate perform optimally. pH is a well-known parameter to measure the stability of the anaerobic digestion process. This is due to the fact that many of the bacterial groups (especially the methane producing bacteria) are sensitive to pH levels outside the optimal intervals. For a stable process, the pH value should be stable around 7-7.5. Normally, an instable process is suffering from decreasing pH due to production of more intermediate products (i.e. VFA) than the methane producing bacteria can consume. When the pH becomes low enough, the methane producing bacteria gets inhibited, leading to more accumulation of VFA. Measuring pH is a relatively simple and cheap method, giving a rather good indication of the process status. However, in order to truly know the condition of a process, the concentrations of VFA and total alkalinity (TA) (see section 4.2) also need to be measured. The alkalinity is a measurement of the buffer capacity and therefore gives an indication of how much VFA the process can absorb before the pH starts to drop. Normally, the alkalinity is rather high in processes that are fed with cow manure since the manure often is rich in basic ions. The procedure demands a lab with titration equipments and is therefore not performed on routine basis. However it is recommended to perform the test on the digestate at least three to four times per year, preferably combined with the VFA analysis. It is however more interesting to record the ratio between VFA and total alkalinity (see, VFA/TA) than just alkalinity, since this relationship actually determines the effect on the pH value. 97
The gas composition partly provides information on how the intermediate steps are performing. Normally, the composition is rather constant as long as a similar substrate is fed to the process. However, if the methane concentration starts to decrease, it is a sign that the process is not working under optimal conditions. A lower concentration of methane often means that there is an inhibition of a methane producing step. A normal methane concentration for the Plnninge biogas plant is 60-65 %. Ammonium nitrogen (N-NH4) gives an indication of how much inorganic nitrogen is present in the process. The concentration of ammonia is in direct correlation with the concentration of N-NH4, depending especially on pH and temperature. Ammonia can be very toxic for the biomass at higher concentrations. The values for N-NH4 should be lower than 2-3 g/L. The temperature is an important parameter for the process to perform optimally. In a mesophilic process, the temperature should be around 35 39 C. It is important to have constant temperature even within this interval (in the interval of starting temperature 0.5 C). A constant temperature will allow the bacteria to perform optimally since they do not have to adapt to temperature changes.
Table 5-3 Process stability parameters. Recommended value Temperature VFA VFA/TA N-NH4 pH Methane concentration 37 C <4 g/l <0.3 <2-3 g/l 7.2-8.5 60-65 % Comment Should be stable, max 1 C Depends on degree of adaption and alkalinity >0.3 indicates possible process instability High values in combination with high pH is dangerous Should be stable Depends much on substrate, decreasing concentration gives indication of problem
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DOCUMENTATION
In order to have a good understanding and follow up of the process operation, it is important to keep a detailed logging of the recorded data. This will help to make a good review of historical performance and learn lesson from the past on how the plant should be operated better in future. For this purpose an Excel file template has been created in which all the process data can be entered and saved for process evaluation (Table 6-1). The Excel file is named Process_data.xlsm in this document.
Table 6-1 Different sheets in the Excel file template. Sheet Rdatasortering Rdata Manuell data Dagsdata Veckodata Mnadsdata Urskriftsformulr Berkningar Comment Sort and remove duplicates in data from data logger Place to paste the managed data from Rdatasortering Input analysis results and amounts of loaded solid substrate Presentation of daily values from data logger Presentation of weekly process data Presentation of monthly process data Printing form for manual data input Used for monthly data calculations Input Manual/Automatic Manual input Manual input Manual input Automatic Partly manual input Automatic (VS/TS required) -
This Excel file should be updated on daily basis with new results from the different analyses. The data should then be reviewed on a weekly basis to get a good overview of the process performances.
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6.1
Navigation
To navigate among the different sheets in the Excel file template, click the name of the sheet.
Figure 6-1 Screenshot of the Excel-file, also displaying where to navigate between different sheets.
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6.2
Sorting of raw data (Rdatasortering)
In this sheet the raw data from the data logger is first pasted (Figure 6-2). A macro function is used automatically to remove all duplicates from the raw data and sort it based on the dates.
Figure 6-2 Screenshots of Rdatasortering sheet where (A) is empty and (B) is pasted and treated data.
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6.3 Raw data (Rdata) In this sheet the data managed in Rdatasortering are inserted. The data from the 3 different loggers (i.e. loggers 1-3) are here combined.
Figure 6-3 Screenshot of Rdata-sheet where data from two data loggers (i.e. loggers 1-2) have been inserted.
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6.4
Manual data (Manuell data)
In this sheet results from the liquid (i.e. TS, pH) and gas analysis (gas composition in %) as well as the amounts of all manually loaded solid substrate. The results are grouped on months (Figure 6-4) for a better overview.
Figure 6-4 Screenshot of all the Manuell data-sheet when the display is minimized to show only the monthly values.
The daily values for each month (Figure 6-5) can then easily be displayed by clicking on the corresponding + sign on the left side of the sheet.
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Figure 6-5 Screenshot of all the Manuell data -sheet when one month is expanded to show all daily inputs.
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6.5
Daily data (Dagsvrden)
In this sheet the data from the data logger is displayed. The form uses the data read from Rdata and recalculates it to more manageable units. The data is displayed as daily values, then grouped into months. An average value for each month is calculated for the various parameters (displayed in the rows Medel). When possible, the parameters are also added together to give monthly sums (displayed in the row Total).
Figure 6-6 Screenshot of Dagsvrden-sheet when the display is minimized to show only the monthly values.
The daily values for each month (Figure 6-7) can then easily be displayed by clicking on the corresponding +sign on the left side of the sheet.
105
Figure 6-7 Screenshot of all the Dagsvrden-sheet when one month is expanded to show all daily inputs.
As mentioned above, the raw data is modified in the form to give more proper units. To avoid using decimals the posts in the data logger are stored as larger numbers (e.g. 37 oC corresponds to 3700 in the data logger). All the different actions performed to modify the raw data are presented in Table 6-2.
Table 6-2 List of how the raw data is modified in Dagsvrden-sheet. Parameter Temp1 Temp2 Niv RK Niv ERK Gasflde Gasflde Panna EM1 WMM1 WMM2 Tid gaspanna Beskickning Action Divide by 100 to give C Divide by 100 to give C Divide by 100 to give meter Divide by 100 to give meter Divide by 10 to give m3/d Raw data 3710 3710 721 292 98 Treated data 37.10 37.10 7.21 2.92 9.8
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6.6
Weekly data (Veckovrden)
In this sheet the weekly data are grouped together (Figure 6-8). The user has to copy and paste the data from Manuell data and Dagsvrden in this sheet (see the guide in section 9).
Figure 6-8 Screenshot of Veckodata-sheet when minimized to display only the weekly values.
The daily values for each individual week (Figure 6-9) can then easily be displayed by clicking on the corresponding +-sign on the left side of the sheet.
Figure 6-9 Screenshot of all the Veckovrden-sheet when one week is expanded to show all daily inputs.
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Table 6-3. Parameters listed in the Veckovrden-sheet.

Parameter Total Substrate 1 Substrate 2 Substrate 3 Substrate 4 Substrate 5 Substrate 6 Substrate 7 Manure tank Mixing tank Buffer tank Digester Manure tank Mixing tank Buffer tank Digester Methane content Carbon dioxide content Hydrogen Sulphide Temperature lower Temperature upper Level digester Level digestate storage Daily total gas production Daily gas consumption burner EM1 WMM1 WMM2 Daily On time gas burner Daily load to digester Daily On time Stirling engine Daily On time upgrading Daily On time torch Weekly total gas production Weekly gas consumption burner EM1 WMM1 WMM2 Weekly On time gas burner Weekly load to digester Weekly On time Stirling engine Weekly On time upgrading Weekly On time torch VS/TS HRT OLR Total gas productivity Methane productivity VS reduction Total gas yield Methane yield Unit kg kg kg kg kg kg kg kg %ww %ww %ww %ww -log[H+] -log[H+] -log[H+] -log[H+] %Vol %Vol ppmVol C C m m m3/d m3/d kWh/d kWh/d kWh/d min/d m3/d min/d min/d min/d m3/week m3/week kWh/week kWh/week kWh/week min/week m3/week min/week min/week min/week %TS days kgVS/m3/d m3/m3/d m3/m3/d %VS m3/kgVS m3/kgVS Time period Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Week Week Week Week Week Week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Day and week Comment Sum of all substrates Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Given by user Average Average Average Average Average Average Average
Added amounts
TS content
pH
Gas composition
Data logger
Process parameters
108
6.7
Monthly data (Mnadsvrden)
In this sheet all data for every month is summarized and displayed (Figure 6-10). Both the average and total values are given. The only input required is the average VS/TS ratio. All the other parameters are automatically generated from the data recorded in Rdata and Manuell Input sheets. In this sheet the average values for all parameters are given for each month and the whole year (Medel). A monthly and a yearly total (Total) are also given for certain parameters.
Figure 6-10 Screenshot of Mnadsvrden-sheet.
In Table 6-4 all the parameters displayed in the Mnadsvrden sheet are listed.
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Table 6-4 Parameters listed in the Mnadsvrden-sheet. Parameter Total Substrate 1 Substrate 2 Substrate 3 Substrate 4 Substrate 5 Substrate 6 Substrate 7 Manure tank Mixing tank Buffer tank Digester Manure tank Mixing tank Buffer tank Digester Methane content Carbon dioxide content Hydrogen Sulphide Temperature lower Temperature upper Level digester Level digestate storage Ave daily total gas production Ave daily gas consumption burner EM1 WMM1 WMM2 Ave daily On time gas burner Ave daily load to digester Ave daily On time Stirling engine Ave daily On time upgrading Ave daily On time torch Monthly total gas production Monthly gas consumption burner EM1 Unit kg/month kg/month Kg/month Kg/month kg/month kg/month kg/month kg/month %ww %ww %ww %ww -log[H+] -log[H+] -log[H+] -log[H+] %Vol %Vol ppmVol C C m m m3/d m3/d kWh/d kWh/d kWh/d min/d m3/d min/d min/d min/d m3/month m3/month kWh/mont h Time period Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Comment Sum of substrates Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Average Sum Sum Sum all
Added amounts
TS content
pH
Gas composition
Data logger
Data logger
110
WMM1 WMM2 Monthly On time gas burner Monthly load to digester Monthly On time Stirling engine Monthly On time upgrading Monthly On time torch VS/TS HRT OLR Total gas productivity Methane productivity VS reduction Total gas yield Methane yield
kWh/mont h kWh/mont h min/month m3/month min/month min/month min/month %TS days kgVS/m3/d m3/m3/d m3/m3/d %VS m3/kgVS m3/kgVS
Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year Month and year
Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Sum Given by the user Average Average Average Average Average Average Average
Process parameters
111
6.8 Printable document (Utskriftsformulr) This sheet (Figure 6-11) is a printer friendly version of the Manuell data-sheet. It can be used if the operator prefers to write down the data on paper before entering it into the Excelsheet.
Figure 6-11 Screenshot of Utskriftformat-sheet.
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6.9
How to insert data from the data logger
The input of data from the data logger can be divided into two steps: 1. Download data from data logger. 2. Insert data into the Process_data.xlsm file. Both these steps are presented below.
6.9.1 Download data from Datalogger 1. The data from the Datalogger need to be first downloaded from the local computer. Use the shortcut called Gasverk (logggiler) located on the desktop (Figure 6-12).
Figure 6-12 Screenshot of desktop where Gasverk (loggfiler) shortcut is marked out.
2. A list of different files should appear (TEMP, ENERGI, LOGGER1, LOGGER2 LOGGER3) (Figure 6-13). Start to download a file by clicking on its name.
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Figure 6-13 Screenshot of FTP catalogue with downloadable log files.
3. A window should appear where open, save or cancel can be selected (Figure 6-14). To download the document click on the Spara-button.
Figure 6-14 Screenshot of window that appears when clicking on logger1.SKV.
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4. Use the windows explorer to choose where you want to save the log file (Figure 6-15). Preferably a folder for log files needs to be created first. Name the file with the logger name and date. Click Spara for saving the data file.
Figure 6-15 Screenshot of save as-window that appears when save is chosen.
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6.9.2 Insert data into Process_data.xlsm 1. Open the downloaded log file (Figure 6-16).
Figure 6-16 Screenshot of log file in Excel.
2. Copy all the data and open the Process_data.xlsm and paste it in the top left cell (A1) in the sheet Rdatasortering (Figure 6-17).
Figure 6-17 Screenshot of how to paste log file data in Excel.
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3. All the data should now be pasted into the sheet. To remove the duplicates access the view menu (top menu board) and click on the Macro-symbol on the right side. In the scroll menu that appears choose View Macro (Figure 6-18).
Figure 6-18 Screenshot of how to access Macros in Excel.
4. A new window containing a list of macros should now appear (Figure 6-19). Mark the function called Remove Duplicates and then click on Run.
Figure 6-19 Screenshot of how to run the Macro RemoveDuplicates in Excel.
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5. The list without duplicates should now be displayed (Figure 6-20).
Figure 6-20 Screenshot of results after running Macro RemoveDuplicates .
1. To insert the data into the data handling algorithms of the Process_data.xlsm, copy all the data besides the dates and go to the sheet called Rdata. There paste the data in its correct position. Remember to paste the data at the location corresponding to the correct date. a. Logger1 starts with Temp 1 and should therefore be pasted there (Figure 6-21).
Figure 6-21 Screenshot of where to paste data from Logger1.
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b. Logger 2 starts with EM1 and should therefore be pasted there (Figure 6-22).
Figure 6-22 Screenshot of where to paste data from Logger2
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METHODOLOGY FOR PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS
In order to optimize the process it is important to first define a clear goal of the plant operation, i.e. whether the purpose of plant operation is for energy production, waste handling or combination of both. Plnninge biogas plant is defined as a demonstration plant at farmscale. There is a need not only to show the feasibility of producing vehicle fuel, electricity and heat production, but also a need to use manure wastes as a part of the feedstock and to demonstrate that the digested residues can be used as fertilizers for crops cultivation. In order to achieve these goals, it is essential to maximize the biogas production at Plnninge biogas plant. Once the goal of plant operation is defined, it is important to apply a good methodology on how to constantly improve the plant operation. There are several important aspects to be kept in mind before defining the most suitable strategy for the operation of Plnninge biogas plant. In general, the following aspects can give a big impact on plant operation and biogas production: i. Quality and quantity of the feedstock ii. Whether there is suitable process/plant configuration and instrumentation to ensure reasonable flexibility for plant optimization iii. Right operational routine and follow up to ensure that plant operation can be continuously improved Plnninge biogas plant has a rather simple process and plant configuration based on selected feedstock. The available instruments (i.e. sensors and actuators) can support the basic requirement of plant operation. Although it is always possible to further improve the plant configuration and instrumentation, it is assumed that the process optimization can be based on the current process/plant configuration and instrumentation. The process optimization strategy should therefore be focused on feedstock selection and right operation routine and follow up. Feedstock In order to achieve as high biogas production as possible, it is important to select feedstock with high methane potential. In general, liquid cow manure has relative low methane potential. It is therefore important to use more energetic and easy degradable feedstock, depending of course on their availability at the Plnninge plant. Operational routine and follow up A higher biogas production can also be achieved by implementation of better loading regimes with a constant pushing of the process, so the biomass throughput and energy throughput of the plant can be increased whereas a stable operation can still be retained. Every week or month should be seen as new test were the loading regimes is changed a little bit from the last period and the effect of this change is continuously monitored. Depending on the performances obtained, these changes should be considered permanent or be rejected. This dynamics of the process parameter changes continuous evaluation should be implemented as a part of operational routine, so operational lesson in the past can be well recorded, evaluated and follow up in order to improve future operation. 120
7.1
Meetings
In order to have a good follow up of the plant operation, meetings should be held on a regular basis among operators and all personnel should be involved. In these meetings the performance of the plant and any potential problems should be reviewed and discussed. Objectives and aims for the plant operation should also be set, and any deviation should be evaluated. Such meetings should at least be held once per month. Topics that are recommended to be discussed during these meetings include: Performance of plant on weekly and monthly base Any deviation from the feedstock supply in terms of both quality and quantity? Is there any problem with the operation in terms of technical, logistic and personnel aspects? Any progress and lesson learn since the previous meeting? Any improvement that can be foreseen? Was the set goals reached? Is the economic plan reached/on schedule? Decide on new or keep old goals.
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8 OPERATIONAL ROUTINES These operational routines list and describe all the tasks that should be carried out on a daily and weekly basis at the Plnninge biogas plant.
8.1
Daily operational routines
In this section operational tasks that should be carried out each day are listed and described. Preferably, these tasks are carried out at the beginning of the working day. It is important to build up routines where all these tasks are carried out every day. 1. Perform a quick check of the biogas plant to make sure nothing went wrong during the night. Look especially for flooding in any of the operational units. 2. Check the control panel of the SCADA system: i. Check the alarm list If there is any alarm indication for a particular process unit, please check whether it is possible to make any suitable tuning and adjustment so the process unit can go back to the normal operational mode. If there is no alarm indication, move on to the next point (Figure 8-1).
Figure 8-1 Screenshot of alarm list.
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ii.
Check the conditions of the operational units 1. Digester level and temperature. Make sure the values are within the specified levels (e.g., the same as or close to setpoints). If the values are not within the default range, try to identify the reason and check whether it is possible to make any suitable tuning and adjustment so that the digester level and temperature can come back into the operational range (Figure 8-2).
Figure 8-2 Screenshot of digester menu.
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2. Check the filling level; if this is too high or too low, try to identify the reason and evaluate whether it is possible to make any suitable tuning and adjustment so that the slurry level of the buffer tank level can be brought back within the optimal range (Figure 8-3).
Figure 8-3 Screenshot of buffer tank.
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3. Check the filling level; if this is too high or too low, try to identify the reason and evaluate whether it is possible to make any suitable tuning and adjustment so that the slurry level of the mixing tank level can be brought back within the optimal range (Figure 8-4).
Figure 8-4 Screenshot of mixing tank.
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4. Manure tank level. Check the filling level; if this is too high or too low, try to identify the reason and evaluate whether it is possible to make any suitable tuning and adjustment so that the slurry level of the manure tank level can be brought back within the optimal range (Figure 8-5).
126
i.
Fill up the mixing tank by manually pumping sufficient amount of the content from manure tank 1 as possible. Make sure that level in the mixing tank does not get too high (Figure 8-6).
Figure 8-6 Screenshot of manure tank 1 and mixing tank menus with instruction on how to pump from manure tank 1 to mixing tank.
127
ii.
Check the gas utilization. Make sure that the gas storage level is at a reasonable level. If it is not, please check the reason and see whether it is possible to make any suitable tuning and adjustment so that the gas storage level is brought within the right range (Figure 8-7).
Figure 8-7 Screenshots of gas consumption and gas measuring menu.
128
5. Turn on the submersible mixer (Figure 8-8).
Figure 8-8 Photo of showing how to turn on submersible mixer in mixing tank.
6. Go outside to the gas room and perform a gas composition test (Figure 8-9). Enter the registered data in the file Process_data.xlsm in the computer.
Figure 8-9 Photos of the equipment used for the analysis of gas composition.
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7. Go outside to the mixing tank and add FeCl3 into the tank (Figure 8-10). This is carried out by opening the tap and waiting for 5 seconds before closing the tap. Enter the date and amount in the form placed in the mail box next to the FeCl3 container.
8.
Figure 8-10 Photos of FeCl3 solution adding.
9. Go outside to the front loader and load the X-Ripper with potatoes (the amount
decided at the operational meeting). Enter the loaded amount in the file 130
Process_data.xlsm in the computer. More detail instruction needs to be added after the
installation of X-Ripper has been implemented. 10. Take a sample from the buffer tank and perform a quick-TS (using the moisture analyzer) and a pH analysis, and enter the result in the file Process_data.xlsm in the computer (Figure 8-11).
Figure 8-11 Photos of buffer tank sampling and quick TS analysis with moisture analyser.
11. Fill up the buffer tank as much as possible by manually pumping feedstock from the mixing tank (Figure 8-12). Make sure that the level in the buffer tank does not get too high (e.g., not above 250 cm).
131
Figure 8-12 Screenshots with instructions of how to pump from the mixing tank to the buffer tank.
132
12. Turn off the submersible mixer in the mixing tank (Figure 8-13).
Figure 8-13 Photo of showing how to turn off submersible mixer in mixing tank.
8.2
Weekly operational routines
In this section operational tasks that should be carried out once or several times per week are listed and described. Suggestions of which week days these tasks should be performed are also given. Monday 1. Look at the data from the previous week and decide on whether to keep the same loading regime or make any adjustment if necessary. 2. Load the silage (if this is specified in the operational plan). Tuesday 1. Take a slurry sample from the manure tank 1 and perform a quick TS (using the moisture analyzer) and a pH analysis. Enter the data in the Excel file Process_data.xlsm.
133
Figure 8-14 Photo of quick TS test with moisture analyser.
3. Load any other substrate available (if this is specified in the operational plan).
Wednesday 4. Load the silage (if this is specified in the operational plan). Thursday 1. Collect the waste containers with fruit and vegetables from the local ICA Maxi. 2. Add the fruit and vegetables to the mixing tank via the x-ripper. Friday 1. Load the ensilage (if this is specified in the operational plan). Task to perform before the weekend 1. Turn on the submersible mixer (from the switch located next to the control panel, (Figure 8-8)); allow it to run for about 60 minutes in order to homogenize the feedstock in the mixing tank.
134
2. Fill up the buffer tank as much as possible. Make sure the level does not get too high. 3. Fill up the mixing tank as much as possible. Make sure the level in the manure tank does not get to low and that the level in the mixing tank does not get to high. 4. Go outside the mixing tank and add a double dosage of iron chloride into the tank. This is performed by opening the tap for 10 seconds. Enter the date and the amount of iron chloride added in the form placed in the mailbox next to the iron chloride container. 5. Add a double load of potatoes into the mixing tank via the x-ripper. 6. Do not forget turning off the submersible mixer in the mixing tank.
135
PROCESS EVALUATION
9.1 Weekly evaluation Evaluation of the plant performance should be carried out weekly. This should be performed independently by the operator mainly or by a larger working group where other internal and external process engineers might be involved. For weekly operational evaluation, the process performance should be studied by comparing the plant performances of the latest week vs. previous weeks. The purpose of the meeting should be to set an operational plan for the coming week. The time for the meeting should be the same every week (preferably on Monday morning in order to get a fresh start of the week and also maximize the number of working days close to the operational changes). Manipulating parameters, parameters that should be used for tuning the operation. Response parameters, parameters that should be used to evaluate the performance of the plant based on settings of manipulating parameters. Other important parameters, parameters whose effect on the process should be considered when the response from changes in operation can be observed. The parameters that should be considered in the evaluation are listed below. The parameters are dived into 3 different categories: Manipulating parameters, parameters that should be used for tuning the operation. Response parameters, parameters that should be used to evaluate the performance of the plant based on settings of manipulating parameters. Other important parameters, parameters whose effect on the process should be considered when the response from changes in operation can be observed.
Table 9-1 Parameters considered in process evaluation (for description of parameters, please see section 5.1). Manipulating parameters Feeding interval Size of each load Amount of added solid substrate Type of solid feedstock HRT OLR Response parameters Methane productivity Methane yield Total gas productivity Total gas yield VS reduction Methane concentration Other important parameters TS concentration in buffer tank pH in digester Temperature in digester H2S concentration
Manipulating parameters The parameters that should be adjusted to alter the operation are the feeding rate and added amount of solid substrate. These parameters will then have an indirect effect on the HRT and the OLR which are important to consider in the evaluation. Especially the HRT should be monitored to make sure it does not get too low (e.g., above 20 days) to avoid washout of the bacteria. OLR is a more general parameter to know how hard the process is loaded and it can be used to compare the operation with other plants. The focus should be placed on adding as much solid substrate as possible to maximize the OLR and still keep a long HRT. However, with this strategy it is important to control the TS 136
concentration in the buffer and mixing tank since too high values could cause problems with the pumps.
Response parameters The most important response parameter to consider is the methane productivity. If it has increased compared to the previous operational period it could be considered as a positive result. However, the reason for the increase in methane production should also be investigated. Another important parameter to consider is the methane yield since this gives information of how efficient the process is. Strategy for optimizing the operation 1. Increase the load: a. Focus on adding as much as possible of energy rich substrate that is regional abundant and can be accessible and easier to load into the digester. b. Make sure that the TS content in the buffer tank does not get too high (not over 10%). c. Closely monitor and follow up the operation in order to maximize the performances of all process units.
137
9.1.1 Saving the data for weekly evaluation 1. Open the Excel data file and in the sheet Manuell data copy the data from each day of the previous week (Figure 9-1).
Figure 9-1 Screenshot of Manuell data-sheet where the values for 1 weeks are marked.
2. Go to the sheet Veckodata and open the week of interest by clicking on the +-sign on the left of the week number (Figure 9-2).
Figure 9-2 Screenshot of Veckovrden-sheet in compressed form (click + -signs on right side to show daily values for a week).
138
3. In the top left cell (e.g., Silage for Monday) right click and choose Paste Special (Klistra in special) (Figure 9-3).
Figure 9-3 Screenshot of how to paste the data from Manuell data -sheet into Veckovrden-sheet using Paste Special.
4. Choose Values in the menu that opens (Figure 9-4).
Figure 9-4 Screenshot of Paste Special window that appears.
139
5. Now the values should be pasted into the formula; an example is presented below (Figure 9-5):
Figure 9-5 Screenshot of Veckovrden-sheet where the data from Manuell data-sheet has been pasted.
6. Next step is to paste the data from the DataLogger. This is carried out in the same way as the manual data. Open the sheet Dagsvrden and copy the values for the specified dates (Figure 9-6).
Figure 9-6 Screenshot of dagsvrden-sheet where the values for 1 weeks are marked.
7. Go back to the sheet Veckodata and right click on top left cell after the manual inputs (e.g., Temp1 for Monday). Choose Paste Special and choose values again (Figure 9-7).
Figure 9-7 Screenshot of how to paste the data from Dagsvrder-sheet into Veckovrden-sheet using Paste Special.
140
8. The values should now be inserted in the form; an example is presented below (Figure 9-8).
Figure 9-8 Screenshot of Veckovrden-sheet where the data from Dagsvrden -sheet has been pasted.
9. In order to calculate the process parameters a value for VS/TS (% of VS per TS) needs to be entered. This is inserted in the top row under the column VS/TS (Figure 9-9).
Figure 9-9 Screenshot of to enter VS/TS value in Veckovrden sheet.
10. After this, given that all other necessary data is in place, the process parameters should automatically be calculated (Figure 9-10).
Figure 9-10 Screenshot of Veckovrden-sheet showing the calculated process paramteters.
11. All the data for that specific week is in place and the performances can be evaluated. 141
9.2
Monthly evaluation
A review of the plant operation should be carried out on monthly basis by the operator or process engineers. This monthly evaluation should be performed from more plant-wide and systematic aspects and give a good overview on total mass and energy outputs, as well as operational economic over a one-month period. The data can then be compared with historical data from the previous months in order to set up a strategy to maintain a good operation and/or get further improvement (if possible). It is recommended to present and discuss the monthly evaluation during the first weekly meeting of next month. In Manipulating parameters, parameters that should be used for tuning the operation. Response parameters, parameters that should be used to evaluate the performance of the plant based on settings of manipulating parameters. Other important parameters, parameters whose effect on the process should be considered when the response from changes in operation can be observed. The parameters that should be considered in the evaluation are listed. The parameters are dived into 3 different categories: Mass throughput, in this category parameters that reflect the amount of feedstock entering and of digestate exiting the reactor, type of feedstock and their characteristics (VS, TS, pH, BMP), feedstock load regime, etc should be summarized. Energy throughput, parameters reflecting the totally produced biogas volume, specific biogas production rate, utilization of biogas (heat, vehicle fuel, electricity), electricity consumption, heat consumption, etc should be summarized. Economical aspects, in this category parameters reflecting the operational costs (material, electricity, manpower, logistic, equipment depreciation, etc.) and potential income sources (electricity, vehicle fuel, heat, digestate as fertilizer) should be summarized.
Table 9-2 Examples of parameters that should be considered in process evaluation. Mass throughput Feedstock volume Feedstock type Solid content of feedstock Digestate volume OLR Energy throughput Biogas volume Specific biogas production rate Heat production Electricity production Biomethane production Electricity consumption Heat consumption Economic aspect Operational cost Saving from electricity generation Saving from heat production Potential income from vehicle fuel Potential income from digestate
142
9.3
Yearly evaluation
A yearly review of plant operation should also be carried out by operators or process engineers. This should be very similar to monthly evaluation; however the time scale is over 12 months and should give a good overview on the total mass and energy throughputs, as well as on operational economic parameters. The data can be compared with historical data from the previous years in order to set up a yearly strategy to maintain a good operation and/or get further improvement (if possible). In Manipulating parameters, parameters that should be used for tuning the operation. Response parameters, parameters that should be used to evaluate the performance of the plant based on settings of manipulating parameters. Other important parameters, parameters whose effect on the process should be considered when the response from changes in operation can be observed. The parameters that should be considered in the evaluation are listed below. The parameters are dived into 3 different categories: Mass throughput, in this category parameters reflecting the amount of feedstock entering and digestate exiting the reactor, type of feedstock used and their characteristics (VS, TS, pH, BMP), feedstock loading regime, etc should be summarized. Energy throughput, parameters reflecting the total produced biogas volume, specific biogas production rate, utilization of biogas (heat, vehicle fuel, electricity), electricity consumption, heat consumption, etc should be summarized. Economical aspects, in this category parameters reflecting the operational cost (material, electricity, manpower, logistic, equipment depreciation, etc.) and potential income sources (electricity, vehicle fuel, heat, digestate as fertilizer) should be summarized.
Table 9-3 Examples of parameters that should be considered in process evaluation. Mass throughput Feedstock volume Feedstock type Solid content of feedstock Digestate volume OLR Energy throughput Biogas volume Specific biogas production rate Heat production Electricity production Biomethane production Electricity consumption Heat consumption Economic aspect Operational cost Saving from electricity generation Saving from heat production Potential income from vehicle fuel Potential income from digestate
143

Operational Guidelines Plönninge Biogas Plant

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Operational Guidelines Plönninge Biogas Plant

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Operational guidelines for Plnninge biogas plant

Release History Version 1.0, June 2011

Heating/cooling system ............................................................................................. 35

3.2.1 3.2.2 3.2.3 3.2.4 3.2.5 3.2.6 3.2.7 3.2.8 3.3

Digester settings menu ..................................................................................................... 49

Data logger (Logging) ............................................................................................... 60

3.3.1 3.3.2 3.3.3 3.4 3.4.1 4

Energy measuring (Energimtningar) ....................................................................... 64

Monitoring of process parameters in anaerobic digestion process ............................ 70

Sampling and analysis ............................................................................................... 74

Process performances ................................................................................................ 95

Process stability ......................................................................................................... 97

6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9

Description of the plant

DESCRIPTION OF THE OPERATIONAL UNITS

Figure 2-1 Satellite photo (Google maps) of Plnnige biogas site.

Fruit & Vegetables Horse manure

Condensed water Condensation trap SF2 Condensation trap SF1

Manual loading Raw gas storage GL1, Condensed water X-ripper

Mixing tank PB1, 50 m3

P4 Digester RK1, 300 m3

Digestate storage 1 ERK1, 1600 m3

Buffer tank BT1, 12 m3 P2

P7 Manure tank 1 PB2, 12 m3

Digestate storage 2 ERK2, 1500 m3

P3 Manure tank 2 PB3, 50 m3

Flow indicator Level control Tryckutlsare Level switch

Stirling engine SM1, 8kW (36 kW)

Figure 2-2 Simplified process drawing of the Plnnige biogas plant.

Operational units for solid and liquid materials

Mixing tank PB1

PB2, Manual BT1 loading PB1 RK1, ERK1 ERK1

Buffer tank BT1 Digester RK1

Digestate storage 1 Digestate storage 2 Manure storage

ERK1 ERK2 LT1

1600 1500 1200

Submersible mixer (2) Mobile mixer Mobile mixer

2.1.1 Manure tanks 1 & 2

Figure 2-3 Photos of manure tank 1.

2.1.2 Mixing tank

Figure 2-4 Photo of mixing tank.

Figure 2-6 Pictures of the X-ripper (Vogelsang).

Figure 2-7 Photo of old macerator.

Substrate handling units

Figure 2-8 Photos of substrate handling units.

Fruit and Vegetables Jam Glucose Horse manure

1 week 1 month Several months Several months

Figure 2-9 Photo of FeCl3 solution container.

Figure 2-10 Photo of the front loader.

2.1.3 Buffer tank

Figure 2-11 Photo of the buffer tank.

Figure 2-12 Photos of the digester and digestate pump.

2.1.5 Digestate storage containers 1 & 2

Cover of digestate storage 1 Digestate storage container 1 Digestate storage container 2

Operational units for storage, purification, analysis and distribution of biogas

2.2.1 Raw gas storage

Figure 2-14 Photos of raw gas storage.

2.2.2 Gas room

Figure 2-15 Photos of gas room.

2.2.3 Upgrading unit

Figure 2-16 Photo of upgrading unit (water scrubber).

Upgrading unit Scrubber column Gas compressor