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Anaerobic thermophilic trickle bed reactor as a promising technology for flexible and demand-oriented H2/CO2 biomethanation

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Listed:
  • Strübing, Dietmar
  • Moeller, Andreas B.
  • Mößnang, Bettina
  • Lebuhn, Michael
  • Drewes, Jörg E.
  • Koch, Konrad

Abstract

Increasing energy production from variable renewable sources, especially wind and solar photovoltaic, requires measures to maintain a stable electricity grid that balances power production and demand. Flexible conversion of excess renewable energy into a storable substitute natural gas via H2/CO2 biomethanation may be a suitable approach for tackling this challenge. This study investigated the performance of an anaerobic thermophilic trickle bed reactor (ATTBR) during demand-oriented H2/CO2 biomethanation. Different combinations of standby periods (SPs) varying from 1 to 8 days and standby temperatures (25 °C and 55 °C) as well as their repetitive effect on the biological gas conversion performance were systematically evaluated using a standardized restart procedure. The results revealed that the influence of the SP temperature on the restart performance by far outweighed the length of SP investigated. While the investigated ATTBR represents a robust system with a very good restart performance after 25 °C SPs, the repetitive effect of 55 °C SPs was in particular identified as a critical standby setting that causes deterioration of the restart performance. This may be attributed to increased inactivation rates for thermophilic hydrogenotrophic methanogens at 55 °C, which also influences volatile fatty acid transformation dynamics and leads to substantial propionate accumulation (∼3000 mg/L) during 55 °C SPs. For the application of ATTBR in dynamic energy conversion and storage scenarios, further research is required to reduce response times and enhance flexibility.

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  • Strübing, Dietmar & Moeller, Andreas B. & Mößnang, Bettina & Lebuhn, Michael & Drewes, Jörg E. & Koch, Konrad, 2018. "Anaerobic thermophilic trickle bed reactor as a promising technology for flexible and demand-oriented H2/CO2 biomethanation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 543-554.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:232:y:2018:i:c:p:543-554
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.09.225
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    2. Jensen, M.B. & Ottosen, L.D.M. & Kofoed, M.V.W., 2021. "H2 gas-liquid mass transfer: A key element in biological Power-to-Gas methanation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
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    5. Andreides, Dominik & Stransky, Dominik & Bartackova, Jana & Pokorna, Dana & Zabranska, Jana, 2022. "Syngas biomethanation in countercurrent flow trickle-bed reactor operated under different temperature conditions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 1329-1335.
    6. Grimalt-Alemany, Antonio & Asimakopoulos, Konstantinos & Skiadas, Ioannis V. & Gavala, Hariklia N., 2020. "Modeling of syngas biomethanation and catabolic route control in mesophilic and thermophilic mixed microbial consortia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    7. Asimakopoulos, Konstantinos & Kaufmann-Elfang, Martin & Lundholm-Høffner, Christoffer & Rasmussen, Niels B.K. & Grimalt-Alemany, Antonio & Gavala, Hariklia N. & Skiadas, Ioannis V., 2021. "Scale up study of a thermophilic trickle bed reactor performing syngas biomethanation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    8. Wu, Benteng & Lin, Richen & Kang, Xihui & Deng, Chen & Dobson, Alan D.W. & Murphy, Jerry D., 2021. "Improved robustness of ex-situ biological methanation for electro-fuel production through the addition of graphene," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    9. Susanne Theuerl & Christiane Herrmann & Monika Heiermann & Philipp Grundmann & Niels Landwehr & Ulrich Kreidenweis & Annette Prochnow, 2019. "The Future Agricultural Biogas Plant in Germany: A Vision," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-32, January.
    10. Tuğçe Dağlıoğlu & Tuba Ceren Öğüt & Guven Ozdemir & Nuri Azbar, 2021. "Comparative analysis of the effect of cell immobilization on the hydrogenothrophic biomethanation of CO2," Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 11(3), pages 493-505, June.

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