NTPleasure · Non-Thermal PLasma Enabled cAtalysis-Separation system for UpgRading biogas to mEthane-NTPleasure

Non-Thermal PLasma Enabled cAtalysis-Separation system for UpgRading biogasto mEthane-NTPleasure

Biogas is a mixture of carbon dioxide (CO2, 15~60 vol%) and methane (CH4, 40~75 vol%), which is produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic wastes such as sewage, manure, food wastes, landfill, etc. Recently, extensive efforts have been focused on the separation of CO2 from biogas to generate an enriched biomethane stream that can be used as the transport fuel in the form of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) or Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). In addition, CO2 utilisation is also important in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions (albeit that from biogas the CO2 present is from the natural carbon cycle). Specifically, the conversion of CO2 into useful chemicals (e.g. methanol or CO) and fuels (e.g. CH4) has been the subject of extensive studies. This proposal aims to develop a novel process unit that integrates the selective separation of CO2 from biogas with the transformation of the CO2 captured for the enhanced valorisation of biogas feeds. Specifically, we propose to develop an integrated membrane separation and non-thermal plasma (NTP) system that can enable the full utilisation and valorisation of biogas. In this project, we first developed a tubular SAPO-34 membrane, which has good separation performance for capturing CO2 from biogas. Thereafter, we developed several robust Ni- or Ru-based porous catalysts for efficiently catalytic CO2 hydrogenation activated by NTP to produce CH4. Finally, integrated membrane separator and NTP reactor system was developed, showing good CO2 capture and utilisation efficiency. The integrated design combining CO2 capture with CO2 methanation at ambient temperature will be an excellent candidate for further exploitation in the industrial scale biogas upgrade process. CO2 emissions are the major contributor to the global warming and climate change as emphasised in the 2015 COP21 conference (Paris). Therefore, the fellowship project results are timely in order to tackle the challenge of CO2 capture and utilisation. Although the research under study here focused on biogas valorisation, the developed technology is generic and thus will be applicable to CO2 utilisation from both bio-based sources and fossil fuel derived emissions to reduce the impact of carbon emissions globally.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union