Trabalho publicado no evento: RIO 6 - World Climate & Energy Event, 17 a 18 de novembro de 2006, Rio de

Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Energy Generation by a Renewable Source Sewage Biogas
Coelho, Suani Teixeira
1
;
E-mail: suani@iee.usp.br

Velzquez, Slvia Maria Stortini Gonzlez
1
;
E-mail: sgvelaz@iee.usp.br

Silva, Orlando Cristiano
1
;
E-mail: gbntumbo@iee.usp.br

Osvaldo Stella Martins
1
;
email: omartins@iee.usp.br

Pecora, Vanessa
1
;
E-mail: vpecora@iee.usp.br

Abreu, Fernando Castro
1
.
E-mail: fcabreu@iee.usp.br

1
USP Sao Paulos University;
IEE/CENBIO Brazilian National Biomass Reference Center;
Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 1289 CEP 05508-010 So Paulo SP Brazil;
Phone: +55 11 3483 6983 / Fax: +55 11 3091 2649.


Abstract

This article will present two projects related to energy generation using sewage biogas as fuel
and different engines, one is a Otto cycle engine and the other is a microturbine.
The first one had as project proposal the sewage biogas use as fuel in an 18 kva Otto cycle
generator, to produce electric energy, which development was a commitment of Brazilian
Reference Center on Biomass (CENBIO). It was, in fact, one between other projects
developed by a Sao Paulo University Program named Program of Rational Energy Use and
Alternative Sources (PUREFA), whose financial backer was the Financier of Studies and
Projects (FINEP), and aims to increase the renewable energy participation in the Universitys
energetic matrix, as well as it allows new perspectives to renewable energy employment in
Brazil.
The second one is the ENERG-BIOG Project Installation and Tests of an Electric Energy
Generation Demonstration Unit from Biogas Sewage Treatment, that uses biogas from
sewage treatment for electricity generation with 30 kW (ISO) microturbine, at SABESP
(Basic Sanitation Company of Sao Paulo State), located in Barueri, Brazil. This project,
pioneer in Latin America, was accomplished together with BUN Biomass Users Network of
Brazil (proponent), in association with CENBIO (executer), with patronage of FINEP / CT-
ENERG (financial backer), by means of CONVENTION No: 23.01.0653.00.
This paper describes the proposed systems to convert biogas in electricity and heat using
those engines.

Keywords: biomass, biodigestor, purification system, electric energy generation.
1. Introduction

The biogas results from organic material anaerobic fermentation, which occurs inside the
UASB biodigestor, and its chemical composition, that depends on several parameters, such as
the biodigestor employed, the kind of organic material and the constancy of the feeding
process of the biodigestor. The most important biogas components are methane (CH
4
), carbon
dioxide (CO
2
) and sulfuric components (H
2
S). The biogas composition is an essential
parameter, because it allows identifying the appropriate purification system, which aims to
remove sulfuric gases and decrease the water volume, contributing to improve the combustion
fuel conditions. Other data obtained from biogas analysis is referent to the low heat value, that
combined to the efficiency and biogas consumption is important to estimate the electric
generation potential. However, the biogas production is much variable because it depends on
several parameters, such as the kind of organic material. The biogas production involves three
steps: fermentation, which includes hydrolysis and acid genesis, acetone genesis e methane
genesis. In the fermentation process, during the hydrolysis the organic material is converted
into smaller molecules and this material is transformed in soluble acids by acidogenese
process. After that it is initiated the acetanogenese process, transforming the products
obtained in the first step in acetic acid, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The last step is referent
to metanogenese process, trough anaerobic bacteria action, producing methane gas.

2. The Most Used Technologies for Biogas Conversion

There are different kinds of technology to convert the chemical energy in the biogas into
electricity. In biogas conversion the chemical energy on the molecules is converted to
mechanical energy in a controlled combustion system, then, this mechanical energy activates
a generator producing electrical power.
The gas turbines and the internal combustion engines are the most common technologies used
to this kind of energy conversion. Figure 1 illustrates these technologies. Some characteristics
of these technologies are show in Table 1.






Figure 1 Engines, gas turbines and microturbines technologies, commercially available
(CENBIO, 2002)

Table 1 Commercial Technologies Characteristics (CENBIO, 2003)
Power Efficiency Nox Emissions
Gas Engines (Cycle Otto) 30 kW 20 MW 30 % - 40 % 250 ppm 3,000 ppm
Gas Turbines 500 kW 150 MW 20 % - 30 % 35 ppm 50 ppm
Microturbines (Small Scale) 30 kW 100 kW 24 % - 28 % < 9 ppm

Even so, in general, engines are more efficient turbines may be more efficient when operating
in a cogeneration cycle producing heat and electricity (COSTA et al., 2001).

3. PUREFA Case Study

The PUREFA (Program of Rational Energy Use and Alternative Sources), is compound by 14
purposes. This project had three main objectives: to implement measures of management and
action of energy efficiency, to increase the distributed generation in the USP from renewable
resources and non conventional energy and to introduce incentive permanent politics to the
efficient and rational use of energy.
In this context, the Brazilian Reference Center on Biomass was responsible for two purposes,
related to the biogas use for electricity generation.
The first, purpose 11, had main objective to implant the generation system, to capture and to
stock the biogas, produced by biodigestor in the Technological Hydraulically Center (CTH
USP).
The biodigestor is a UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket), whose biogas outflow
produce is near 4 m
3
/day, operates 24 hours per day and utilize the sewer from the residential
buildings located in Sao Paulo University, inside the campus.
For the biogas utilization, was made its outflow, chemical composition and heat value
identifications, parameters that allowed to determinate the real potential for generation and to
show the necessity of the previous treatment, as H
2
S removal.
Finished this stage, started the purpose 12, regarding biogas used as fuel for electricity
generation using a generator group Otto cycle.
Nowadays this project is a demonstrative project.

3.4. Analysis and purification of the Biogas

The presence of non-burnable substances in the biogas, like water and carbon dioxide,
reduces the conversion efficiency. Incomplete combustion can occur, causing power reduction
and corrosion, due to H
2
S presence. Most anaerobic digesters produce biogas with 0.3 to 2%
H
2
S and significant amounts of nitrogen and hydrogen.
The biogas purification system, which aims to remove sulfidric components and humidity
from biogas, occurs in tree steps. In the first step most of the biogas humidity is removed, by
a recipient where the water is condensed. After that, on the second step, biogas is directed to
purification system, composed by two molecular screens, removing the remainder humidity
and the sulfdrico components (H
2
S). In the third step, biogas passes trough an amount of iron
chip, removing the H
2
S residual.
To prove the purification system efficiency and to determine the biogas chemical
composition, two analysis were required, one before the purification process and other after it.
These results are presented on table 3.
A biogas mass flow measurer was installed, allowing the electric energy potential
determination, achieving values between 4 to 7 m
3
/day.
Due to the low biogas mass flow values, it must be stored before its use as fuel to produce
electric energy. Thus this project includes a gasholder, able to store 10 m
3
of biogas, made by
PVC. Its dimensions are: external diameter 2 m, length 3,2 m and thickness of 2 mm.

3.5. Electric Generation Engine

To procedeed the calculation above is necessary to admit the efficiency, which depends on the
technology used in the biogas conversion, basically including three different technologies: gas
turbines, microturbines and Otto Cycle engines. In this project, due to the low mass flow of
biogas produced, Otto Cycle engine has been pointed as the appropriated technology.
The Otto engine selected presents 18 kW of installed power and its biogas demand is around
5,6 m
3
/ hour.
After the biogas has passed in through the tubing, the water accumulator, absorbent material,
the molecular screen and the iron chips, it is ready to be stored in a gasholder (flexible tank
made with PVC) and be employed in Otto engine as fuel to produce electricity.
3.6. Results and Discussions

The table 3 present the results of the biogas composition before and after the purification
system, respectively.

Table 3 - Biogas Composition Before and After the Purification Process
Chemical Components Before After
O
2
(Oxygen) 1,23% 0,89%
N
2
(Nitrogen) 15,50% 13,20%
CO
2
(Dioxide Carbon) 4,75% 4,07%
CH
4
(Methane) 75,80% 80,80%
H
2
S (Sulfate Hydrogen) 649 ppm < 1,0 ppm
H
2
O (water) 2,62% 0,98%

According to that analysis occurred a significant reduction of H
2
S and water in biogas
composition, achieving safe values to engine operational conditions, allowing the continuity
of this project. The civil construction, where the biogas engine and gasholder would be
installed, could be done.
Having all equipments installed and the gasholder full of biogas, the engine was started. The
electric demand was simulated by a test panel. The demand was 2,4 kW.
It is in this scene that the analyses of the exhaustion gases had been made and its results are
presented in the table 4.
Table 4 - Exhaustion gases
Analyses
Component
10:38 h 11:00 h 11:10 h 11:20 h
Total hydro-carbons as CH
4
3,1% 0,67% 2,7% 0,19%
Carbon monoxide (CO) ppm
641 929 787 922
Carbon dioxide (CO
2
) 8,8% * 8,4% *
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 5 ppm 15 ppm 48 ppm 65 ppm
Oxygen (O
2
) 3,7% 5,4% 5,7% *
Sulphur dioxide (SO
2
) < 1 ppm < 1 ppm <1 ppm <1 ppm

At first, the engine functioned pretty well, but when the pressure inside the gasholder goes
down, the engine starts to fail. Therefore we had to put some weights on top of the gasholder
to increase its pressure, and so, the problem was solved.

3.7. PUREFAs Conclusion

Despite the fact that this project has been developed experimentally in Sao Paulo Universitys
campus, in urban area, one of the expectations is that the results obtained provide information
about biodigestors operational conditions. This allows defining appropriate areas where this
project could be applicable.
Especially in rural areas, the use of swage as fuel to produce electric energy is able to
contribute with electrification programs already structured in Brazil, increasing decentralized
electric generation, what creates important benefits to the country.
The most important environmental contribution associated to this project is the mitigation of
greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, especially verified trough methane conversion in carbon
dioxide, which presents a dangerous level around twenty five times lower than methane.
4
7
1 2
4. ENERG-BIOG Case Study

This study was held at SABESP (Basic Sanitation Company of So Paulo State), located in
Barueri, Brazil. This plant operates with anaerobic digestion process (using UASB digestor),
which has as mainly products biogas (composed mainly by methane) and sludge.
The ENERG-BIOG Project aims to analyze the use of sewer biogas to electricity production
in Brazil. The study in being held in a sewer treatment plant located in Barueri, State of So
Paulo. This plant operates with anaerobic digestion process, which has as mainly products
biogas (composed mainly by methane) and sludge.
The main advantage of using anaerobic digestion process is that the sludge treatment process
is followed by energy production as biogas. Currently, part of the methane produced is burnt
in a boiler used to increase digestors temperature and so, the process efficiency. The methane
remnant is burnt in flare to reduce the impacts caused by gases emissions. An alternative to
burn it in flare is the biogas conversion into electricity through engines or microturbines. This
paper describes the proposed system to convert biogas in electricity and heat using
microturbine.
The first survey indicated an average production of 24,000 m
3
(secondary treatment) per day
of biogas (reaching 28,000 m
3
/day in some periods), with a LHV (lower heat value) of 5,300
kcal/Nm
3
(22.2 MJ/Nm
3
), whose composition (%) are presented in Table 5 and other biogas
characteristics are presented in Table 6.

Table 5 Biomass measure composition in % of SABESP STS at Barueri (CENBIO, 2003)
Gas mixture measure Composition
Methane (CH
4
) 66.5%
Carbon Dioxide (CO
2
) 30.5%
Oxygen (O
2
) + Nitrogen (N
2
) 0.5%
Humidity (H
2
O) 2.5%

Table 6 Others Characteristics (CENBIO, 2003 and SABESP,2001)
Others Characteristics
Sulfuric Acid (H
2
S) 134 ppm or 0.01%
LHV 5,300 Kcal/m
3
or 22,195 kJ/m
3

Relative Density 0.86 a 15C 101.325 kPa
Pressure 250 mm c.a. (Gas tank measure)
Produced Volume 24,000 m
3
/dia (approximately)

4.1. Biogas Cleaning

As in the PUREFA project, the biogas generated in SABESPs, sewage treatment station in
Barueri contains impurities that can compromise the operation of the installation, damaging
the cleaning system, the compression system and the electric energy generation system
(microturbine). The humidity can compromise the operation of microturbines internal parts
(injector, combustion chamber, turbine rotor), besides reducing the biogas heating value; the
H
2
S can damage driers internal parts, as well as the compressor and the microturbine,
because H
2
S is corrodible; air presence into the pipeline: reduces the biogas heating value;
and the CO
2
, that is a inert gas that also reduces the biogas heating value; however, the
microturbine was projected to operate with CO
2
levels between 30% and 50%. So, the
withdrawal of this element did not become necessary.
For the humidity withdrawal present on the biogas, coalescent filters were used on the line
and two refrigerated driers, one before and another after the compressor. To deal with the H
2
S
gas removal, a carbon filter was used, operating by absorption principle. For the H
2
S in water
solution were used refrigeration drier and coalescent filters.
The purification system used in this project, also the first one in Latin America, was designed
to guarantee that the biogas characteristics would accomplish the microturbines
specifications, what happened indeed.
The gas analysis results shows that the gas cleaning system used fulfills the turbine
requirements. The microturbine consumes an average of 20 m
3
/h or 480 m
3
/day.

4.2. ENERG-BIOGs Conclusion

The microtubine electricity cost is higher then the electricity produced in conventional
generators the emissions, mainly NOx, are significantly lower.

Table 7 Comparison between installations costs relations for both technologies (Capstone
Microturbine and Trigas Generation Group) (CENBIO, 2004)
Relation between Capstone Microturbine Trigas Generation Group
Initial investment and installed power R
1
= 2.195,28 US$/kW R
2
= 358,69 US$/kW
Initial investment and liquid installed power R
1
= 3.377,36 US$/kW R
2
= 430,43 US$/kW
Operation and maintenance costs by the electricity
production
R
3
= 0,0989 US$/kWh R
4
= 0,0148 US$/kWh
Total costs by the electric energy production R
5
= 0,2045 US$/kWh R
6
= 0,1224 US$/kWh

The exhaustion gases analysis showed NOx emissions of less then 1 ppm (parts per million).
Then the large advantage of using this technology is directly tied with the environmental
benefits, when these emissions are compared with the internal combustion engines ones,
approximately 3,000 ppm NOx.
It is necessary to consider in this scenario the potential of emissions reductions and the carbon
credits in a Kyoto Protocol CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) project where each kWh
produced using biogas, in Brazilian conditions, avoids emissions of 0,5 tC.

5. Conclusions

The energetic use of biogas causes different environmental and economical impacts
depending on witch system is used. The electricity generation using biogas in landfills fulfills
the electricity requirements of the plant and a surplus of energy can be delivered to the grid.
In the agricultural sector the biogas produced, mainly in anaerobic digestors feed by manure
residues, can provide energy surplus to, depending one the number of animals and the
technology used to treat their residues.
In sewage treatment plants the biogas use to electricity production allows a reduction of 20%
in electricity consumption. This relation between the electricity production and consumption
dont change due the size of the facilities.

6. References

CENBIO. Nota Tcnica VII - Gerao de Energia a Partir do Biogs Gerado por Resduos Urbanos e Rurais,
So Paulo, 2001.

CENBIO. Relatrios de Atividades Projeto ENERG-BIOG, So Paulo, 2002 - 2004.

COSTA et al. Produo de Energia Eltrica a partir de Resduos Slidos Urbanos, Trabalho de Graduao
Interdisciplinar/FAAP, So Paulo, 2001.

SABESP. Companhia e Saneamento Bsico do Estado de So Paulo, 2001.