Enhancing Energy Processes and Facilities Redesign in an Anaerobic Digestion Plant for Biomethane Production

Orlando Corigliano (), Marco Iannuzzi, Crescenzo Pellegrino, Francesco D’Amico, Leonardo Pagnotta and Petronilla Fragiacomo
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Orlando Corigliano: Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy
Marco Iannuzzi: Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy
Crescenzo Pellegrino: Waste to Methane, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy
Francesco D’Amico: Waste to Methane, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy
Leonardo Pagnotta: Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy
Petronilla Fragiacomo: Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Cosenza, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 15, 1-29

Abstract: The energy revolution prioritizes efficiency, sustainability, practicality, and concreteness. Conventional energy processes remain crucial and will continue to be essential for a long time if they are based on renewable and clean sources. Biofuels, particularly biomethane, are gaining significant attention for their potential to replace fossil fuels and contribute to a greener energy landscape. This paper focuses on enhancing the energy efficiency of an anaerobic digestion plant for biomethane production. Oversizing issues in technical plants often result in excessive energy and economic costs. Therefore, this study aims to analyze plant sections that can be improved to enhance performance. An energy analysis quantifies the energy requirements for different sections and sub-sections, guiding the selection of energy interventions such as pipeline resizing, heat generator modifications, pump enhancements, and energy recovery opportunities. The methodology is applied to an existing biomethane plant, and graphical software is used for redesigning the heat generator, pumps, and pipelines. The results demonstrated that implementing energy efficiency measures improves system performance. The heat generator’s capacity was successfully reduced by 100 kW, surpassing the initial design choice. Additionally, heat recovery from the biogas compression section has enhanced the overall thermal dynamics of the system. The estimated annual methane consumption in the boiler is approximately 12,000 Nm 3 , resulting in an expenditure of EUR 10600. These interventions have led to substantial savings, totaling EUR 133000 for the comprehensive thermal sustenance of the entire plant.

Keywords: biomethane; energy efficiency; biogas; anaerobic digestion; renewable energy; clean energy; waste to energy; modeling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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