Design and Optimization of Biogas Energy Systems

Prashant Baredar, Vikas Khare, Savita Nema

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780128227183
• eBook ISBN: 9780128227190
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Energy

Design and Optimization of Biogas Energy Systems presents an overview on planning, implementing, assessing and optimizing biogas systems, from fuel conversion to power generation. The book introduces the fundamental elements of bioenergy systems, highlighting the specificities of biogas systems. It discusses the current state of their adoption at a global level and the challenges faced by designers and operators. Methods for sizing, simulating and modeling are discussed, including prefeasibility analysis, available production processes, integration into hybrid energy systems, and the application of Big Data analysis and game theory concepts. All chapters include real-life examples and exercises to illustrate the topics being covered.The book goes beyond theory to offer practical knowledge of methods to reach solutions to key challenges in the field. This is a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners and graduate students interested in developing smart, reliable and sustainable biogas technologies.- Provides an applied approach to biogas systems, from technology fundamentals, to economic and environmental assessment- Explores control methods and reliability prediction of each system component, including modeling and simulation with HOMER and MATLAB- Discusses the use of Big Data analysis, numerical methods, and Game Theory for plant assessment

Chapter 1

Biogas energy system

Abstract

Biogas energy systems are one of the prominent energy sources in the field of renewable energy. This chapter is an introductory part of biogas energy systems, and this chapter described the history and worldwide evaluation of biogas technology. Worldwide current status of biogas energy systems is also explained in this chapter. This chapter is ended with factors hindering the biogas system and the advantages and disadvantages of the biogas system.

Keywords

Biogas system; gasification; liquid conversion; worldwide evaluation

Chapter outline

Outline

• 1.1 Introduction 1
• 1.2 Why biogas energy? 7
• 1.3 History of biogas system 10
• 1.4 Worldwide evaluation of biogas technology 10
• 1.5 Dissemination of biogas system 13
• 1.6 Factor hindering biogas system 22
• 1.7 Pros and cons of biogas system 25
  • 1.7.1 Advantages 25
  • 1.7.2 Disadvantages 29
• 1.8 Exercise 30
• References 30
• Further reading 31

Objectives

• • To provide knowledge about the importance of biogas energy systems in the field of electricity generation
• • To provide knowledge about the worldwide evaluation of biogas technology
• • To provide knowledge about the dissemination of biogas systems
• • To provide knowledge about the pros and cons of the biogas energy system

1.1 Introduction

Biogas energy systems are one of the prominent energy sources of renewable energy (RE) systems, and they are utilized for electricity generation, where biogas energy is the energy generated or produced by living or once-living organisms. The energy from these organisms can be burned to create heat and converted into electricity. Biogas is a versatile energy source that can be used for the production of heat, power, transport fuels, and biomaterials, apart from making a significant contribution to climate change mitigation. Currently, biogas-driven combined heat and power, cofiring, and combustion plants provide reliable, efficient, and clean power that generates a lot of electrical energy for fulfilling the load demand. The feedstock for biogas energy plants can include residues from agriculture, forestry, wood processing and food processing industries, municipal solid wastes, industrial wastes, and biogas produced from degraded and marginal lands. The terms biogas energy, bioenergy, and biofuel cover any energy products derived from a plant or an animal or an organic material. The increasing interest in biogas energy and biofuel has been the result of the following associated benefits:

• • potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;
• • energy security benefits;
• • substitution for diminishing global oil supplies;
• • potential impacts on waste management strategy;
• • capacity to convert a wide variety of wastes into clean energy; and
• • technological advancement in thermal and biochemical processes for waste-to-energy transformation;

Biogas can play the pivotal role in the production of carbon-neutral fuels of high quality as well as providing feedstocks for various industries. This is a unique property of biogas compared with other REs, which makes biogas a prime alternative to the use of fossil fuels. The performance of biogas-based systems for heat and power generation has already been proved in many situations on commercial as well as domestic scales.

In addition, biogas wastes can also yield liquid fuels, such as cellulosic ethanol, which can be used to replace petroleum-based fuels. Cellulosic ethanol can be produced from grasses, wood chips, and agricultural residues by biochemical route using heat, pressure, chemicals, and enzymes unlocking the sugars in cellulosic biogas. Algal biogas is also emerging as a good source of energy, because it can serve as a natural source of oil, which conventional refineries can transform into jet fuel or diesel fuel. Biogas energy systems have the potential to address many environmental issues, especially global warming and GHG emissions, and foster sustainable development among poor communities. Biogas fuel sources are readily available in the rural and urban areas of all countries. Biogas-based industries can provide appreciable employment opportunities and promote biogas regrowth through sustainable land management practices. The negative aspects of traditional biogas utilization in developing countries can be mitigated by the promotion of modern waste-to-energy technologies that provide solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels as well as electricity for house appliances, commercial buildings, and different types of industries. Biogas wastes can be transformed into clean and efficient energy by biochemical as well as thermochemical technologies. Fig. 1.1 shows the types of biogases, which include different forms of biogas such as virgin wood, energy crops, agricultural waste, and waste from other materials. Virgin wood is also classified into tree surgery residues, forestry residues, and fuel wood, as shown in Fig. 1.2. Figs. 1.3–1.5 also show the types of energy crops, agricultural wastes, and other wastes, respectively.

Figure 1.1 Different forms of biogas.

Figure 1.2 Types of virgin wood.

Figure 1.3 Types of energy crops.

Figure 1.4 Types of agricultural wastes.

Figure 1.5 Types of wastes.

Rather than thermochemical technologies, the most common technique for producing both heat and electrical energies from biogas wastes is direct combustion. In direct combustion, the thermal efficiencies as high as 80%–90% can be achieved by advanced gasification technology with greatly reduced atmospheric emissions. Combined heat and power (CHP) systems, ranging from small-scale technology to large grid-connected facilities, provide significantly higher efficiencies than systems that only generate electricity. Biochemical processes, like anaerobic digestion and sanitary landfills, can also produce clean energy in the form of biogas and producer gas, which can be converted into power and heat using a gas engine. A biogas system also uses plant or animal material for energy generation, for heat production, or in various industrial processes as the raw material for a range of products. It can be purposely grown energy crops, wood or forest residues, waste from food crops (wheat straw and bagasse), horticulture (yard waste), food processing (corn cobs), animal farming (manure, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus), or human waste from sewage plants. Burning plant-derived biogas releases CO₂, but it has still been classified as an RE source in the European Union and United Nation legal frameworks, because photosynthesis cycles the CO₂ back into new crops. In some cases, this recycling of CO₂ from plants to the atmosphere and back into plants can even be CO₂ negative, as a relatively large portion of the...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Chapter 1. Biogas energy system
• Chapter 2. Optimum sizing and modeling of biogas energy system
• Chapter 3. Biogas digester plant
• Chapter 4. Control system of biomass power plant
• Chapter 5. Reliability assessment of biogas power plant
• Chapter 6. Biomass liquefaction
• Chapter 7. Advances in biogas power plant
• Index