ORBIT
Optimization of a trickle bed bioreactor for the dynamic microbial biosynthesis of methane with archaea in Power-to-Gas plants
Optimization of a trickle bed bioreactor for the dynamic microbial biosynthesis of methane with archaea in power-to-gas plants
ORBIT
In the BMWK-funded project "Optimization of a trickle-bed bioreactor for the dynamic microbial biosynthesis of methane with archaea in Power-to-Gas plants", the universities in Regensburg and Erlangen-Nuremberg and the industrial partners Electrochaea GmbH, MicrobEnergy GmbH, MicroPyros GmbH, Westnetz GmbH, Westenergie AG and the DVGW Research Centre worked on the development of a trickle-bed bioreactor under the leadership of FENES.
The overall aim of the project was to develop new technological possibilities for the biological methanation process with archaea in Power-to-Gas applications. In contrast to technically mature chemical-catalytic methanation, there is still potential for optimizing procedural and biological processes for the Power-to-Gas storage concept.
On the one hand, a trickle bed bioreactor was optimized, simulated and prepared for upscaling. On the other hand, a combination of optimally suitable microorganisms and packing materials was selected and their behavior and suitability in the reactor was analyzed. The behavior of the developed system was first investigated on a laboratory and pilot plant scale and then in a field test at an existing Power-to-Gas plant. The main objective during the field test was to produce methane that could be fed into the gas grid.
One of the main objectives of the project was to advance the standardization of the necessary system parameters and semantics for the description and integration of biological methanation units in Power-to-Gas plants. On the one hand, this should improve the comparability of scientific findings and, on the other, support the commercialization of the technology. As a result of the project, the new VDI 4635 Power-to-X standardization series was initiated at the Association of German Engineers.
Selected project results:
- Planning, construction and test operation of a trickle bed bioreactor for biological methanation.
- An electrolyser database was set up and an expert survey was conducted on the parameters and economic efficiency of electrolysers.
- Experiments on the growth behavior of different archaea strains on various surfaces and materials were planned and carried out.
- Continuous operation of the ORBIT plant with methane proportions in the product gas of 91 to almost 95% and hydrogen and CO2 proportions below 2-3% was achieved.
Project partners
OTH Regensburg: Research Center for Energy Networks and Energy Storage (FENES)
University of Regensburg: Archaea Center
Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg: Chair of Energy Process Engineering
Electrochaea GmbH
microbEnergy GmbH
MicroPyros BioEnerTec GmbH
Associated partners:
Westnetz GmbH
Westenergie AG
