Article
Agricultural Engineering
Carolina Feickert Fenske, Franz Kirzeder, Dietmar Struebing, Konrad Koch
Summary: The study focuses on the application of biological methanation technology in trickle bed reactors for energy storage. A pilot-scale trickle bed reactor was constructed in a wastewater treatment plant for upgrading raw biogas. The study found that increasing ammonium concentration was the most successful method for pH control, allowing stable and long-term biogas upgrading with high methane production.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Pavel Straka
Summary: The study focuses on evaluating technical implementations, CO2 sources usability, and the mass deployment potential of Power-to-Gas technology, emphasizing the importance of ensuring a low price of surplus electricity. An approach to eliminate regulated electricity distribution fees by associating a methanation plant with the main CO2-producing plant is proposed. Additionally, the study evaluates the use of P-t-G as an auxiliary operation of a lignite-fired power plant, showing a potentially good return on investment.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Eero Inkeri, Tero Tynjala, Hannu Karjunen
Summary: PtG technology integrates renewable electricity production into the energy system with flexible load regulation and low-emission methane. The operation of the electrolyzer is related to the intermittency of renewable electricity production and electricity markets, resulting in varying full load hours (FLH) with different characteristics.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Andres Sanz-Martinez, Paul Duran, Victor D. Mercader, Eva Frances, Jose Angel Pena, Javier Herguido
Summary: This study focused on the concept of 'biogas upgrading' to increase CH4 levels in sweetened biogas to those of synthetic natural gas. The behavior of three lab-made catalysts in a CO2 methanation reaction was tested, showing good catalytic performance and high CH4 selectivity. Addition of CH4 did not significantly alter the reaction mechanism, allowing for potential utilization of off-peak H-2 for maximizing CH4 yield.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Laure Deschamps, Nabila Imatoukene, Julien Lemaire, Mahamadou Mounkaila, Rayen Filali, Michel Lopez, Marc-Andre Theoleyre
Summary: The feasibility of in-situ bio-methanation coupled with industrial wastewater treatment for biogas upgrading was demonstrated using a bioreactor with membrane technologies. High biogas productivity and CH4 content were achieved while maintaining high COD removal efficiency. The process showed resilience to substrate overload and intermittent H2 injection, with rapid recovery of high CH4 content after 7 days without H2 injection. The microbial community analysis revealed involvement of both hydrogenotrophic and homoacetogenic-acetoclastic pathways.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Thermodynamics
Manuel Bailera, Pilar Lisbona, Begona Pena, Andreina Alarcon, Jordi Guilera, Jorge Perpinan, Luis M. Romeo
Summary: This study compared nickel and ruthenium promoted by ceria as catalyst active phase for the production of synthetic natural gas. Nickel-based catalyst exhibited higher CO2 conversion and showed less reduction of BET area and metal dispersion after utilization. Two kinetic models were established, with the kinetic model of the nickel-based catalyst performing better in fitting with the experimental data.
Review
Energy & Fuels
Andrea Barbaresi, Mirko Morini, Agostino Gambarotta
Summary: Power-to-gas technologies are gaining recognition for their potential in energy storage and carbon dioxide utilization. Research projects in this field are predominantly at a laboratory scale, focusing on improving system efficiency and component integration.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tatsuya Takahashi, Hiroaki Koide, Hiroki Sakai, Daisuke Ajito, Ade Kurniawan, Yuji Kunisada, Takahiro Nomura
Summary: The study developed a novel structure where catalysts were directly loaded onto micro-encapsulated PCM, demonstrating higher potential in CO2 methanation. The heat storage capacity of catalyst-loaded MEPCM suppressed temperature rise at high heat absorption rates. The MEPCM is a high-speed, high-precision thermal control device with potential to enhance efficiency in industrial chemical reactions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yan Resing Dias, Oscar W. Perez-Lopez
Summary: Mitigating CO2 emissions has become an important issue nowadays, and converting CO2 to CH4 as a natural gas substitute and H2 storage source is an interesting alternative. In this study, Ni/SiO2 catalysts promoted by Fe, Co and Zn were prepared and showed improved performance in CO2 conversion to methane, with Ni-Co/SiO2 achieving the best results in terms of CO2 conversion and CH4 selectivity.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Andreas Gantenbein, Julia Witte, Serge M. A. Biollaz, Oliver Krocher, Tilman Jy Schildhauer
Summary: This study conducted experiments testing a commercial biogas upgrading membrane for hydrogen recycling, leading to the development of a concept that flexibly combines upgrading and methanation. Grid injection standards for biomethane and biogas production were successfully met within the pressure ranges tested.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Wei Wang, Cuong Duong-Viet, Lai Truong-Phuoc, Jean-Mario Nhut, Loic Vidal, Cuong Pham-Huu
Summary: The use of CO2 methanation in the power-to-gas (PtG) technology chains has gained attention for clean energy and sustainable development. A macroscopic mesoporous nickel catalyst was prepared and evaluated for selective CO2 hydrogenation to CH4. The use of direct induction heating (IH) mode and the high thermal and electrical conductivity of the prepared materials improved the catalytic performance, enhancing CO2 activation and preventing coke formation on the catalyst surface.
Review
Chemistry, Applied
Jie Ren, Hao Lou, Nuo Xu, Feng Zeng, Gang Pei, Zhandong Wang
Summary: Power-to-methane (P2M) processes convert renewable energy into H2 and then into other valuable chemicals using active catalysts, making them an effective solution for energy storage. However, the fluctuating electricity from intermittent renewable energy requires robust heterogeneous catalysts to handle the changing reactant composition. This review aims to classify CO/CO2 methanation fundamentals and status, identify the pathways with different catalysts, and discuss the challenges and future prospects of CO2 or CO methanation. Additionally, the advantages and ongoing industrialization projects of P2M are summarized.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Daryl Luvane Reddy, David Lokhat, Hammad Siddiqi, B. C. Meikap
Summary: The study focuses on the simulation and research of carbon capture and power-to-gas technology loop, showing that this method can effectively promote sustainable renewable energy development. Through simulation, high conversion rates of CO and CO2, as well as a high CH4 yield, can be achieved under specific conditions. The research also reveals the reaction mechanism of CO2 and CO methanation.
Article
Energy & Fuels
P. Aragues-Aldea, A. Sanz-Martinez, P. Duran, E. Frances, J. A. Pena, J. Herguido
Summary: This study successfully demonstrated the effect of distributed feeding on the methanation of CO2, improving the selectivity towards CH4 and enhancing the overall process performance.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Tatsiana Antukh, Ingyu Lee, Sunghee Joo, Hyunook Kim
Summary: Biogas upgrading is a process to separate methane from carbon dioxide and impurities in order to increase its purity and combustion efficiency. Conventional technologies have issues, while hydrogenotrophs-based biological upgrading attracts attention due to its simplicity and technological potential.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ziba Borazjani, Reza Azin, Shahriar Osfouri, Markus Lehner, Markus Ellersdorfer
Summary: The study conducted detailed exergy analyses of producing biocrude from Nannochloropsis sp. using hydrothermal liquefaction. The results showed that the heat exchanger had the highest exergy loss, while the reactor had high efficiency due to complex reactions at high temperature and pressure, making HTL an effective process for algae conversion. The overall exergy efficiency of the process was high, indicating HTL's effectiveness in converting algae into energy.
BIOENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Seyed Heydar Mosavi Mirak, Seyedmehdi Sharifian, Fatemeh Esmaeili Khalil Saraei, Neda Asasian-Kolur, Bahram Haddadi, Christian Jordan, Michael Harasek
Summary: In this study, the production process of titanium-pillared clay (Ti-PILC) using Iranian clay and titanium isopropoxide was optimized by changing operating parameters. It was found that the clay suspension concentration and H+/Ti ratio had a significant impact on the specific surface area, while the increase in calcination temperature had a negative effect on the porous texture.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandra Nastouli, Asimina Tsirigka, Michael Harasek, Anastasios J. Karabelas, Sotiris Patsios
Summary: This study evaluated the effect of heat sterilization on the filtration performance of a commercial PVDF UF membrane. After repeated sterilization cycles, the membrane's pure water permeance remained stable, while the molecular weight cut-off was estimated to be in the range of 31.5-98.0 kDa. The low fouling behavior suggests that commercial PVDF UF membranes are a viable alternative to high-cost ceramic UF membranes for fermentation processes.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Viktor Kalman, Johannes Voigt, Christian Jordan, Michael Harasek
Summary: This study investigates the feasibility of hydrogen storage in a depleted gas field and the purification of recovered hydrogen using pressure swing adsorption, achieving high purity hydrogen recovery. Challenges are identified in cycle design with varying feed parameters, but adequate separation performance is demonstrated, supporting the applicability of pressure swing adsorption in seasonal storage.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Eva-Maria Wartha, Nils Erland Haugen, Ewa Karchniwy, Markus Boesenhofer, Michael Harasek, Terese Lovas
Summary: The main production route for steel in Europe is still via the blast furnace. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be used to virtually analyze the process and improve its performance. Different reducing agents can be used to substitute coke and reduce emissions. Turbulence has a significant effect on coal conversion and burnout under blast furnace conditions.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Martin Elenkov, Benjamin Lukitsch, Paul Ecker, Christoph Janeczek, Michael Harasek, Margit Gfoehler
Summary: This study compared three different control algorithms for membrane oxygenators and found that the PI controller had the fastest response time, the NMPC controller had the lowest steady state error, and could reach the reference signal accurately in less than 15 seconds, while the RL controller had higher errors in reaching the reference signal.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kouessan Aziaba, Christian Jordan, Bahram Haddadi, Michael Harasek
Summary: Gas permeation and pervaporation are popular technologies, and a membrane model based on the solution-diffusion model has been designed using Visual Basic to extend the availability of numerical solutions. The model can be transferred to other programming languages and process simulation tools. Comparison with experimental and published simulation data shows good accordance or negligible deviations of less than 1%.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Thorsten Jonach, Bahram Haddadi, Christian Jordan, Michael Harasek
Summary: Gas and oil separation plants are crucial in the production process of hydrocarbon products. The design of these plants varies based on the recovered components and the properties of the underground rock reservoir. The handling of water during and after recovery operations is of great importance for production efficiency and pollution reduction. This study created a model of a gas and oil separation plant in Aspen HYSYS V10, focusing on the modeling of oil residues in water-bearing components. Dynamic operating states were simulated to demonstrate the capabilities of the model.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Fernando Ramonet, Bahram Haddadi, Michael Harasek
Summary: This study investigates the hydrodynamic behavior of a double draft tube airlift bioreactor using Computational fluid dynamics simulations. Ten different geometric configurations were examined, and the results showed the influence of draft tube placement on the hydrodynamic behavior. Stable downcomer velocities were achieved by maintaining a consistent distance between the bottom clearance and the sum of the distance between draft tubes and the bottom clearance on the top clearance. This study provides insight into the optimal design of ALRs and has significant value for the development of more efficient bioreactor systems.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Julia Tomasich, Stefan Beisl, Michael Harasek
Summary: The use of lignin allows for a transition from a fossil-based economy to a sustainable and bio-based economy. Colloidal lignin particles can be used as emulsifiers, replacing environmentally harmful synthetic surfactants. They have the potential for applications in various industries.
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Dragana Dimitrijevic, Markus Boesenhofer, Michael Harasek
Summary: This study provides an overview of liquid-liquid separation methods, including decanters, coalescers, centrifugal separators, membranes, and electro-coalescers. The thermodynamic basis and dispersion fundamentals necessary for discussing liquid-liquid separation are also presented. The most efficient separation method depends on phase properties, dispersion formation, and time and space constraints.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Barbara D. Weiss, Bahram Haddadi, Michael Harasek
Summary: This work evaluates the thermodynamic modeling of the MgO-CaO-CO2-SO2-H2O-O-2 system and focuses on the solubility of potential salts in the system. The study assesses the vapor-liquid equilibria and precipitation of various salts and their hydrate forms. The results show that the model accurately predicts the solubility within certain temperature ranges, but deviations are observed for some compounds.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Eleftheria Papadopoulou, Mayuki Cabrera Gonzalez, Daniela Reif, Amal Ahmed, Panagiotis Tsapekos, Irini Angelidaki, Michael Harasek
Summary: This study investigates the challenges of combining a low-cost feedstock with an optimized downstream strategy to achieve maximum recovery of high-purity lactic acid. The findings suggest that membrane separation technology is a viable method for separating lactic acid produced from a mixture of candy-waste and digestate, with pH as an important control factor.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Mayuki Cabrera-Gonzalez, Fernando Ramonet, Michael Harasek
Summary: This study proposes a circular economy model for food production in arid regions, based on the environmental knowledge of the Atacama Desert in Chile and the Sonora Desert in Mexico. The model incorporates solar energy for desalination and energy production, hydroponic farming with hydrogel dosing for food production, microalgae for biofuels, seaweed for biochemicals, and anaerobic digestion for organic waste management and nutrient recovery from wastewater sludge treatment. Regional policies and governance are needed to promote the adoption of circular economy models.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Andreas Zauner, Karin Fazeni-Fraisl, Philipp Wolf-Zoellner, Argjenta Veseli, Marie-Theres Holzleitner, Markus Lehner, Stephan Bauer, Markus Pichler
Summary: This study investigates the feasibility of the Underground Sun Conversion (USC) approach as a novel Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) method. The research comprehensively assesses the technical, economic, legal, and greenhouse gas impacts of the USC technology concept. The results show that the conversion of CO2 and renewable H-2 to geomethane in underground gas storage can close the carbon cycle and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, there are legal challenges due to the lack of regulation for CCU in the ETS regime.
