Low cost, energy efficient biomethane production from landfill gas or biogas

Biomethane can be produced from biogas or landfill gas in a fairly simple water scrubbing system. This process has been used on large scale biogas plants but the optimal operation has not been fully investigated. Existing validated models will be used to design the process conditions to give optimal conversion to the required quality of biomethane depending on the application (vehicle use, CHP, grid injection) such as operating pressure, water and gas flow rates and packing media. This will lead onto a techno-economic assessment of the process and its integration into the larger AD energy system. The student will benefit from excellent laboratory and analytical facilities and links with industry through our collaborative work and have access to micro-AD development sites in the UK where pilot scale test facilities can be developed.