Compact Membrane Systems introduces new technology

Optiperm^™ biogas holds the potential to enable the separation of methane from carbon dioxide with fewer stages and less compression. This technology is currently being tested in its first pilot demonstration at the Dickinson College Farm in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, US. CMS has previously demonstrated its original solution to separate olefins from paraffins at the Delaware City Refining Co. This new demonstration of Optiperm biogas is an application of CMS' fluoropolymer expertise in a new market.

The technology is aimed at separating carbon dioxide from methane, a key challenge for the biogas industry. Biogas is produced largely on farms or small waste centres, not at large centralised plants. Designed to operate at low pressure while maintaining high selectivity and permeance, the technology allows users to capture, separate and upgrade existing biogas streams that would otherwise be lost or under-valued. The technology is stable in the presence of water and hydrogen sulfide, requiring less pretreatment. The modular and flexible nature of membranes targets Optiperm biogas for installation at appropriate scale for a range of biogas facilities. This novel process technology could represent a step change in performance for existing infrastructure.

Working with Energy Projects Manager Matt Steiman at the Dickinson College Farm, a small spiral wound module system was installed. The system takes raw biogas feed directly from the digester with no pretreatment. The pilot is intended to demonstrate successful operation under field conditions for an extended period of time.

Optiperm biogas technology will be tested for a period of at least two months to demonstrate stability in the field and validate performance measured in the CMS laboratory.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/clean-fuels/29102020/compact-membrane-systems-introduces-new-technology/