Vacuum swing adsorption on natural zeolites from tuffs in a prototype plant. Issue 3 (9th January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Petracchini, Francesco; Paolini, Valerio; Liotta, Flavia; Paciucci, Lucia; Facci, Enrico
• Is Part Of: Environmental progress & sustainable energy. Volume 36:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 887
• Page End: 894
• Publication Date: 2017-01-09
• Subjects: biogas -- zeolites -- adsorption -- methane -- pressure swing adsorption; Environmental engineering -- Periodicals; Sustainable engineering -- Periodicals; Environmental chemistry -- Periodicals; 333.7
• DOI: 10.1002/ep.12530
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1944-7442

Abstract

Abstract : A vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) prototype plant was developed and tested, based on natural zeolites from tuffs containing Chabazite. The regeneration procedure of natural zeolites was optimized, and the operative pressure resulted to be the most important parameter. The VSA prototype was fed for 3 months with a real biogas, produced by agrozootechnical byproducts in an anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR). Biogas composition from ABR was very stable and allowed to deeply investigate the performances of natural zeolites in real biogas conditions. Biogas was desulfurized and dehydrated before the VSA unit. In our experimental conditions, a biomethane average purity > 98% was achieved, with methane recovery > 95%. CO2 concentration was always lower than 0.3%, while oxygen ranged from 0.2 to 1.5%. A light desulfurization effect was also observed. CH4 concentration was < 0.1% in the VSA off‐gas. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 36: 887–894, 2017