Experimental approach for catalytic combustion of biogas: Preliminary research

Abstract

Nowadays, the use for renewable resources comes as a necessity to stringent energetic consumption issues that are related to both economic and energy autonomy (if possible) by using alternative sources of energy. In this context, one possible solution could be the application of anaerobic digestion processes, with a main energy carrier as result in the production of biogas. The focus for the present paper is to analyze the possibility to obtain biogas through anaerobic digestion of solid agricultural wastes (degraded corn and wheat) in municipal waste waters substrate. The biogas production was tested on a self-sustained double biogas reactors and CH4 production obtained presented. Combustion of biogas-like syngas simulating produced biogas was performed in the presence of ZnAl2O4 and CoAl2O4 catalyst, in an experimental combustor. Experiments conducted showed that both corn and wheat blended with municipal waste water produce biogas with up to 80% CH4 concentration and that combustion behavior of biogas is improved in presence of CoAl2O4 catalyst.