Technologies for Deep Biogas Purification and Use in Zero-Emission Fuel Cells Systems

Abstract

A proper exploitation of biogas is key to recovering energy from biowaste in the framework of a circular economy and environmental sustainability of the energy sector. The main obstacle to widespread and efficient utilization of biogas is posed by some trace compounds (mainly sulfides and siloxanes), which can have a detrimental effect on downstream gas users (e.g., combustion engines, fuel cells, upgrading, and grid injection). Several purification technologies have been designed throughout the years. The following work reviews the main commercially available technologies along with the new concepts of cryogenic separation. This analysis aims to define a summary of the main technological aspects of the clean-up and upgrading technologies. Therefore, the work highlights which benefits and criticalities can emerge according to the intended final biogas application, and how they can be mitigated according to boundary conditions specific to the plant site (e.g., freshwater availability in WWTPs or energy recovery).