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US 11,883,780 B2Granted
Systems for aggregating and processing of biogas to biomethane
AssigneeCalifornia Bioenergy, LLC
InventorN. Ross Buckenham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A biogas collection and purification system that includes a plurality of sources of biogas and a network of conduits configured to convey the biogas from the sources to a central processing facility for processing the biogas into methane. The central processing facility removes impurities to convert biogas to biomethane and may include an H2S removal stage; an activated carbon scrubber; a gas drier; and a carbon dioxide removal stage. The facility also has a biomethane gas compressor configured to deliver the biomethane for use in power plants, for CNG production. Ancillaries to the system include fuel cells for direct electricity generation from biogas/biomethane.
Claims29
A biogas collection and purification system, the system aggregating biogas from a plurality of remote sources and treating the biogas to produce biomethane, the system comprising:
- a network of conduits configured to convey biogas from the plurality of remote sources of the biogas based on a detected availability of biogas at each of the respective remote sources;
- a biogas compressor located at each of the plurality of remote sources, each of the biogas compressors controlledly supplying biogas to a collection header of the network of conduits;
- a central processing facility receiving the biogas conveyed in the network of conduits from the plurality of remote sources of biogas via a feed biogas compressor of the central processing facility, the central processing facility processing the biogas into biomethane, the central processing facility having:
- a biogas hydrogen sulfide removal stage;
- an activated carbon scrubber;
- a carbon dioxide removal stage;
- a cooler positioned between the activated carbon scrubber and the carbon dioxide removal state, wherein the cooler is configured to lower a temperature of the biogas, and
- a processed gas compressor positioned downstream from the carbon dioxide removal stage and configured to compress the biomethane;
- wherein a central controller receives input data, including data about gas availability at the remote sources, and the central controller controls the biogas compressors at each remote facility, the feed biogas compressor of the treatment facility, and the processed gas compressor.
6 more elements
A biogas collection, purification and delivery system comprising:
- a plurality of remote sources of biogas from digesters of organic animal waste, the plurality of biogas sources each having a flexible roof, and each configured either
- (a) with sensors to detect an availability of biogas at the respective ones of the plurality of remote sources and transmitters to transmit data about availability to a controller or
- (b) to permit an estimation of biogas availability by human inspection;
- a biogas compressor at each of the plurality of remote sources configured to controlledly compress biogas into a network of conduits configured to convey biogas from the plurality of sources of biogas;
- a central processing facility controlledly receiving biogas via a biogas feed compressor from the plurality of sources of biogas and processing the biogas into biomethane, the central processing facility having:
- a biogas hydrogen sulfide removal stage;
- an activated carbon scrubber;
- a membrane-based carbon dioxide removal stage;
- a cooler positioned between the activated carbon scrubber and the membrane-based carbon dioxide removal stage, wherein the cooler is configured to lower a temperature of the biogas;
- and
- a biomethane gas compressor configured to controlledly compress the biomethane;
- wherein a central controller is positioned downstream from the membrane-based carbon dioxide removal stage and configured to control the biogas compressors at each of the plurality of remote sources, to control the biogas feed compressor of the central processing facility, and to control the biomethane gas compressor.
9 more elements
A biogas collection, purification and delivery system comprising:
- a plurality of remote sources of biogas from digesters of organic animal waste, the plurality of biogas sources each having a flexible roof, and each configured either,
- with sensors to detect an availability of biogas at the respective ones of the plurality of remote sources and transmitters to transmit data about availability to a controller or
- to permit an estimation of biogas availability by human inspection;
- a network of conduits configured to convey biogas from the plurality of remote sources of biogas;
- a central processing facility receiving biogas conveyed from the plurality of sources of biogas and processing the biogas into combustible biomethane, the central processing facility having:
- a biogas feed compressor controlledly charging biogas to the central processing facility;
- a biogas hydrogen sulfide removal stage;
- an activated carbon scrubber;
- a carbon dioxide removal stage;
- a cooler positioned between the activated carbon scrubber and the carbon dioxide removal stage, wherein the cooler is configured to lower a temperature of the biogas;
- and
- a biomethane compressor positioned downstream from the carbon dioxide removal stage and configured to compress the biomethane;
- wherein each of at least some of the remote biogas sources include a fuel cell configured to convert biogas directly to electricity;
- wherein a central controller is configured to control biogas compressors at each of the plurality of remote sources, to control the biogas feed compressor of the central processing facility, and to control the biomethane gas compressor, based on data including biogas availability at respective ones of the plurality of remote sources.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.