Process for generating methane and/or methane hydrate from biomass
AssigneePaul Scherrer Institut
InventorsFrederic Vogel, Samuel Stucki, Thanh-Binh Truong, Maurice H. Waldner
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Abstract
To generate methane from biomass, a biomass pulp is produced from the biomass with a desired dry mass content being set, and the biomass pulp is placed under pressure. The biomass pulp is heated under pressure in order to liquefy the solid organic components of the biomass pulp. The pressurized and heated biomass pulp is heated further to at least the critical temperature of the biomass pulp. Solids precipitated under pressure and increased temperature are separated from the fluid phase. At least a part of the remaining fluid phase is gasified under pressure and increased temperature by means of a reactor to form a methane-rich gas.
Claims14
A method for generating methane from biomass comprising:
- producing a biomass pulp from the biomass with a desired dry mass content being set,
- placing the biomass pulp under pressure,
- heating the biomass pulp under pressure in order to liquefy the solid organic components of the biomass pulp,
- further heating the pressurized and heated biomass pulp to at least a critical temperature appropriate to the biomass pulp, wherein a higher temperature level obtained by said further heating the biomass pulp lies at least at the critical temperature,
- separating solids precipitated under pressure and increased temperature from the fluid phase, wherein said separating includes precipitating and collecting salts and residual solids, said collected precipitations being removed from the process continuously or periodically prior to a gasification, and
- gasifying at least a part of the remaining fluid phase under pressure and increased temperature by means of a reactor to form a methane-rich gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.