인구의 증가, 화석연료의 고갈 등으로 인한 고유가 현상과 함께 기후변화협약에 따른 온실가스 배출 제제안의 발의는 신재생에너지에 대한 관심을 증가시키고 있다. 신재생에너지 중 바이오가스는 온실가스 감축이라는 과제와 함께 유기성폐기물의 처리에 대한 어려움도 함께 해결이 가능해 정부에서는 관련 법령의 개정 등의 노력을 기울이고 있다. 이러한 이유로 바이오가스를 발전설비 에너지원으로 활용하는 시설이 점차 증가하는 추세이다. 바이오가스를 에너지자원으로 활용하기 위해서는 수분, 황화수소, 실록산(Siloxane) 등의 자원화에 부정적인 영향을 미치는 물질을 제거해야 한다. 그 중 실록산은 바이오가스의 연소설비 내에서 이산화규소로(SiO2)전환되어 흰색 침적물을 형성하는데 이로 인해 가스엔진 내 열교환기, 피스톤 등의 마모 및 손상과, 출력저하를 일으켜 효율저하 및 부품교체, 세척에 대한 비용 상승의 원인이 되고 있다. 따라서 바이오가스 자원화시설의 효율적인 운영 및 전처리 기술의 개발을 위해서는 실록산 전처리 설비는 필수적이다. 실록산 전처리 설비를 설계하기 위해서는 바이오가스 중의 실록산 농도에 대한 정확한 데이터를 얻을 수 있어야한다. 이에 실록산의 채취 및 분석방법에 대해 많은 연구가 이루어지고 있지만 규정화된 방법은 세계적으로도 정립되어있지 않은 실정이다. 문헌에 따라 다르지만 일반적으로 실록산 채취에 사용되는 방법으로는 용매 흡수법, 직접채취법, 고체흡착법 등이 알려져 있으며 용매흡수법이 모든 종류의 Siloxanes에 대해여 비교적 낮은 검출한계에서 정량적인 분석이 가능하다는 장점으로 인해 가장 자주 활용되고 있다. 용매흡수법은 임핀저(Impinger)에 채워진 용매 바이오가스를 통과시켜 실록산을 흡수한 후 분석하는 방법이다. 임핀저 내의 빠른 공기유속으로 인해 실록산이 메탄올에 100%용해되기 어려우므로 연구자에 따라 다르지만 1단의 임핀저 만으로는 실록산의 채취율을 보장할 수 없으므로, 보통 3단의 임핀저를 활용하고 있다. 이 과정에서 임핀저와 임핀저 사이를 연결할 수 있는 튜브(Tube)가 필요한데, 앞서 언급한 바와 마찬가지로 이에 대한 규정은 없는 상황이다. 하지만 튜브에 흡착되는 실록산에 의한 오차를 줄이고 현장 측정의 편리성을 확보하기 위해서는 적절한 재질의 튜브선정이 반드시 이루어져야 한다. 튜브가 지니고 있어야할 성질로서 우선 바이오가스 중의 실록산에 가급적 흡착이 덜 되어야 하며, 산성가스로 인한 튜브의 변질을 방지하기 위해 화학적으로 안정한 재질이 좋다. 또한 임핀저 간의 연결이 용이하도록 유연성이 좋은 재질이면 더욱 좋다. 이에 본 연구에서는 용매흡수법을 이용한 실록산 시료 채취 시에 사용되는 최적 Tube를 선정하기 위하여 실험을 진행하였다. 실험은 농도를 알고 있는 표준가스를 제조하여 3단 임핀저 흡수장치를 구성한 후 튜브의 재질별 실록산 회 수율을 평가하였다. 실록산의 회수율은 흡수법으로 측정한 실록산 농도를 표준가스의 실록산 농도로 나누어 산정하였으며, 회수율이 높은 튜브를 최적 튜브재질로 결정하였다. 실험에 사용된 튜브는 Silicon tube, Teflon tube, Tygon tube 총 3가지로 재질, 유연성, 화학적 안정성 등을 고려하여 선정하였다. 실험에 사용된 실록산 표준가스는 바이오가스 중에서 가장 높은 농도로 검출되는 D4(Octamethyl Cyclotetrasiloxane)를 이용하여 제조하였고, 용매로는 메탄올을 이용하였다. 실록산 농도는 질량분석기가 장착된 가스크로마토그래프(Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer, QP2010, Shimazu)로 분석하였다.

Several experiments have done to investigate the removal of hydrogen sulfide(H2S) synthetic gas from biogas streams by means of chemical absorption and chemical reaction with 0.1 M – 1 M Fe/EDTA solution. The hydrogen sulfide of biogas was bubbled through an gas-lift column with Fe/EDTA resulting in the formation of sulfur particles. Wide range of optimal operating conditions were tested for both Fe/EDTA solution and the biogas, and the optimal ratio of Fe/EDTA concentration for efficient removal of hydrogen sulfide was found. The roles of Fe/EDTA were studied to enhance the removal efficiency of hydrogen sulfide because of oxidizing by Fe+3/EDTA. The motivation of this investigation is first to explore the feasibility of enhancing the toxic gas treatment in the biogas facility. The biogas purification strategy affords many advantages. For instance, the process can be performed under mild environmental conditions and at low temperature, and it removes hydrogen sulfide selectively. The end product of separation is elemental sulfur, which is a stable material that can be easily disposed of with minor potential for further pollution. The process to address over 90% removal efficiency of hydrogen sulfide does offer considerable advantages unrealized.

The study aims to analyze economic of biogas plant in transition of recognition that waste resources has become renewable energy. The traditional investment valuation method using the NPV or IRR has a limitation in a sense that uncertainty of the future is not reflected. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to assess the value of the business by taking advantage of the real option. Biogas plant simulation is applied to the case of Garak Market using the binomial options among a variety of real options. With this analysis, it is assessed that operational expand option is the largest of the value of the binomial options.

Interest in the measurement of siloxane which reduces energy efficiency of biogas, has increased with its market extend. Even though the impinger absorption method takes long sampling time of 2-3 hours and need a complicated equipment, it has been typically used for the sampling method of siloxane. This study was conducted to apply the gas bag sampling method with tedlar bag and aluminium bag for improving the method of siloxane sampling. To compare efficiencies of siloxane sampling, the manufactured gas, landfill gas, and digestion gas were used as sample gases. According to the result, materials of gas bags did not cause measurement error and there was no loss of siloxane by adsorption on the inner surface of gas bag. The result of D4 calibration in the tedlar bag, showed higher than 0.99 in the coefficient of determination. In case of digestion gas, the analysis results of two samples collected by the tedlar bag and the impinger absorption were almost same. The differences of analysis result between landfill gas and digestion gas were considered due to the short sampling time and the absence of gas storage tank.

The proper disposal of digestate from biogas plants has been focused while the use of biogas plants to treat organic waste has been considered as a way of green energy production. This study analyzed chemical and biological characteristics of two types of digestates from 6 domestic biogas plants for low cost and environmental recycling. The results showed that separated solids met current standard for compost within organic content, ratio of organic matter and NaCl concentration, although water content and maturity of separated solids did not meet the standard. Total content of N, P2O5 and K2O in separated liquids met current standard for liquefied fertilizer except that in separated liquids from sewage sludge, although NaCl content of separated liquids from food waste exceed the standard. Heavy metal content, coliform count and 2 kinds of harmful microorganisms were also detected below domestic standard for compost and liquefied fertilizer. These results suggested that digestates from biogas plants could be recycled to be fertilizer with additional treatment such as post-composting or salinity removal process.

This study was conducted to improve the analytical method of siloxanes in biogas. Methanol and hexane were tested as absorption solvents of the impinger absorption method, and also the hexane extraction for pretreatment of sample was evaluated. Manufactured gas contained siloxanes of 50 ppm was completely absorbed by the methanol impinger absorption. The absorption efficiency of biogas containing only 2 ppm, however, was maximum 84%. As the condensate on the first impinger increased, the absorption rate of methanol was decreased. The hexane extraction method of the sample was considered to proper the method of moisture removal. The hexane extraction result showed the high recovery factor and the low relative standard deviation. It is suggested that the suitable choice of solvent and pretreatment is required, as the analysis result of siloxane sample may be differentiated depending on the type of biogas or the sampling point.

The main objective of this experimental investigation was CH4 recovery from biogas generated in municipal and wastewater treatment plant. The polysulfone hollow fiber membrane was prepared in order to investigate the permeation properties of CH4 and CO2. Permeability of CO2 in Polysulfone membrane was 11-fold higher than of CH4 gas. A membrane pilot plant for upgrading biogas was constructed and operated at a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The raw biogas contained 66 ~ 68 Vol % CH4, the balance being mainly CO2. The effect of the operating pressure of feed and permeate side and feed flowrate on CH4 recovery concentration and efficiency were investigated with double stage membrane pilot plant. The CH4 concentration in the retentate stream was raised in these tests to 93 Vol % CH4.

The objective of this research is to evaluate optimal conditions of permeability and selectivity on the polysulfone membrane for efficiency of separation of CH4 by checking four factors which are temperature, pressure, gas compositions and gas flow rates. When higher pressure was applied at the input, lower efficiency of recovery of CH4 and higher efficiency of separation of CH4 were shown. It has the tendency to show lower efficiency of recovery of CH4 and higher efficiency of separation of CH4 at the output as higher temperature at input. The lower flow rates make higher efficiency of recovery of CH4 and lower efficiency of separation of CH4. Finally, over 90% efficiency for CH4 separation and recovery conditions are temperature (-5℃), pressure (8 bar), gas composition rate (6:4) (CH4:CO2) and gas flow rate (5 ℓ/min). These conditions make higher separation and recovery efficiency such as 90.1% and 92.1%, respectively.