Total Siloxane Analyzer for Biogas Power Generation

Biogas is a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide (CO₂), and small quantities of other compounds produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic matter in an oxygen-free environment. The composition of biogas differs depending on the feedstock type: crop and agricultural residues, animal manure, and sludge from wastewater treatment facilities.

Biogas and biogas power generation is renewable energy that contributes to greenhouse gas reduction. Efficient utilization of waste is expected to effectively work as a measure against global warming.

On the other hand, there are still some technical challenges to realize truly environmentally friendly, cost-effective biogas power generation. One of the challenges is the presence of siloxanes in the biogas composition.

Especially biogas, which is produced from sewage sludge as a feedstock, often contains siloxanes due to organic silica in detergents,　shampoos, and rinses from domestic wastewater. During combustion in gas engines, siloxanes are sedimented on the internal surface of the gas engine and gas engine parts as white deposits called silica, leading to premature wear and damage to gas engine parts.

Moreover, when high heat is given at the gas turbines or gas engines, siloxanes turn into silica particles and are released into the atmosphere with emissions after combustion, causing serious human health problems such as respiratory, lung, kidney and autoimmune diseases.

Therefore, concentration of siloxanes is monitored and controlled by biogas pretreatment system that removes siloxanes for stable operation and maintenance cost reduction of biogas power generation facilities.

• It is important to continuously monitor siloxane before gas engine to ensure its complete removal
• Want to measure methane and carbon dioxide at the same time with siloxane for quality control of gas engine fuel

There is siloxane removal equipment installed at biogas powerplants of sewage treatment facilities to prevent premature wear and damage of gas engines, which may occur when siloxane adheres to the internal parts of gas engine. The Total Siloxane Analyzer constantly monitors whether the siloxane has been completely removed from biogas at pretreatment equipment and contributes to prevention of failure of the equipment. The Total Siloxane Analyzer also enables simultaneous measurement of methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) for fuel quality control prior to gas engine.