How biogas and hydrogen can be intelligently combined with one another

The Institute for New Energy Systems (Ines) at the Technical University of Ingolstadt (THI) is proceeding with another research project on the subject of hydrogen infrastructure and utilization. In particular, the researchers are investigating biological methanation in more detail.

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Technical University of Ingolstadt

In the laboratory biogas plant of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at THI, methanation processes are scientifically investigated under conditions that are as realistic as possible. The two different reactors for methane production were previously developed at FAU.

Ingolstadt - The Institute for New Energy Systems (Ines) at the Technical University of Ingolstadt (THI) receives funding for the "Hy2Biomethane" project. Using the carbon dioxide produced by fermentation in biogas plants, methane is to be generated with hydrogen from an on-site electrolysis. As a promising conversion path, biological methanation is being investigated in more detail. The specific aim of the research project consists in the conception, development and laboratory testing of the procedural integration of a trickle bed reactor in the pressurized water scrubbing-based biogas treatment.

The chair for energy process engineering at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is contributing the specially developed trickle bed reactor as a project partner. The Ines scientists are responsible for the conception and construction of the entire test facility . They can also fall back on the excellent infrastructure in the laboratory for bioenergy technology of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering on the THI campus.

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Prof. Markus Goldbrunner is the coordinator of the entire project. "The generation of biomethane through the intelligent combination of biogas plants and electrolysis, as well as the feeding of biomethane into the natural gas network offers a future-oriented alternative not only for biogas plants", says Prof. Goldbrunner.

The “Flex Biomethane” project, a second research project by Ines, has been dealing with the catalytic direct methanation of biogas since last year and thus complements the research activities on hydrogen production and methanation described above. Both projects will be explained in more detail in the upcoming 04/2021 issue of the VDI magazine "Technik in Bayern", which is dedicated to the main topic of hydrogen.