Methane Measurement in Biogas & Biomethane

Biogas, primarily composed of CH4 and CO2, along with trace gases such as H2S, CO and H2, is typically produced from organic materials like agricultural waste, food waste, manure and sewage sludge in a sealed, oxygen-free digester, where it is broken down by anaerobic microorganisms.  Regular measurement of the gas composition at this stage helps in understanding the efficiency of the digestion process and optimizing conditions (temperature, pH, etc.) for maximum biogas yield. It also helps in detecting unwanted components like H2S, which can cause corrosion and damage to equipment later in the process.

Handheld biogas analyzer Gasboard-3200Plus is designed for daily inspection use for biogas production efficiency and quality check at different biogas sites.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a common contaminant in raw biogas and can be corrosive to pipeline infrastructure and affect the combustion process when the biogas is used as a fuel, thus desulfurization is a vital stage in the whole process flow. Monitoring gas composition before and after desulfurization is essential to ensure that H2S levels are sufficiently reduced to meet pipeline specifications. and helps in adjusting desulfurization processes to optimize performance and prevent over-treatment. Based on advanced UV-DOAS and NDIR technologies,continuous biogas analysis system Gasboard-3500UV with dual H2S measurement range and multiple sampling channel, is a ideal solution to monitor H2S and CH4 content before and after desulfurization scrubber

Purification process involves removing CO2, moisture, and other impurities to upgrade biogas to a quality suitable for gas engines, turbines or injection into the natural gas grid . The goal is to increase the methane content of the biogas, which improves its calorific value and makes it comparable to natural gas. Thus monitoring the CH4 and CO2 concentrations during purification is vital for assessing and improving the effectiveness the process. Adopted the innovative TDLAS, Cubic's bio-methane gas analyzer Gasboard-3200L / Gasboard-3500 is able to provide 0-100% CH4 measurement with ultra high accuracy (±0.5%). It is a important tool to ensures the final product meet the standards of natural gas and eventual use equipment.

The upgraded biogas or biomethane can be utilized in multiple ways, such as power and heat generation, transportation fuels, Injection into the natural gas grid and chemical production. These applications also involve gas composition and flow rate measurement. For example,before injecting the biogas into the natural gas grid, continuous monitoring of gas composition is crucial to ensure compliance with pipeline quality standards. And after injection, gas analysis instruments is also need to check the heat value of biogas and natural gas mixtures. Laser Raman gas analyzer LRGA-3100 and Laser Raman analysis system LRGA-6000 can accurately measure the CH4, CO2 and C2-C4 hydrocarbons of the gas mixtures and calculate heat value, which allows operators to adjust the gas mixture process and avoid complaint or rejection from the end users. Beside gas composition and heat value measurement, Cubic also offer ultrasonic biogas flow rate meters BF-3000 to helps the biogas operators to track biogas yield and consumption, assess system health, and manage gas storage or usage effectively.