In Denmark, the farming industries are adopting technologies to prevent all types of waste. This means that organic waste is used to make Methane gas to be channelled into the gas distribution network.
In Denmark Mattei has developed an interesting partnership with Ammongas A/S, a consultancy and engineering company, for the recovery and upgrading of biogas in large farming industries. This is a sector subject to stringent environmental regulations which have contributed to the development of an intense green culture.
“Our state-of-the-art systems, in some cases unique in their kind for the type of technology used, are able to capture large quantities of biogas produced by the Danish intensive farming enterprises, then process it and channel it into the national gas distribution network – comments Dan Haarh Madsen, Production Manager of Ammongas A/S – Ing. Enea Mattei SpA rotating vane technology makes it possible to channel the Methane gas produced from the biomass to the upgrading system, generating an excellent return also in terms of maximum economic efficiency”.
The first of these projects addressed a large farm in Skive, Denmark, which was followed by a second installation in Ivar, Norway. The system in Skive, that operates at very low pressures (near zero), is capable of turning the biogas generated by organic waste and containing 37% of CO2, into 99% pure Methane gas, with the additional advantage of nothing being dispersed into the atmosphere. The Methane gas is then compressed, taken to higher levels of pressure and dried, to achieve the physical characteristics required to be channelled into the Danish gas distribution network.
Mattei AGC series compressors, which are all equipped with an inverter regulated variable speed system and with an output from 30 to 55 kW, are used during the Methane gas compression phase.
“The inverter, together with a software specifically developed for this type of application, makes it possible to adapt the air delivery to meet the actual demands. The compressors have been installed within a larger, more delicate and complex system; the gas flow is meticulously controlled to ensure it is channelled to the gas distribution network in a calibrated manner. To ensure maximum efficiency, the compressors operate as a network, meeting the actual demands of the system and avoiding wasted energy” explains Andrea Capoferri, Senior Technical Manager at Mattei, who followed up the project with Johan Kold and Andreas Skjold, co-founders of the Danish enterprise JA Trykluft ApS, Mattei local distributor of air and gas compressors.
“One of the main criticalities of the system is represented by the control of gas flows: Mattei has developed a Master Controller able to detect and alert when the set point is reached, using a signal, before the biomasses are channelled from the large digestors where they ferment to the compressor” adds Andreas Skjold.
“The application has required enormous efforts by Ammongas to create unique machines that could be adapted to meet the customer demands. We developed a software that has a feedback control – stated Eng. Capoferri – Before the Methane gas is delivered to the compressor, the measuring device checks that the capacity flow settings comply with the parameters set by the user. The control system developed by Mattei is exceptionally accurate in adjusting the flow to suit the actual demands, with a margin of error of less than 1%”.
“Over the years, our collaboration with JA Trykluft and Ammongas, has led to the design of a product with both air and water cooled solutions, aimed at achieving continuous improvement of energy recovery values” continues Capoferri.
Large farming enterprises are required to comply with very stringent environmental protection standards and receive substantial incentives towards developing green projects.
“We offered a highly competitive product to Ammongas that guarantees excellent levels of performance – states Andreas Skjold – The results delivered by the Mattei compressor have exceeded all expectations. The abatement of energy consumptions has proven to be exceptional, along with the decrease in acoustic pollution, which is subject to stringent controls in Denmark”.
“The pluses of Mattei technology deliver high performance combined with extensive energy efficiency and significant reliability, an aspect by no means secondary in an environment as hazardous as that of gas applications – comments Stefano Presotto, Export Area Manager and Lorenzo Sangalli, Custom Product Manager at Mattei – In the long run, this is complemented by lower maintenance and repair costs, thanks to the quality of the components used”.
More information on Mattei products are available at the following links:
http://www.matteigroup.com/vane-compressors/special-applications
