The Current State Of Development Of Biogas In Singapore Presented by Wang Jing-Yuan Director, R3C 13 June 2013 @ KL, Malaysia
The Current State Of
Development Of Biogas
In Singapore
Presented by
Wang Jing-Yuan
Director, R3C 13 June 2013 @ KL, Malaysia
Biogas Projects in Singapore
• Waste is not waste, but misplaced resource
• Food waste to biogas (IUT Global)
• NTU’s two phase AD system
• Decentralized waste management
• Chew’s chicken dung conversion
R3C
Residues and Resource Reclamation Centre
• R3C was established on 1 May 2009 by EDB/EWI/ NTU and was officially launched on 5
Oct 2009.
• The main objective is to conduct cutting edge research and strengthen Singapore’s
environmental industry’s capability in the area of waste resource management.
• R3C works closely with government agencies and industry
• R3C acts as an R3 resource and technology transfer centre.
• R3C provides education and training for R3 professionals.
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R3C Researchers
3 Management + 2 Admin / Lab support + 9 RF + 21 RA + 17 PhD students + 13 Faculty Affiliates (65+)
Director
A/Prof Wang Jing-Yuan (NTU)
Advisors to Director
Prof Rainer Stegmann (TUHH)
A/Prof (Adj) Cheong Hock Lai
Waste to Materials
NEWRI
Waste to Energy Contaminated Site
Remediation
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6
Recycling Food Waste by IUT GLOBAL
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Food waste recycling into biogas and compost by IUT Global
Ammonia
detector
Feeding and shredding Aeration and sedimentation Submerged bio-filter
Acidogenesis Equalization Methanogenesis
Discharge High Low
The demo-plant for co-
generation of hydrogen and
methane with a capacity of
3 tonnes of food waste per
day
R3 Research Activities in NTU
Hydrogen Methane
Residue as fertilizer
Food waste
Reuse
NTU unleashes energy hidden in food waste
Peristaltic
pumps
Gas Meter
Acidogenic
Reactor (Ra)
Methanogenic
Reactor (Rm)
Effluent from
Rm
Biogas Production
Hybrid Anaerobic Solid-Liquid (HASL) System
Effects of lipid on HASL performance
Experimental setup
HASL Bioreactor vs Conventional Anaerobic Digesters
The mini pilot-scale HASL system
Food Waste Collection
Clogging Issues
Issues of Current Waste Management
• The centralized waste management approach is expensive in
terms of consumption of water, energy, and infrastructure
investment
• Liquid: activated sludge process (water flushing + aeration +
nitrification and de-nitrification + sludge dewatering + …)
• Solid: collection and transportation (energy consuming) +
emissions from incineration and landfilling (land
contamination)
• Subsequent residues disposal (sludge, incineration ash, etc)
• Separation of material streams
Separate collection of brown, yellow, and grey water
Recovery and reuse of nutrients, purified water, and
useful residues (e.g., compost)
Minimisation of waste through all those Rs (reduce,
reuse, recycle, recover, rethink, repair, restore,
remediate, and many other Rs)
• Conversion of recoverd materials to useful resources
Biogas to energy
Residues to compost or fertizer
Others
The Decentralized Waste Management
Concepts
Decentralized urban resource recovery (DUR2) system development
No-mix vacuum
toilet
Urine for nutrients
recovery through
struvite precipitation
and air stripping
Co-digestion of food
waste and brown
water
Heat
and
Energy
The integrated system currently is under design
Cost projection: EOM (1.9M) + OOE (830K)
Example: Decentralized Vacuum System
Kitchen basin Separation toilet I + II
Garbage grinder
Kitchen waste
Storage tank
Yellow water
Storage tank
Brown water
Storage tank
Kitchen waste
Sewer system
Separation toilet
+ Storage tank
Wash basin
+ Garbage grinder
Separation of Brown Water, Yellow Water,
and Kitchen Waste
Communities as Renewable Resource Recovery Centers (CRP/NRF)
R3C position going Forward (Towards Zero Waste)
Work together with industrial partners:
• Design fine-tuning
• Prototype manufacturing
• Demonstration construction
• Test bedding
No-mix vacuum toilet development
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No-mix toilet demonstration @ NTU
People’s acceptance: • A logbook is prepared for users’
comments. • Questionnaire will be used for further
assessment.
No-mix toilet + Vacuum system
Principles:
Low water consumption
Pressure applied
1L water consumption
Pipe diameter 32
to 40mm
Closed
system
Penumatic Operated
Flush Button
flap valve
Vacuum Operated
Closing Valve
Urine
by
gravity
No-Mix Toilet + Vacuum System
Photographs of typical configurations of two-chamber MFC (A) and MEC (B)
Gas collector
Anode: CH3COO- + 3H2O → CO2 + HCO3
- + 8H
+ + 8e
- (-0.29V)
Cathode: 2O2 + 8H+
+ 8e- → 4H2O (0.81V)
Overall: CH3COO- + 2O2 → CO2 + HCO3
- + H2O (1.10V)
Cell voltage is positive, implying that electricity can be produced
from the MFC.
Anode: CH3COO- + 3H2O → CO2 + HCO3
- + 8H
+ + 8e
- (-0.29V)
Cathode: 8H+
+ 8e- → 4H2 (-0.41V)
Overall: CH3COO- + 3H2O → CO2 + HCO3
- + 4H2 (-0.12V)
Cell voltage is negative and hence electricity needs to be invested
to drive the MEC to produce H2.
A B
No-Mix Vacuum Toilet
Diverted urine
Vacuum evacuation
Local Characteristics Prototype
User Feedbacks Trial Sites
Lab Demo Technology
Disclosure
Further Improvement
Industrial Partners
Commercialize with
Industry Partners
Test bedding 1 @ NTU campus Blk N1 level 2 Test bedding 2 @ Jurong Lake Park
No-Mix + Vacuum
Research Activities Completed
Next Phase
Data Collection and Analysis
Disclosures and
Patents
(US Provisional Patent Application No. 61/663,978)
Anaerobic Co-digestion of Brown Water and Food Waste
Hybrid
30L Digesters 5L Digesters
5-L digester 30-L digester
Two-Phase CSTR SBR Two-Phase SBR Hybrid
TS Removal (%) 60 58 79 59
VS Removal (%) 67 66 89 73
Total COD Removal (%) 61 67 89 76
Soluble COD Removal (%) 77 92 91 92
Increase in tVFA levels 5 times - 5 times -
Biogas Yield (m3/kg VSadded) 0.59 0.51 0.5-0.8
2-phase CSTR
Single stage CSTR
SBR 2-phase SBR
Anaerobic
digestion
CH4+CO2 Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)
Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)
Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC)
H2
Liquid effluent
H2
• The sulfur tolerance of Ni/Gd2O3-CeO2 (Ni/GDC) anodes under SOFC operation was promoted by
impregnated palladium nanoparticles
• To improve the SOFC anode tolerance against carbon coking, a new anode SrMoO3-YSZ was
developed as the Ni free anode
Electricity
• New composite membrane and alternative catalyst have been developed for MEC
• Technology disclosure “A Method to Synthesize High Surface Area WC Nanorod for Catalysis/Electrocatalysis Applications,” filed on 13 March 2012 (US Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/610,240)
Decentralized Power Source : Electricity generation Converting waste to power MEC + SOFC + PEMFC systems
Engineering micro-organisms & electrode materials for high-electricity-output Microbial Fuel
Cells
e
Electron transfer path
Electron
Cytochrome protein (OmcA)
3D Graphene/PANI electrode
Lactate
CO2
e
e
Re
e
S. oneidensis MR-1 cell
PANI
Graphene
Flavin
eRe
e
Ox
Re Reductive
Ox Oxidative
• Engineering a graphene-polyaniline-based highly conductive 3-dimensional (3D) composite
electrode and bacteria, which generates as high as 600 mW/m2
electricity output. Thus,
significant amount of electricity can be harvested from wastewater • Next step, scale-up the electrode fabrication process to enable MFCs adoption into
wastewater treatment industry
• Alternative charging/discharging of an array of MFCs to generate higher voltage
(e.g., 3-5 V) • Thus voltage can be used to heavy metal (e.g., Pb) bioremediation in soil
MFC1
MFC1
MFC1
MFC1
MFC1
+ -
+ -
+ -
+
+
-
-
high-capacity
capacitor
So
il co
nta
min
ate
d b
y P
b
Cost projection: EOM (600K) + OOE (90K)
Wastewater Treatment Plant as an Urban Eco Power Station … from power consuming to self-sustaining
(NEA, PUB, Keppel)
Prof Ng Wun Jern (PI) Programme B:
PROCESS ENHANCEMENT TARGETS: 1.Biogas production - 30% above 0.8-1L/g VM destroyed; 2.Co-digestion with O&G; 3.Reduce solid mass - 70% solids removal; 4.Improve sludge biological stability & dewaterability; 5.Reduce sludge disposal cost - 20%.
Research Capabilities Developed and Next Steps
Research achievement: Enhanced volatile solids
destruction (57.4% VS reduction) was achieved in
mesophilic 2-stage system compared to the 30-
35% VS reduction in state-of-the-art plants.
Technology disclosure:“A Method for in-situ
thermal-alkaline treatment to enhance
anaerobic solids degradation and biogas
generation,” filed on Oct. 18 2012 (TD/179/12; US
Provisional Patent Application No. 61/715,592)
Commercialization: The capability already developed
considered for possible application by Keppel
at full scale to reduce sludge incineration and ash
disposal requirement, and also produce more
biogas and thus shift wastewater treatment closer
to being energy positive.
Further Research: 1) A novel 2-stage anaerobic
system for enhanced bio-solids destruction and
biogas production; 2) A novel 3-stage anaerobic
system for rapid solids destruction being discussed
as a spinoff from 2nd technology disclosure.
Enhanced sludge digestion laboratory system
Enhanced sludge digestion pilot system
Cost projection: EOM (95K) + OOE (470K)
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Biogas Plant Project
for AVA Food Fund II
Presented by
Chew Chee Bin
Chew’s Agriculture Pte Ltd
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Chew’s Company Profile
1. Chew’s is a leading farm in Singapore that
produces designer and other quality eggs
in a controlled and safe environment for an
established customer base.
2. Average daily egg production: 360,000
3. Average daily output of chicken dung: 50 tons.
4. Current method of chicken dung disposal:
-Conventional and speedy fermented solid
fertilizer for vegetable farming In Singapore.
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Problem Arise From Chicken Dung
1. There is very low demand on solid fertilizer in
Singapore and export to nearby country is a
challenge.
2. Conventional and speedy fermented solid
fertilizer require large land area, labor intensive,
high electricity consumption and environment
problem such as like odors.
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Solution by Using Biogas Plant
-Biological process in anaerobic environment
(Oxygen free and closed system).
-Eliminates the odor problem.
•Less area and manpower is required.
•Generates electricity, heat, Bio-solid fertilizer
and liquid fertilizer in one process.
•Bio-solid fertilizer is about 15% of total weight of
fresh chicken dung.
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Solution by Using Biogas Plant
• Suitable to use vertical cage with auto dung
collection system together with conveyer in
feed to biogas plant, less manpower and
increase productivity.
• Technician will need to operate and do the
system maintenance.
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Biogas Plant Working Principle
-Fresh chicken dung + H20 = C5H7NO2+HCO3
-Further conversion of dissolved compounds
like organic acids and alcohols by bacteria
(C5H7NO2, HCO3) into gases - CH4, CO2,
NH4.
-CH4 will convert to electricity and heat.
-By-products are bio-solid and liquid fertilizer.
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BIOGAS PLANT…TANK SYSTEM
BioFlow Biogas Generation System
(Completed Plant)
Belt Filter Press For Sludge Dewatering and Solid-Liquid
Separate of Digestate
BioFlow Effluent Treatment Plant
Capstone MicroTurbine® Energy Solutions
CR200/CR1000 (Type A) designed for
methane level of 24% to 59%, and H2S level
of up to 5,000 ppmV. Biogas compressor
(which remove moisture and compress
biogas to 80 psig) designed for H2S level of
4,000 ppmV.
No H2S scrubbing needed, reducing
capital and operating costs.
Turbine with air bearing design with no
lubrication oil. No coolant/jacket water.
High combustion temperature fully
‘destruct’ the H2S (and ammonia).
Operates on ‘grid-connect’ and ‘load
following’ based on farm load.
A unit of CR200 can be maintained while
the other CR200 running, providing
redundancy.
Exhaust flue gas (300C) available for
WHR.
High availability and relaibility.
79,999 operating hours ‘comprehensive’
maintenance covering scheduled and
unscheduled, parts and labor.
Philippines Reference Site
Capstone MicroTurbine® CR800 @ Piggery Farm
Modularized Package CR800 Engineered Biogas Delivery Skid
Clean Emission
Engineered Exhaust Duct
Clean Cycle® CC125 Energy Solutions
Waste heat generator converts heat
energy into electrical power using
Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)
technology.
Exhaust flue gas from 3 units of
CR200 (direct WHR in external
evaporator) support 1 unit of CC125
operation.
High speed generator (magnetic
bearings) with no gear box and no
lubrication oil improve efficiency and
provide high reliability.
Grid-friendly power electronics.
Modular design.
79,999 operating hours
‘comprehensive’ maintenance covering
scheduled and unscheduled, parts and
labor.
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SUMMARY
-To invest 4.2 million to build a 40 tons chicken dung
biogas plant.
-To enhance Singapore food security by increase egg
production from 360,000 to about 500,000 per day by
year 2013.
-To reduce pollution caused by chicken waste.
-To improve the productivity on land usage and
manpower ,i.e.: less dependent on unskillful
manpower .
- To integrate with future vegetable & food fish farming.
Summary
• Urban Biomass to Energy
• Food Waste to Biogas (IUT Global)
• NTU’s Two Phase AD System
• Decentralized Waste management
• Chew’s Chicken Dung Conversion
R3C website: http://www.ntu.edu.sg/r3c
Thank You
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