(436f) High Flux CO2 Selective Membranes for Renewable Natural Gas and CO2 Capture

Reducing carbon emissions is key to preventing further climate change and in correcting the damage that has already been done. Compact Membrane Systems is developing a carbon dioxide selective membrane designed to operate at low pressure with minimal pretreatment. Results from two applications will be discussed: removal of carbon dioxide from flue gas and upgrading of biogas to renewable natural gas.

According to the World Biogas Association, anerobic digestors for biogas production can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in 2030. Separating carbon dioxide from methane is a key challenge for the renewable gas industry. Biogas is produced largely on farms or small waste centers, not at large centralized plants. While there are existing technologies to separate methane from carbon dioxide, they require multiple stages and high pressures, and are sensitive to process poisons. An efficient and cost-effective solution is needed to bring down barriers that previously prevented small scale operations from transforming their biogas into usable fuel. CMS has developed a membrane aimed at allowing users to capture, separate and upgrade existing biogas streams that would otherwise be flared or released into the atmosphere.

Results from the first field demonstration of Optipermâ„¢ biogas will be shared. Working with Energy Projects Manager Matt Steiman at the Dickinson College Farm, a small spiral wound module system has been installed. The system takes raw biogas feed directly from the digester with no pretreatment. The pilot is intended to demonstrate successful operation under field conditions for an extended period of time. Optiperm^TMbiogas technology will be tested for a period of at least 2 months to demonstrate stability in the field and validate performance measured in the CMS laboratory. Optiperm^TMbiogas upgrading streams from 60% to 90% methane in a single stage.

Finally, initial results for utilizing the CMS membranes to capture carbon dioxide from flue gas, including the effect of operating conditions and initial system modeling, will be shared. This application is earlier in development, but results thus far have shown a very high flux membrane that could result in substantially lower capture costs than the current state of the art.