Evaluation of different packing media for anoxic H₂S control in biogas

Abstract

This paper presents the experimental results obtained during the operation of two biotrickling filters packed with 6.7 L of commercially available plastic fibres and lava rocks, respectively. The biotrickling filters were tested under similar operating conditions for hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) removal from biogas under anoxic conditions, in order to determine the influence of biogas flow rate and H₂S concentration on the process performance and to facilitate process modelling. The biogas flow rate was adjusted to between 25 and 75 L/h, while the input H₂S concentration was varied between 500 and 1500 ppmv. The process performance was evaluated by two simultaneous system responses, namely the H₂S removal efficiency and H₂S loading rate, which were subsequently described by a second‐order empirical model and an interaction model, respectively. Good agreement between the experimental results, model prediction and simultaneous dual‐response simulation was obtained.

Keywords:

• hydrogen sulphide
• anoxic
• biotrickling
• packing
• modelling

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Natural Resources Canada’s Decentralized Energy Production Initiative, Environment Canada, for funding and administration of this research. They also wish to thank John Salvatore, Mohamad Al‐Jamal and Kara Edmonson (Environment Canada, Aquatic Ecosystem Management Research Division) for their important contributions to this study.