Equilibrium and Kinetics Analysis of NOx Reduction From Biogas Combustion

The undeveloped potential generation capacity of landfills, wastewater digesters and food digesters is estimated at 600 MW in California and 3,000 MW in the United States. California’s 2000 dairies have the potential to produce an estimated 40 million cubic feet of biogas per day, representing a potential generation capacity of about 140 MW. One of the most significant challenges facing the combustion of digester biogas is high NOx emissions. Sulfur in the biogas poisons post-combustion catalysts, rendering them ineffective for reducing NOx emissions. To address this challenge, an integrated pollution capture and microwave system has been developed to reduce NOx emissions from biogas engines. The feasibility of reburning the captured NOx was assessed and the effect of various operating parameters, including temperature, pressure, and reactant composition were determined using chemical equilibrium and kinetic modeling.