Program for Sizing of Electric Power Generation Systems from Biogas, with Application at the Baldo Sewage Treatment Plant - CAERN
Renewable Sources, Biogas, Sewage Treatment Plants, Upflow Anaerobic Reactors, Electric Power Generation.
The present work was thought due to the great necessity of insertion of renewable sources of energy in the world energy matrix, more specifically, due to the waste of the calorific power available in the biogas, that often is burned in flares or thrown directly into the atmosphere , which is about twenty times more aggressive to the environment than CO2. In this proposal, internal combustion engines will be used to burn biogas and drive electric generators for energy production. To enable a better use of biogas production, a program was developed that simulates the operation of the generation system and determines the quantity and power of generators to be used. Based on the biogas production data and the technical characteristics of the plant, a combination of generators is available that maximizes the energy to be generated through the stepped operation. The program was applied to the project design of a power generation system from the biogas produced by Anaerobic Upflow Reactors at the Baldo Sewage Treatment Station, located in the city of Natal and belonging to the Companhia de Águas e Esgotas do Large northern river. The results obtained and the economic viability of the investment are presented, taking into account the surplus energy that will be injected into the distribution network. Specific technical literature, norms and academic works were consulted in the search for the best possible proposition for the system.