IZA@ecs.umass.edu ("Jon Iza, Envir.Eng.Program UMASS") (04/05/89)
Subj: BIOGAS: online monitoring of gas composition You are rigth. The composition of biogas varies during the run of a methane fermentation. Substrate and environmental conditions affect the composition and presence of trace gases. It is rather difficult to set limits for a so wide (and wild) process like anaerobic methane fermentation. The gas composition is directly related to the liquid composition and parameters such Alkalinity, pH have a great influence on it. The presence of Hydrogen in the biogas is related to reactor upsets, but the measurement should be related to other parameters to be of significance. You can find more information on papers from several researchers: Harper & Pohland, Smith & McCarty, Moletta, Switzenbaum & Hickey and many others. The online measurement of several parameters in the gas is now amenable, but more knowledge and some background from the early operation of the system is important to interpreting the analysis with succes. >I wonder if there are developed systems where action to a warning >signal (relayed to the researcher's home) could be corrected >by a terminal link-up from home to the host computer at the lab. >? This would certainly be welcomed by researchers as well as >the industry. BTW, changes in industrial reactors take a quite long time to develop. A 4a.m. warning at home will NOT be welcome by many operators - if they already know that something is coming! ;-) Subject: Istanbul. Yes. I can prepare a brief report after the meeting at Istanbul. No problem. Jon Iza