ECOLOGY - ENVIRONMENT

ER7D - Pilot Plant for Hydrogen and Biogas Production -

Code 949200

1. General
The Pilot Plant for Hydrogen and Biogas Production Didacta ER7D code 949200 allows the laboratory testing of different
kinds of biomasses (such as organic residuals, lignin and cellulose residuals, industrial and zootechnical wastes) in order to
produce hydrogen and biogas. Hydrogen production is the main purpose of the plant, whilst biogas production allows
valorising as much as possible the sewage and supporting the plant from an energetic point of view.
The process in question involves hydrogen and biogas production and purification by means of biomass fermentation. The
plant has been designed to operate continuously.
The prototypal plant is fitted with analytical instrumentation which allows monitoring the main process parameters in order to
optimise its productivity and, when necessary, highlighting its problems.
The main components include automatic checks and alarms, so that the plant is user-friendly and safe.
The operating procedure is the following:
inlet biomass chipping (sewage and solid components);
biomass pre-treating and homogenizing;
hydrogen production in bioreactor, gas blow-by, purification and stocking;
biogas production in bioreactor, purification and stocking;
exhaust sewage drainage.
2. Composition and description
No. 2 wheeled feed tanks with hopper made of polyethylene, capacity 700 litres, complete with throttle valve to
discharge the biomass.
Biomass pre-treating unit: it allows getting a sewage with very little suspended particles, so that connections and piping
clogging is avoided; it is composed of:
- biomass chipper, flow rate 50 m3/h
- screw pump, complete with gear motor, flow rate 215 l/h (@ 280 rpm)
- bypass and tangential filter made of stainless steel.

DIDACTA Italia S.r.l. - Strada del Cascinotto, 139/30 - 10156 Torino - Italy
Tel. +39 011 2731708 - Fax +39 011 2733088 - http://www.didacta.it - E-mail: info@didacta.it
 No. 2 tanks made of polyethylene, capacity 1000 litres: one allows the plant working continuously, one allows sewage
recovering.
Membrane metering pump P1, made of teflon, to make the sewage flow, electronically controlled, max flow rate 10 l/h.
Membrane metering pump P4, made of teflon, for sewage recirculation and homogenizing inside the tank A, max flow
rate 10 l/h.
Reactor A, for biomass pre-treating, made of stainless steel AISI316:
- capacity 200 litres;
- diameter 500 mm;
- height 1100 mm;
- crowned bottom;
- low rev speed stirrer with screw propeller, for biomass homogeneous mixing;
- complete with detection hatchway and support legs.
Reactor B - digester for hydrogen production, working at low overpressures (15-20 mbar), with pH which is kept at a
constant value (5.5) thanks to an adequate metering of acid and, when necessary, of base - made of stainless steel
AISI316:
- capacity 35 litres;
- diameter 273 mm;
- height 600 mm;
- crowned bottom;
- insulated external jacket for thermoregulation;
- complete with overflow valve and siphon drainage from the bottom which makes it possible working at three
different volumes (10, 15 e 25 litres);
- low rev speed stirrer with screw propeller, for biomass.
Reactor C - digester for biogas production, to optimise the energetic exploitation of the biomass, made of stainless steel
AISI316:
- capacity 200 litres;
- diameter 500 mm;
- height 1100 mm;
- crowned bottom;
- complete with detection hatchway and support legs and seals for very corrosive gases;
- insulated external jacket for thermoregulation;
- residence time: 10 to 40 hours, minimum exploitable volume 100 litres, max 200 litres, it is possible to select five
different working volumes;
- constant level thanks to a siphon drainage system.
pH regulation line, composed of:
- no.2 tanks for the corrective solution (acid and basic);
- metering pumps P6 and P7 made of teflon, to feed the corrective solution to the digesters B and C, electronically
controlled, max flow rate 1 l/h.
pH measuring and regulation system, rH measuring system: both for the reactor B and the reactor C, complete with
probes and solenoid valves which allow reaching the pH set point values.
Hydrogen purification line, composed of:
- vacuum pump to draw the gas from the digester B, flow rate 5.5 Nl/min;
- counter current gas/liquid scavenge tower made of borosilicate glass, complete with nozzle and rashig rings;
- column to be filled made of borosilicate glass, for adsorption process on activated carbons;
- buffer tank;
- dehumidifying filter with silica gel.
Biogas purification line, composed of:
- vacuum pump to draw the gas from the digester C, flow rate 5.5 Nl/min;
- counter current gas/liquid scavenge tower made of borosilicate glass, complete with nozzle and rashig rings;
- column to be filled made of borosilicate glass, for adsorption process on activated carbons;
- buffer tank;
- dehumidifying filter with silica gel.
Reactor level control system fitted with ON/OFF probes and drainage siphons.
Safety device against overpressures (reactors B and C)
Exhaust sewage recovery pump, max flow rate1 m3/h.
Electric control panel composed of:
- input/output modules for the regulation of the plant process parameters;
- selector manual/automatic working of the plant;
- touch screen panel showing the actual conditions of the plant;
- safety devices;
- gas detector.
Optional
ER10D - Biomass Pre-treatment Pilot System - Code 949201
The pilot system is a biomass pre-treatment and conditioning line designed to increase and optimise the production of
hydrogen and biogas during the subsequent stage of anaerobic treatment.

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3. Experiments
Hydrogen and biogas production from biomass
Effect of the biomass composition
Effect of the process parameters:
- pH;
- temperature;
- residence time HRT;
- solid fraction residence time SRT.
Gas purification techniques
4. Required services
Electrical power supply: 380V, three phase and neutral, 50/60 Hz; 9kW.
Water supply: 1000 l/h, 2 bar, 10 15C, from mains.
5. Weight and dimensions
Weight: 1000kg approx.
Overall dimensions: 3000x4000x2500 h mm approx.
 L O

P7
P6
P5

H2O
P10 Q
D N E
M
FI t
LC pH
H2O rH
pH H2O
LC LC
P11
D N E

M
G F P4
H I
B rH
LC pH

G S
Timer

t
A
P2
Timer t

C S
S
P3

P6

R F
P9

Key of the drawing

A. Biomass and pre-treating tank

B. Hydrogen production reactor
C. Biogas production reactor
D. Scavenge tower
E. Dehumidifier
F. Tank capacity 1000 litres
G. Wheeled tank
H. Chipper
I. Tangential filter
L. Acid/base corrective vessels
M. Filling column
N. Buffer tank
O. Hydrogen stocking
P. P1P11 Circuit pumps
Q. Biogas stocking
R. Sewage tank
S. Sample

Cod. R01062/E 0607 Ed. 01 Rev. 01

In any time and without notice, Didacta Italia can carry out any appropriate modification on the product details, always
maintaining their main features, according to the designing and teaching necessity. Page 4