SBIR Phase I:Biogas Upgrading via An Innovative Membrane Designed for Small Scale, Low Pressure Streams with Bulk Contaminants

This SBIR Phase I project will develop a method that utilizes a carbon based adsorptive surface flow membrane to perform continuous concentration of methane from raw bio-gas from large animal feed operations. The membrane can upgrade biogas at 40 to 65% CH4 to 90%+ CH4 with <10% CO2 at minimal/no pre-compression. Then, the upgraded methane can be used to generate pipeline quality methane, to produce peak time electrical power from on-site gas storage tanks for resale to the grid and/or to generate power or heat for in-house use. The resulting methane can be used on site, supplied via pipeline after being pressurized, or be feed to an on site electrical generating plant. The broader/commercial impact of the project will be first to reduce the release of the greenhouse gas methane, second to produce a stream of high quality natural gas at a theoretically lower cost than competing technologies.