Chemical Engineering and Science
ISSN (Print): 2328-7381 ISSN (Online): 2328-7373 Website: https://www.sciepub.com/journal/ces Editor-in-chief: Apply for this position
Open Access
Journal Browser
Go
Chemical Engineering and Science. 2013, 1(4), 46-54
DOI: 10.12691/ces-1-4-1
Open AccessArticle

Effective Recovery of Methane from Coal Mine Methane Gas by Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption: A Pilot Scale Case Study

Andrzej Olajossy1,

1Department of Mining and Geoengineering, AGH University of Science and Technology, Kraków, Poland

Pub. Date: June 30, 2013

Cite this paper:
Andrzej Olajossy. Effective Recovery of Methane from Coal Mine Methane Gas by Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption: A Pilot Scale Case Study. Chemical Engineering and Science. 2013; 1(4):46-54. doi: 10.12691/ces-1-4-1

Abstract

The course and results of experimental studies of efficient methane separation from mining gases mixture, performed at a pilot plant, are presented in the paper. It was indicated and justified that appropriate modifications should be realized in the vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) method along with (PSA) method for improving of efficient technology of methane recovery from coal mine methane gas. Those studies were preceded by experiments at laboratory scale. The results of experiments at pilot scale created bases for preliminary assumptions for the planned project of industrial scale installation. The pilot plant was made in the Coal Mine "Pniówek" J.S.W. S.A., Silesian Basin, Poland, where in the raw gas from drainage methane gas from coal beds are: on average about 53 vol% CH4, as well as nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. On the basis of experimentally established optimum work conditions of the pilot plant the gas was enriched forming the methane-rich gas 96 vol% CH4. Then the efficiency of methane separation reached 90-92% while the re-circulated methane to feed gas ratio changed within q=1.0 – 1.2. High-methane gas of such good quality, obtained at so high recovery efficiency, can be introduced to the high-methane gas network.

Keywords:
vacuum pressure swing adsorption coal mine gas methane separation pilot plant

Creative CommonsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Figures

Figure of 11

References:

[1]  Baksh, M.S.; Kapoor, A.; Yang, R.T. A new composite sorbent for methane-nitrogen separation. Sep. Sci. Technol., 25 (7-8): 845,1990
 
[2]  Ruthven, D.M.; Farooq, S.; Knaebel, K.S., Pressure Swing Adsorption, (VCH); Canada, 1993
 
[3]  Reinhold, H.E.; Knaebel, K.S. Separation of gases by pressure swing adsorption,. U.S. Patent 5,792,239,1998
 
[4]  Reinhold, H.E. Pressure Swing Adsorption method and system for separating gas component, U.S. Patent 0190290 A I, 2008
 
[5]  Olajossy, A.; Gawdzik, A.; Budner, Z.; Dula, J., Methane separation from coal mine methane gas by vacuum pressure swing adsorption. Trans. IChemE, 81 (Part A); 474, 2003
 
[6]  Olajossy, A.; Budner, Z.; Budner, H. Sposób wydzielania metanu z gazów kopalnianych pochodzących z pokładów węgla kamiennego. Polish Patent PL 200383,2008