Optimization of an Externally Mixed Biogas Plant Using a Robust CFD Method

Biogas plants have to be continuously or periodically mixed to ensure the homogenization of fermenting and fresh substrate. Externally installed mixers provide easier access than submerged mixers but concerns of insufficient mixing deter many operators from using this technology. In this paper, a ne...

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Autores: Müller, J., Schenk, C., Keicher, R., Schmidt, D., Schulz, V., Velten, K.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM)
Repositorio:BIRD. BCAM's Institutional Repository Data
OAI Identifier:oai:bird.bcamath.org:20.500.11824/1098
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11824/1098
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Anaerobic Digestion, Bioenergy, CFD Simulation, OpenFOAM, Robust Optimization
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spelling Optimization of an Externally Mixed Biogas Plant Using a Robust CFD MethodMüller, J.Schenk, C.Keicher, R.Schmidt, D.Schulz, V.Velten, K.Anaerobic Digestion, Bioenergy, CFD Simulation, OpenFOAM, Robust OptimizationBiogas plants have to be continuously or periodically mixed to ensure the homogenization of fermenting and fresh substrate. Externally installed mixers provide easier access than submerged mixers but concerns of insufficient mixing deter many operators from using this technology. In this paper, a new approach to improve homogenization of the substrate mixture is proposed by optimizing external mixer configurations across a wide range of rheological properties. Robust optimization of a biogas reactor is coupled with CFD simulations to improve parameters for the angles of inflow and the position of the substrate outlet in a large-scale fermenter. The optimization objective is to minimize the area in the tank which is poorly mixed. We propose to define this “dead volume zone” as the region in which the velocity magnitude during mixing falls below a certain threshold. Different dry substance contents are being investigated to account for the varying rheological properties of different substrate compositions. The velocity thresholds are calculated for each dry substance content from the mixer-tank configuration of a real biogas reactor in Brandenburg, Germany (BGA Warsow GmbH & Co.KG). The robust optimization results comprising the whole range of rheological properties are compared to simulations of the original configuration and to optimization results for each individual dry substance content. The robust CFD-based optimized configurations reduce the dead volume zones significantly across all dry substance contents compared to the original configuration. The outcomes of this paper can be particularly useful for plant manufacturers and operators for optimal mixer placement in industrial size biogas fermenters.BMBF - ROENOBIO project with contract number 05M2013UTA (Germany), DFG - RTG 2126 Algorithmic Optimization (Germany)202020202020info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11824/1098reponame:BIRD. BCAM's Institutional Repository Datainstname:Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM)Ingléshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168169919322975Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 3.0 Españahttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/es/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:bird.bcamath.org:20.500.11824/10982026-06-19T12:47:47Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Optimization of an Externally Mixed Biogas Plant Using a Robust CFD Method
title Optimization of an Externally Mixed Biogas Plant Using a Robust CFD Method
spellingShingle Optimization of an Externally Mixed Biogas Plant Using a Robust CFD Method
Müller, J.
Anaerobic Digestion, Bioenergy, CFD Simulation, OpenFOAM, Robust Optimization
title_short Optimization of an Externally Mixed Biogas Plant Using a Robust CFD Method
title_full Optimization of an Externally Mixed Biogas Plant Using a Robust CFD Method
title_fullStr Optimization of an Externally Mixed Biogas Plant Using a Robust CFD Method
title_full_unstemmed Optimization of an Externally Mixed Biogas Plant Using a Robust CFD Method
title_sort Optimization of an Externally Mixed Biogas Plant Using a Robust CFD Method
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Müller, J.
Schenk, C.
Keicher, R.
Schmidt, D.
Schulz, V.
Velten, K.
author Müller, J.
author_facet Müller, J.
Schenk, C.
Keicher, R.
Schmidt, D.
Schulz, V.
Velten, K.
author_role author
author2 Schenk, C.
Keicher, R.
Schmidt, D.
Schulz, V.
Velten, K.
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Anaerobic Digestion, Bioenergy, CFD Simulation, OpenFOAM, Robust Optimization
topic Anaerobic Digestion, Bioenergy, CFD Simulation, OpenFOAM, Robust Optimization
description Biogas plants have to be continuously or periodically mixed to ensure the homogenization of fermenting and fresh substrate. Externally installed mixers provide easier access than submerged mixers but concerns of insufficient mixing deter many operators from using this technology. In this paper, a new approach to improve homogenization of the substrate mixture is proposed by optimizing external mixer configurations across a wide range of rheological properties. Robust optimization of a biogas reactor is coupled with CFD simulations to improve parameters for the angles of inflow and the position of the substrate outlet in a large-scale fermenter. The optimization objective is to minimize the area in the tank which is poorly mixed. We propose to define this “dead volume zone” as the region in which the velocity magnitude during mixing falls below a certain threshold. Different dry substance contents are being investigated to account for the varying rheological properties of different substrate compositions. The velocity thresholds are calculated for each dry substance content from the mixer-tank configuration of a real biogas reactor in Brandenburg, Germany (BGA Warsow GmbH & Co.KG). The robust optimization results comprising the whole range of rheological properties are compared to simulations of the original configuration and to optimization results for each individual dry substance content. The robust CFD-based optimized configurations reduce the dead volume zones significantly across all dry substance contents compared to the original configuration. The outcomes of this paper can be particularly useful for plant manufacturers and operators for optimal mixer placement in industrial size biogas fermenters.
publishDate 2020
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020
2020
2020
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
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dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11824/1098
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11824/1098
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168169919322975
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 3.0 España
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/es/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 3.0 España
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/es/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:BIRD. BCAM's Institutional Repository Data
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