98.85% reduction in Ammonia emissions – New Rondodry from Biorganics installed in Bavaria with Inno+ Air scrubbing
Last month, Biorganics installed a liquid manure and digestate processing system for a biogas plant in the Mühldorf am Inn district in German. Once set up the system soon started to dry the liquid manure and digestate. A specially developed exhaust air washer from #Inno+ was also installed.
The results were convincing
With their patented drying technology using a rotating drum, Biorganics can evaporate up to 4,000 m³ of water annually. The RondoDry removes up to 70% of the ammonium nitrogen from the liquid manure and thus helps to reduce the total nitrogen content considerably. In addition, the concentration of liquid manure and fermentation residue saves storage costs, and less volume means transport costs are also reduced. The nutrients are bound in an Ammonium sulphate solution, providing an organic fertilizer.
Air treatment installation for digestate drying
Inno+ developed an air scrubbing system for the RondoDry. The panels are made up of two floors and thanks to the use of cross-connections, this makes the unit strong and rigid enough to be built up to the required 15m height for German regulations. The plastic casing contains two openings. Dirty air enters on one side and clean air leaves on the other.
The results of air scrubbing are also convincing
Two weeks after installation our engineer Grant Barden returned to test the unit. The drier was exhausting 130ppm of ammonia/NH3 into the scrubber. Way above safe limits for human exposure. After treatment by the air scrubber, the exhaust emissions were reduced to just 1.5ppm. A reduction of 98.85%! The residue waste water that is rich in ammonium sulphate is being safely captured and pumped away for storage, that can later be used as fertiliser.
Paneltim
Due to the process conditions using chemicals, Paneltim panels were the most logical choice as they are less sensitive to corrosion than other materials. 50 mm thick panels were used for the build, which are ideally suited for the construction of large surfaces. The size of the panels (2,600 mm x 1,000 mm) also meant that fewer welds were required. Their lightweight nature also simplified assembly and transport. In our production department, the two modules were assembled and then transported to site, with the installation of the entire system taking just one day.
From factory to site installation
After a few weeks of preparation and rigorous Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), the module was loaded onto a low loader with the Chimney Section being loaded inside the expansion chamber. The modular unit arrived on site ready to stack, plug and play. The main body of the air scrubber was placed 500mm from the RondoDry, on an acid proof membrane to prevent any damage to the foundation. 20mm anchors were installed to fasten the air scrubber down. The Expansion chamber was unloaded to ground level then the Chimney was installed on top. The two sections were bolted together and four guide-lines affixed to stabilise the chimney. On top of the expansion chamber, the chimneys were lifted as one assembly and installed on top of the Air Scrubber. Held together with a ring of M16 bolts.
The Air Scrubber was then connected to the RondoDry with a flexible air manifold that receives the air exhausted from the drying process. Main water and three-phase 400V electrical power were connected in the technical room.
The air scrubbing process
During the air scrubbing process, Acid is bound with the ammonia to produce a neutral salt. This waste product will be regularly removed by draining a portion of the Process water and refilling automatically, when the electrical conductivity of the process water is too high. The more ammonia removed, more salt produced and the conductivity rises proportionally. This means a drain line must be connected to a separate storage facility. An acid supply is connected, and the computer controller measures the pH value of the process water. By means of an acid dosing pump, the air scrubber will maintain a 2.8pH, sufficiently low for highly effective air scrubbing.
Commissioning
The commissioning of the air scrubber is an important part of the process to make sure the equipment runs optimally. The factory testing irons out any small bugs, but running the equipment in production is critical to ensure the system delivers as required.
Firing up the system
With all connections in place, the unit was started. It automatically fills and maintains a constant level through monitoring with a Radar Sensor and opens a water supply valve automatically to refill as required. Once a sufficient level has been reached, the pump starts and cycles water through a filter, up over a series of sprinklers that soak the filter package. The water then falls through the package table and back to the pit where it can be once again drawn up by the pump.
Testing sensor’s and alarms
A small amount of water is diverted to the pH and EC sensors that control water quality. With the system running, all sensors can be tested and all alarm situations simulated to ensure the system is working correctly. Finally, levels of gas entering and exiting the module are tested to ensure the reduction of ammonia is achieved by the system as it was designed.
Handover
A training session with the user was carried. This covered start and stopping the unit as well as user level maintenance and troubleshooting. At this point, we show the client the system is operational and teach them how to maintain peak efficiency through regular maintenance and monitoring through the internet portal and our FarmConnect application. The ultimate goal is a well-functioning installation that run optimally at all times.
For more information about:
Inno+ modular air scrubbers are specially designed for ease of transport and installation around the world. This means in countries where the licensing authorities are trying to set a benchmark for air cleaning on farms. Inno+, deliver a product with 18 years of development, testing, certification and proven experience behind it.
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