Adsorbed Biogas (ABG) Overview
Adsorbent Biogas or ABG systems allow biogas to be stored at low pressures ranging from 90 psi to 1,000 psi. The lower pressures accommodate reduced costs in compression, cylinder and tanks, valves, fittings, and other equipment that don’t have to be manufactured for high pressure use. The energy cost of compressing biogas is also substantially reduced. These advantages make it economically feasible to use natural and biogas in place of CNG and LPG.
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ABG technology has been around for over 35 years. It has been researched by many large companies and universities around the world, but it has never been commercialized in a large scale because of many of the complexities of the technology. Cenergy Solutions made a breakthrough that overcomes the complexities and allows this technology to be used in many applications of storing biogas in many applications. Since our breakthrough Cenergy Solutions has successfully gotten patents on their proprietary adsorbent technology in 46 countries including the USA.
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Cenergy Solutions is now in the commercialization stage of this technology in many areas including but not limited to vehicle operation, biogas storage and transportation, biogas capture, and the use of biogas for cooking, heating, generator operations and the replacement of LPG worldwide.
ABG Technology
CNG cylinder
ABG cylinder
Gas density in free space
At the heart of ABG technology is the adsorbents inside a tank or cylinder. Adsorbents can be made up of synthetic or organic material. Each adsorbent has different characteristics that help it meet the needs of different ABG applications. Cenergy Solutions has been testing different adsorbents from around the world for the last 9 years and has found adsorbents that work best for individual applications at a price that makes it economically advantageous.
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Adsorbents are made up of small particles down to five microns in size. Five microns is the size of bacteria, and this makes it hard to keep adsorbents in the tank or cylinder which was a problem for other companies trying to commercialize ABG technology. This hurdle was overcome by Cenergy Solutions’ proprietary patented filter that filters down to 5 microns inside the tank or cylinder. Each particle of adsorbent can hold up to 3-4 million molecules of methane, making the methane molecules denser inside the tank or cylinder. This mirrors the same process of compressing biogas to high pressures bringing the methane molecules closer together and increasing the BTUs stored per square inch.
Methane adsorbed in micropores
ABG cylinder
The cylinder is filled with fine adsorbent particles to maximize the storage capacity through adsorption
Cenergy's gas tube filters adsorbent particle sizes down to microns, allowing gas to flow through.
Like a sponge, adsorbents attract methane molecules and other gases and liquids like CO2, H2S, H2O, and other hydrocarbons when the adsorbent is exposed to these substances. As biogas is introduced into a sealed ABG tank through Cenergy’s patented filter, and is adsorbed and as needed it desorbs and passes through Cenergy’s filter for use. Cenergy’s patented filter and internal components accentuate the adsorption and desorption process of the methane as needed in their ABG systems.
