Using Advanced Technologies to Understand Methane Emissions in the Biogas Industry
In communities across the globe, daily life creates waste that can be challenging to manage, including agriculture byproducts, livestock manure, and even leftover or discarded food all generate organic waste that produce methane during decomposition. Left alone, this decomposing matter poses an environmental risk. But when managed properly, waste can be transformed into biogas—a form of renewable energy.
Biogas is produced when organic materials such as plant and animal waste are broken down using an anaerobic digestion process. Bacteria break down the byproducts to create energy in the form of gas and digestate materials such as fertilizer.
Biogas can be additionally refined to produce renewable natural gas (RNG), or biomethane, and be used in a variety of forms that include heat and electricity, fuel for vehicles, bioplastics and even conventional gas that is added to the pipeline to supplement the natural gas grid.
Digester pumps, like the one seen in this optical gas imaging video, move biomaterials to anaerobic digesters. Because the material is fermenting, the potential for a methane leak is high.
While both biogas and RNG are cleaner forms of methane compared to the other industries that produce the gas, they still have an environmental impact when emitted into the atmosphere.
Some in the industry, like Frank Zahorszki of ITEMA GmbH in Germany, are working to remedy these emissions from biogas and RNG in the production process.
“Biogas is a great way to utilize common waste in our world, but we want to ensure we are doing all we can to ensure a clean environment," Zahorszki explains.
According to the US EPA, the United States saw 760.8 million metric tons of CO2e methane emissions in 2022, with 36.4% and 18.8% of those coming from agriculture and waste1, respectively. Meanwhile in the EU, the Commission’s REPowerEU2 plan is set to produce 35 billion cubic meters of biogas and biomethane per day by 2030 as an affordable, sustainable power source.
Zahorszki, who has nearly 20 years of experience as a technology specialist in various industries, says keeping gas emissions in check won’t be easy. “Finding these leaks in the biogas industry can often be challenging and time consuming… unless you're using advanced technology,” he says.
The Advantage of OGI
Enter optical gas imaging (OGI) technology: specialized infrared cameras that are filtered to match the wavelength of specific gases such as methane.
Using OGI cameras such as the FLIR G-Series allows operators to see emissions that are completely invisible to the naked eye or most other technologies.
These cameras work in real time to visualize gases for an immediate understanding of emission events. Live streaming video of leaks, which look similar to smoke, make it easy for technicians to pinpoint the exact source of leaks and determine how to fix the problem.
With unique features such as High Sensitivity Mode and patented ergonomics for optimal camera operating positions, FLIR G-Series cameras can make detecting methane leaks 10-times faster than using traditional leak detection and repair (LDAR) methods.
Image of a digester pump with an active methane leak, visualized using a FLIR Gx320 with its FLIR-patented High Sensitivity Mode activated.
Biogas facilities are often large with many potential leaking locations from pumps to roof seals. Since OGI technology allows a user to quickly scan across wide target areas, companies can maximize efficiency of their LDAR operations.
In the biogas industry, OGI technology is ideal for detecting and measuring methane emissions from a safe distance, keeping operators away from potential safety hazards while maximizing efficient operations.
More recently, the OGI technology has advanced to the point of including emission quantification in the cameras.
“For years, OGI cameras made finding leaks easy and efficient, but measuring them was often a challenge. Now with FLIR’s G-Series cameras I can immediately measure the emissions at the same time I detect them”, says Zahorszki.
Quantitative Optical Gas Imaging (QOGI) technology embeds specialized, onboard analytics in a cooled OGI camera such as the FLIR G620 so users can measure methane, hydrocarbon, and VOC emissions.
Unlike other technologies that provide quantifiable details about leaks, QOGI allows users to achieve this at safe distances and with immediate results. With the addition of QOGI in the camera, operators can add a level of emissions impact to their bottom line and better understand the financial risks to their organizations.
Figure 2: Methane leak quantified using a FLIR Gx320 camera.
Conclusion:
As the markets look to further invest in more sustainable substitutes for traditional methane gas, biogas and RNG applications will play a key role in these efforts by using historically wasted product to supplement the current supply chain for natural gas.
While more efficient and a great use of commonly wasted materials, emissions from these applications can still play a negative role in our environment.
Using advanced technologies like QOGI will allow those in the industry to not only detect these leaks but also have a new visibility into the severity of the emissions and better understanding on how to resolve the problem.
FLIR Gx320, Gx620, and G620 Optical Gas Imaging Cameras
The FLIR G-Series for hydrocarbons are high-tech, cooled-core OGI cameras that can help LDAR professionals seamlessly locate and document harmful gas emissions. FLIR designed these cameras to empower everyday users within the oil and gas, manufacturing, steel, and utility industries to spend more time on production and safety, and less time on documenting leaks.
