Downloads Request for information EN Products Expertise Markets Service & Support Distributors About Blog Home › Markets › Renewable energy › H2 Flow control in power to gas A121 APPLICATION NOTE H2 Flow Control in natural Power to Gas In Germany a group of companies are developing technologies to have bacteria excrete methane based on hydrogen and carbon dioxide as their ‘food’. This can be considered as a natural power-to-gas application for storing green electricity and a treatment technology for process gases containing carbon dioxide (CO2) as well. The methane (CH4) is to be fed into the natural gas network which is already present. These companies requested Bronkhorst’s distributor, Wagner Mess- und Regeltechnik, to supply mass flow controllers to provide the bacteria with enough hydrogen and CO2 as well. Check out the Bronkhorst solution ‘Power to gas’ refers to the conversion of electricity to gas. A well-known example is using electricity for the electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen, with oxygen as a by-product. If the hydrogen subsequently reacts with carbon dioxide to methane, the latter can be introduced to the natural gas network. In countries like Germany and the Netherlands, there is an existing infrastructure to transport natural gas trough pipes from the place where it is extracted or processed to the place where it is used – for central heating in houses or for the stove in the kitchen. Application requirements A major aim of the customers is to optimise the efficiency of the bacteria to convert hydrogen into methane. The process is first tested on a small scale in order to develop the optimal bacteria type. Optimisation parameters for this process are H2 and CO2 flow, type of bacteria, temperature and pressure. To this end, a flow control solution is needed to accurately and reproducibly supply hydrogen (and carbon dioxide) to the bacteria-containing reaction vessel. Important topics Reproducibility Operating under ATEX Zone 2 conditions Automation Process solution The Bronkhorst H2 flow control solution to supply hydrogen to the reaction vessel is an IN-FLOW gas mass flow controller with a typical flow rate ranging from 10 to 50 ln/min hydrogen. The reactor vessel is operated under anaerobic conditions at a temperature of 65 °C and pressures between 1 and 10 bars. Most type of bacteria feel most comfortable at atmospheric pressure, others at a higher pressure. The bacteria metabolise hydrogen and carbon dioxide and convert them into methane. The lab in which the experiments are conducted is classified as a hazardous area ATEX zone 2, therefore, the flow controllers need an ATEX zone 2 approval. The gas mass flow controller is controlled via Profibus. A setpoint is given, and the actual value is measured and recorded. Data are logged so that the test values are documented. Experiments typically run for 48 hours and automation is important here. When an error occurs, such as a serious deviation between the setpoint and the actual value, actions have to be taken - even overnight. The advantage of electrically controlled mass flow controllers is that the hydrogen supply can be stopped easily in case of a failure or emergency, without human interference. Flow scheme As part of the process to determine at which conditions the bacteria metabolise best, the reproducibility of the test results and hence of the mass flow controllers is important. Although the process scheme looks quite simple with two gas flows going in, the pressure maintained at a certain value and one gas flow going out, some end-of-pipe processing is required. At the backside a moist methane flow leaves the bacteria-containing vessel, containing among others HCl in ppm range that will damage transport pipes and will have to be removed. Mercaptan must be added to give natural gas its distinctive smell, and then it is ready to be fed into the natural gas network. Ask advice More about Hydrogen applications Recommended Products IN-FLOW F-201AI Min. flow 0,4…20 ln/min Max. flow 0,6…100 ln/min Pressure rating 64 bar Compact IP65 design High accuracy and repeatability Find your product Do you need advice on flow meters for Power-to-Gas solutions? Contact us Company *: Name *: Email *: Country *: (select country) Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia-Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo (Dem. Republic) Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Island of Man Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea (Democratic Republic of) Korea (Republic of) Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyz Republic Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldavia Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory Panama Papua-New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Re union Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Barthelemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay USA Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican (Holy See) Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands (British) Virgin Islands (U.S.) Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Postal code *: Phone number: Subject *: Please select the subject I would like to receive a quote I have a technical question I need documentation/files I'm looking for a Bronkhorst representative I would like to schedule a video consult Other Please select the type of question you have Question / Comments: Yes, I understand that my data will be kept for analytical purposes and I have read and agree to the Privacy Note*: Do you have problems filling out this form? Please contact us by email (info@bronkhorst.com). Stay up to date with the latest developments in high tech with our newsletter. Subscribe to our Newsletter BRONKHORST (UK) LTD 1 Kings Court Willie Snaith Road Newmarket Suffolk CB8 7TG Tel. +44 1223 833222 sales@bronkhorst.co.uk GO DIRECTLY TO Service & Support Contact Fluidat on the Net WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT TRENDS IN FLOW CONTROL? Would you like to receive our monthly updates? Sign up now. Subscribe Copyright © 2021 Bronkhorst. All rights reserved. Sitemap Disclaimer Privacy note Ask us