Removal of hydrogen sulfide from biogas using a bubbling tank fed with aerated wastewater

Abstract

The work develops a simple bubbling tank scrubber that is fed with aerating wastewater for the removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in biogas. A 2,000 L plastic tank, in which fixed liquid levels 0.80 and 1.0 m and volumes of 1.1 and 1.4 m3 was kept, was used for the scrubbing tests. A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe with holes of 1 mm diameter was used to sparge the biogas into the tank liquid. Results indicate that with an influent liquid of pH 7.5–7.7, a flow rate of 23–25 L min–1, influent biogas flow rates of 0.050–0.200 m3 min–1, and a H2S concentration of 907 ± 212 ppm, the pH of the effluent liquid stabilized at 6.6–6.9. With gas/liquid rate ratio of 2–8 m3 m–3 liquid and volumetric gassing intensities of 0.04–0.20 m3 m–3 liquid min–1, average H2S removals of 86–71% were obtained. Absorption of CO2 in the tested digester gas into the scrubbing liquid caused a decrease in the pH, thus decreasing the H2S removal efficiency. Increasing pH of the scrubbing liquid to 8.0 improved the H2S removal efficiency to as high as 99%.