DUBLIN, OH – (Date) – Adsorption Research Inc. (ARI), the leader in adsorption-based separation and purification technologies, announced its AdvanSorb®-RNG NRU+ system installation, providing an economic and environmental value from waste by turning landfill gas into energy at the Skyline Landfill in Ferris, Texas.
“The Skyline Landfill project represents ARI’s third opportunity to partner with Waste Management Renewable Energy,” said Kent Knaebel, PE, Ph.D., founder & president of ARI. “Our mission was to remove nitrogen and oxygen, which is a critical step in converting the landfill gas into renewable natural gas (RNG)—a pipeline-quality gas that is fully interchangeable with conventional natural gas.”
According to Knaebel, the idea is to capture and sell the methane produced as the waste in the landfill decomposes. In the past, the landfill gas mixture—including methane—was simply burned off via flaring. However, today, a robust market exists whereby it is beneficial to purify this gas mixture and sell the purified methane as renewable natural gas. Enter ARI’s innovative technology, the AdvanSorb®-RNG NRU+ System. “In this case, the AdvanSorb-RNG NRU+ System is designed to reduce incoming nitrogen and oxygen by roughly 95%; while achieving a methane recovery of 98.5%,” said Knaebel. “This innovative system offers economic and environmental value from waste by turning landfill gas into energy.”
What is the AdvanSorb®-RNG NRU+ System? “It’s a patented, reliable, and highly efficient Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption (VPSA) process. Because this system removes nitrogen and oxygen, greater suction can be applied to the landfill, which means more methane produced, lower fugitive emissions, reduced odors, and vastly reduced well-tuning—simply put, the system turns partially upgraded biomethane into high-yield, high-purity renewable natural gas,” explained Knaebel.
The AdvanSorb-RNG Control system utilizes ARI’s proprietary adaptive control. The system continuously compensates for fluctuations in feed flow, composition, and ambient conditions—maintaining system efficiency and keeping product gas on-specification. This allows the site operations team to spend their time on important issues elsewhere in the plant. Furthermore, the systems offer an easy-to-use HMI system that allow for remote access.
“Today, technicians can review data on or off site, and have immediate access to data-logging, and trend analysis so that they can maintain peak plant performance. The technology allows technicians to monitor changes, make decisions and even directly interact with equipment with the push of a button. The system enables a simplified, yet productive means to managing a landfill gas upgrading system,” added Knaebel. “In turn, it maximizes system revenue and profit, by optimizing product recovery and purity, while also keeping a low total cost of ownership by minimizing day-to-day and long-term expenditures.”
As a result of this collaboration between ARI, Waste Management Renewable Energy and several other partners, the Skyline Landfill project is considered a proven success. This project now provides the equivalent emissions reduced of: carbon sequestered by 899,396 acres of US forests in one year; CO2 emissions from 77,926,758 gallons of gasoline consumed, and the gas generated heats the equivalent of 19,720 homes.
“We’re proud of our contribution to this project,” explained Knaebel. “The innovation and technology that ARI developed combined with the collective knowledge and expertise of those on this project has resulted in one of the newest and most advanced RNG facilities in the nation. Purifying biomethane from landfill gas is recognized by the U.S. EPA as a renewable energy resource and has now been injecting pipeline-quality gas into the Atmos Energy system since early 2020—a true example of sustainable innovation.”
About Adsorption Research, Inc. (ARI)
Adsorption Research, Inc. (ARI) develops separation and purification technologies, using the principles of adsorption, to address technical and societal challenges. ARI focuses on developing technologies that remove contaminants, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and oxygen from biogas. ARI is also focused on emerging global needs, like water purification, CO2 capture, gas purifications for electronics and healthcare applications, and air quality enhancement. Founded in 1992, ARI combines industrial, academic, and scientific expertise that offers clients a full-service approach, resolving their most complex separation challenges into simplified solutions. Visit www.adsorption.com.
For More Information, Please Contact:
Jarret Chirafisi, +1 (614) 652-9224, j.chirafisi@adsorption.com