Case Study #12: Biogas Drying for a Brewery – Exhaust Air Purification
Initial situation
Biogas is a renewable by-product generated from organic waste in industries like agriculture, brewing, food processing, ethanol, paper, and palm oil production. It typically contains 50–70% methane (CH₄), 30–50% carbon dioxide (CO₂), and 0.1–3% hydrogen sulfide (H₂S).
When biogas is used to fuel combustion engines, H₂S is converted into sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), causing severe corrosion and premature engine failure. To prevent this, the H₂S must be removed through condensation prior to combustion, requiring a highly efficient and corrosion-resistant heat exchanger.
Challenge
Global Water Engineering, a supplier of biogas systems worldwide, needed a robust, long-lasting non-metallic heat exchanger for a high-capacity brewery installation in Thailand. The plant processes up to 1,750 m³/h of biogas, demanding both high durability and minimal maintenance. Traditional metal heat exchangers were ruled out due to corrosion risk.
Solution
Calorplast supplied a biogas cooler made entirely of polyethylene (PE). This corrosion-resistant, all-plastic design offers:
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High cooling efficiency via smooth, thin-walled plastic tubes
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Long service life in aggressive gas environments
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An extendable tube bundle for easy cleaning and high uptime
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A reinforced housing to withstand the required operating pressures
Result
The brewery’s system was successfully commissioned in 2015. Due to excellent performance and minimal maintenance, the plant was expanded with two additional Calorplast units in 2017. Calorplast’s all-plastic heat exchangers have proven ideal for biogas drying in industrial-scale applications where corrosion resistance and reliability are critical.
