Introduction

The invention consists in a gas washing process where gas streams contain particulate and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The use of selected microalgae allows the creation of cleaning and filtering systems where the gas contaminats are converted in new algal biomass thanks to specific growing conditions.

Technical features

A method and an apparatus for the biological treatment of a gas containing hydrocarbons and CO2. The method merges traditional scrubbing system with biological microalgae growth in photobioreactor. Biomass power plants normally produce gas that requires filtration. For example, gasification power plants produces a gas called syngas full of contaminant such as Policyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and particulate. These contaminats are dangerous for power plant engines, therefore a filtration system is required to separate polluting PAHs and particulate. These are usually disposed with a high cost. The present invention guarantees the filtration performance meanwhile microalgae growth using these contaminants producing new biomass without contaminant disposal cost.

Possible Applications

• Syngas cleaning in moving and fuid beds gasifier systems;
• Cleaning of flue gas from biomassa combusion;
• Cleaning of biogas from anaerobica digestion;
• Revamping of existing power plant and increasing of power plant economical profit;
• Reduction of gas sulphur compounds.

Advantages

• Lower costs of disposing of not-tarry water;
• Production of new algal biomass containg bio-oil and high value chemicals;
• Improvement of filtration systems;
• Increasing of power plants life.