Oxygen is a common impurity in landfills and, like nitrogen, is introduced into landfill gas (LFG) through air ingress. The presence of oxygen, along with moisture and trace sulfur impurities, can corrode pipeline infrastructure, leading to significant downtime and maintenance costs. The oxygen content in LFG typically ranges from 1% to 2.5%. However, outlet specifications are pipeline-driven, with values ranging between 5 ppmv and 0.2 mole%.
Pressure Swing Adsorption units (PSAs) can remove oxygen, but they negatively impact methane recovery. Deoxygenation (DeOxo) using precious metal catalysts is one of the leading technologies for reducing oxygen ppm levels. This process produces CO₂ and water as by-products, typically resulting in CO₂ levels below pipeline specifications but water levels above allowable limits, requiring further treatment.
BCCK’s DeOxo units can handle a wide range of flows and oxygen levels, making them suitable for various RNG sources, including landfills and dairy digesters.
DeOxo Gallery
DeOxo Features
- Catalytic oxidation
- Precious metal catalyst used
- 0-2.5% inlet O₂ concentrations
- <1 ppmv outlet oxygen concentration
- Excellent scalability (100 SCFM minimum)
- No emissions
- High temperature (550-700 F) for oxygen removal reaction