Biogas Plant Turns to BFM® for Outdoor Sieve Challenge
Waste is a global issue, and today we all recognise the importance of working towards ‘zero waste’ by reducing, reusing and recycling wherever we can. A surprising and often-under-reported waste issue is food, with around 30% of the global food supply lost or wasted each year, according to the United Nations’ Environmental Program.
To reduce the sheer volume of organic waste going to landfills, many local authorities around the world are investing significantly in biowaste recycling plants.
In these facilities, biowaste (plant and animal material) is separated from general municipal waste and used to produce biogas, a renewable source of energy, and biomatter, used for fertilizer.
The recycling process involves crushing the organic waste and mixing it with water, producing a sort of sludge. This sludge is then broken down by bacteria in an oxygen-free environment, a process known as anaerobic digestion. An anaerobic digester is essentially a large fermentation tank where the sludge ferments for between 10 – 30 days, creating ‘biogas’, primarily a blend of methane and carbon dioxide.
With little to no processing, this resultant biogas can be used for combined heat and power (CHP) operations, or simply turned into electricity using a combustion engine, fuel cell, or gas turbine.
Outdoor setting presents challenges for processing equipment
Large-scale biogas plants that require large fermentation and storage tanks mean that much of the ancillary processing equipment is also located outdoors, so they are exposed to considerable environmental stresses. Facility and maintenance managers in these plants need to ensure their processes can operate efficiently even with constant exposure to UV rays, temperature fluctuations and the effects of wind and rain.
One of the most common pieces of equipment to be located outdoors are separators, such as sieves or filter presses, which are used in one of the last steps of the biowaste processing process. Once the biogas has been harvested from the anaerobic digestor, the solids in the fermented sludge must be separated from the liquid to enable purification of the liquid and drying of the solids (or ‘digestate’) for use as fertilizer.
One such large biogas processing plant in Spain (shown left – Jayden please edit to where the image is!), uses vibrating sieves to separate the biomass solids from the liquids at the end of the biogas production process.
Traditional clamped connectors failing on exposed sieves
In this particular installation, flexible connectors are used between the inlet and outlets of the sieves, but the vibration of the sieves presented challenges for standard clamped flexible connectors.
Because they were attached to the outside of the pipes, the clamps were unable to prevent seepage of the liquid component during the separation process. They also did not last long in the exposed outdoor setting.
The maintenance staff needed strong, resilient flexible connections that could both withstand the exposure to the elements and contain the liquid component of the separated waste without leaking under vibration.
To solve this challenging issue, local BFM® fitting distributor, Masanes Servindustria SA, recommended installing BFM® fittings on the two outdoor sieves. Each sieve has one inlet for the sludge and two outlets – one for the liquid and the other for the solids.
Challenging conditions no problem for BFM® fitting connectors
Outdoor conditions can be harsh on any flexible plastic material, which is one of the reasons the material chosen was BFM® Seeflex 040E, a particularly strong, flexible, ether-based urethane exclusive to BFM® fitting.
Seeflex 040E has been proven for outdoor use in both sun and water exposure. Although extended exposure to UV can turn the connectors a little yellow, the Seelfex 040E material still retains its high strength and flexibility.
The design of the BFM® fitting system ensures there are no leaks because the connector is snap-fitted on the inside of specially shaped spigots welded to the connecting equipment.
Even with the vibratory movement of the sieve, and the location being outdoors with no protection, the BFM® fitting connector system has continued working perfectly at the plant for many years, eliminating leakage and keeping the plant and machinery as clean as new.
For more information, please visit www.bfmfitting.com
BFM Global
- 6494823395
- sales@bfmfitting.com
- http://www.bfmfitting.com
- 290 Beach Haven Road Birkdale 0626 NZ
About us
BFM® Global Ltd is the New Zealand based manufacturer of the BFM® fitting system, a revolutionary snap-in flexible connector and spigot that eliminates the problems associated with traditional hose clamp systems.
Traditional hose-clamp fittings have been used in manufacturing for more than a century… and the associated problems they bring have just been accepted as standard. Apart from the difficult nature of removing and refitting the hose-clamps, leakage is the main problem. If your process involves pressure or vacuum, any hose-clamped connection is a potential point for product and air leakage.
While hose-clamps are generally a cheap initial solution, the loss of valuable product, daily clean-up costs, and potential associated health and safety issues will, in the long term, significantly affect your bottom-line.
The more cost-effective solution being used by many of the world’s leading manufacturers is the revolutionary BFM® fitting system.
BFM® fitting has revolutionised industrial flexible connectors
A BFM® fitting generally fits between two pieces of machinery, either where a stationary machine connects to a moving one, or where access to product flow is needed. It comprises two steel spigots (or flanges) that are welded to your pipes and a snap-fit flexible, blue-band connector, or sleeve, that seats on the inside of the shaped portion of the two spigots, holding it securely in place.
Because they seal from the inside, BFM® fittings provide a 100% sealed connection, even if there is pressure or vacuum running through the system. This means no leaks, so no loss of valuable product and a much cleaner, safer and more efficient operating environment.
BFM®s patented blue band connectors provide superior performance:
- 100% sealed, no mess, no leaks
- Seals tighter under pressure
- No product build-up means better hygiene
- No tools required for fitting
- Snap-in design makes installation easy
- Explosion resistant design for added safety
- More durable materials last longer
- Standardised connector sizes mean you need to keep less stock
The BFM® fitting is used in a wide variety of applications, especially those involving dry dust or powders, to supersede old hose-clamped systems:
- Vibrating & oscillating sifters/sieves
- Conveyors & Feeders
- Fans
- Baghouses
- Silos & bin inlet & outlets
- Cyclones
- Blenders
- Vibro tubes
- Rotary valves
There is a full range of materials and specific connector designs that offer solutions for virtually any processing application or environment.
Compliant with global food and safety regulations
We pride ourselves in meeting global certifications across food safety, explosion and materials, making us the product of choice across the world. We have a wide variety of products that conform to important global standards such as 3A, USDA, FDA, EC & ATEX and our products and production facility has been certified as both Halal and Kosher compliant.
BFM® fitting is being used by some of the biggest names in the global food, pharmaceutical, chemical and mineral industries.
The BFM® fitting range of products are available from more than 50 Authorised Distributors who sell to over 70 countries around the globe – to find a local Distributor, visit www.bfmfitting.com/distributors.
Where we supply to
UK Ireland, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America
Industries we supply to
Chemicals, Consultants
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