Salt precipitator and method for generating a gas mixture containing methane from biomass using a salt precipitator

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This patent describes a specialized salt separator (salt precipitator) and method for producing methane-rich gas from biomass. The separator efficiently removes salts and solid particles from a pressurized, pumpable aqueous fluid—especially under conditions near or above the critical point of water. By eliminating salts and solids before further processing (such as methanation), the method enhances both the efficiency and durability of methane generation from various forms of biomass.

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• Generation of methane (biogas) from agricultural, forestry, or waste biomass for use as fuel or grid injection.
• Efficient treatment of geothermally contaminated or industrial process waters to remove salts.
• Production of high-purity methane as a fuel for vehicles (CNG stations) or for energy generation.
• Pre-treatment of biomass streams to improve downstream catalytic processes, minimizing catalyst deactivation by salts.
• Recovery of nutrient-rich by-products (such as salts for fertilizers) during biomass-to-gas conversion.
• Use in wastewater treatment systems to remove inorganic contaminants before further processing.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Significantly increases the efficiency and yield of methane production from wet biomass by removing problematic salts and solids.
• Prevents clogging, scaling, and catalyst poisoning in downstream methanation reactors, prolonging equipment life.
• Operates effectively under supercritical or near-critical process conditions, enabling high reaction rates and energy efficiency.
• Facilitates the creation of a purer methane stream, reducing the need for further purification and compression steps.
• Provides a simple and robust mechanical design that minimizes maintenance and operational complexity compared to prior art.
• Enables recovery and reuse of separated salts for applications like fertilizers, contributing to circular economy solutions.

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Patent Abstract

According to the invention, a salt separator (2) for separating salts and/or solid materials from a pumpable aqueous fluid mixture under process conditions, which preferably lie substantially in the range of the critical point for the fluid mixture, is disclosed, wherein the salt separator comprises the following components: a) a reaction zone in the form of a cavity (6) for transforming the pumpable aqueous fluid mixture into a raw mixture for further processing, e.g. a methanation reaction; b) a feed opening (8) for the pumpable aqueous fluid mixture to the cavity (6), wherein the feed opening (8) is realized in a rising pipe (10) that protrudes into the cavity (6); c) a first extraction opening (12) for the raw mixture freed of salts and/or solid materials, wherein the first extraction opening (12) is arranged in the upper region of the cavity (6); and d) a second extraction opening (16) for a brine comprising the salt and/or the solid materials, wherein the second extraction opening (16) is arranged in the lower region of the cavity (6) and is located lower down than the feed opening (8).