Objective
Research collaboration between universities and the private sector has led to the development of a reliable, user-friendly and affordable system for measuring the biochemical methanogenic potential (BMP) of biomass samples. The new, economical system for measuring the biochemical methanogenic potential (Biochemical Methane Potential, BMP) was developed following a collaboration that began in October 2018 between the Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology of the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Patras, the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering of the University of the Aegean, and the company Green Technologies Ltd based in Patras. The innovative system has the ability to provide reliable and accurate measurements of the potential that have organic by-products and residues from urban, agricultural or industrial activities (biomass) to produce renewable energy and more specifically biogas, through anaerobic digestion.
Aim of the project
BMP is a popular technique for determining the methane potential and biodegradability of biomass under anaerobic conditions. It is a critical parameter for estimating biogas production from organic by-products and residues through anaerobic digestion. The limited number of commercial measurement systems available to date, combined with their high cost, led to the idea of creating an economical, user-friendly, BMP measurement system for which a Patent application was recently filed with the Industrial Property Organization (OBI). The Green.BMP collaborative project aimed to do just that and succeeded.
Project Design
Throughout the project, the Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering & Environmental Technology of the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Patras provided the scientific basis and supervision of the specifications and operating principles of the system, as it has extensive experience in biochemical processes and biomass energy production.
At the same time, the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering of the Aegean University contributed to the design of the system and the development of the prototype. The two institutions collaborated to control and optimize each stage, aiming to produce a fully functional prototype. Finally, the project was coordinated by Green Technologies Ltd, a company with proven strong international orientation and experience in international projects.
The project is an important milestone for the industry, the scientific community and the energy sector, as the newly developed Green.BMP system has the potential to contribute to the effective BMP measurement of various substrates, which are to undergo anaerobic digestion in real biogas plants in Greece and internationally.
Project Partners
The meeting was attended by representatives from all three agencies and more specifically: from the company Green Technologies Ltd, Dr. Nantia Zafeiri (Engineer - Director) and Dr. Dimitris Zaglis (Engineer), from the University of Patras, Dr. Michalis Kornaros (Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering), Dr. Panagiota Tsafrakidou (Researcher, Department of Chemical Engineering) and Mrs. Konstantina Tsigou (Deputy Doctor, Department of Chemical Engineering), from the Aegean University, Dr. Vassilis Moulianitis (Associate Professor, TMSPS), Dr. Nikos Zacharopoulos (Lecturer, TMPS), Mr. Evgenios Skourboutis (Deputy Doctor, TMPS) and Mr. Eleftherios Katrantzis (Deputy Doctor, TMPS).
The coordinator of the project is the company Green Technologies Ltd.
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