Programa computacional para dimensionamento de sistemas de geração de energia elétrica a partir do biogás, com aplicação na estação de tratamento do baldo/CAERN

Abstract

The present work was structured according to the great need of insertion of renewable sources of electricity generation in the world energy matrix, more specifically, in the use of the available thermal energy in the biogas. This use, in addition to providing energy, adds benefits to the environment, because when not used, often biogas is released directly into the atmosphere, being very aggressive to the environment. In this proposal, biogas is used in internal combustion engines to drive electric generators. As a way to enable a better use of biogas production, a computer program, SAGGAS, was developed. Based on the volumetric flow data of the biogas, its properties and technical characteristics of the plant, SAGGAS simulates the operation of the generation system and determines a combination of generators that allows maximizing energy generation and financial return. The program was applied to the Baldo Wastewater Treatment Plant, located in the municipality of Natal/RN and owned by the CAERN. In this application, a NPV of R$ 46.398.231,34 was generated for the generation system over 20 years, with a Cost Benefit Index of 2.85, which showed the great financial profitability of the project, as a result of the efficient use of biogas provided by the SAGGAS methodology. Other features of the program and the system scaled for the BaldoWastewater Treatment Plant will be described in the course of this work.