Ensuring Compliance and Smooth Operation for Biogas Facilities

Troubleshooting and Field Service for Biogas Systems

Biogas systems at industrial manufacturing sites are necessary for EPA compliance and can also provide cost savings if the reclaimed gas is used for fuel. However, we frequently find that while the intentions of specifying and installing a system are good, the implementation at the plant level can be less than ideal. Cross hears frequently that “an engineer at HQ” designed the system and had it installed but it’s either not working properly or it worked for a while but now isn’t. What’s missing is troubleshooting and field service to either dial in the system correctly or repair it and get it back online.

Cross has worked with several manufacturers recently which illustrate our capabilities for field servicing and troubleshooting biogas systems.

Operation 1: Snack Food Manufacturer

The first, a snack food manufacturer, contacted Cross when their biogas system stopped working. Cross technicians went in, cleaned out the sludge in the system and replaced the ignitor on the flare system. We also rebuilt their back pressure regulator and replaced numerous parts on their control panels to get them running again and in full EPA compliance.

Operation 2: Poultry Rendering Plant

We also worked at a poultry rendering plant which had a system which had never really worked correctly since installation. There was a bubble over their digestor but as the flare was not burning off the excess methane, the bubble was expanding to the point of potential failure. Cross technicians replaced the ignitor, cleaned out the control panel and replaced a few parts and had the plant up and running again in a day. Cross is now performing quarterly inspection and preventative maintenance at the facility to ensure efficiency and compliance.

Operation 3: Herbal supplement manufacturer

A leading herbal supplement manufacturer contacted Cross to schedule service for their pressure regulator, flame arrestor and low pressure vent. They had done some maintenance themselves but when we removed the flame arrestor, we found it full of raw material from their process on the upstream side, so we cleaned and reinstalled. In addition, their sediment pot should have been a third full but we found it had been completely filled, so we drained the sludge and cleaned.

Cross Can Help

If you’re extracting methane with a biogas system to either burn off or recycle into power but your system isn’t working or working correctly, give Cross a call. Our team of process experts will analyze your system, troubleshoot what’s wrong and quickly provide a quote of what it will take to get you back up and running. Once onsite, our technicians work safely and efficiently to get you back in compliance as quickly as possible.