Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for generating a methane-containing substitute natural gas from a carbon oxide-containing input gas and also to an energy supply system equipped with such an apparatus. According to the invention, the input gas is subjected to a methanation reaction where a superstoichiometric hydrogen fraction is established in the reactant gas. The product gas of the methanation reaction is divided by gas separation into a methane-containing retentate gas, which yields the substitute natural gas, and a hydrogen-containing permeate gas. At least some of the permeate gas is returned to the input gas and admixed therein to form the reactant gas for the methanation reaction. The invention may be used, for example, for renewable energy supply systems with biomass valorization.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for generating a methane-containing substitute natural gas from a carbon oxide-containing input gas and also to an energy supply system equipped with such an apparatus. According to the invention, the input gas is subjected to a methanation reaction where a superstoichiometric hydrogen fraction is established in the reactant gas. The product gas of the methanation reaction is divided by gas separation into a methane-containing retentate gas, which yields the substitute natural gas, and a hydrogen-containing permeate gas. At least some of the permeate gas is returned to the input gas and admixed therein to form the reactant gas for the methanation reaction. The invention may be used, for example, for renewable energy supply systems with biomass valorization.

Abstract: An energy supply system is provided with an electricity generating device for regeneratively generating electrical energy that can be fed into an electricity supply grid. The energy supply system includes an electricity generating device for regeneratively generating electrical energy which can be fed into an electricity supply grid, a hydrogen generating device for generating hydrogen using electrical energy from the regenerative electricity generating device, a methanation device for converting hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generating device and a supplied carbon oxide gas into a gas containing methane, and a gas providing device for providing a supplementary gas or a replacement gas in a variably specifiable supplementary/replacement gas quality suitable for feeding into a gas supply grid with the use of the gas containing methane from the methanation device and/or the hydrogen from the hydrogen generating device. A method of operating the system is also provided.

Abstract: A tube bundle reactor for carrying out catalytic gas phase reactions, particularly methanation reactions, has a bundle of catalyst-filled reaction tubes through which reaction gas flows and around which heat carrier flows during operation. In the region of the catalyst filling, the reaction tubes run through at least two heat carrier zones which are separated from one another, the first of which heat carrier zones extends over the starting region of the catalyst filling. The reaction tubes each have a first reaction tube portion with a first hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling and, downstream thereof in flow direction of the reaction gas, at least a second reaction tube portion with a second hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling that is greater than the first hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling.

Abstract: A tube bundle reactor for carrying out catalytic gas phase reactions, particularly methanation reactions, has a bundle of catalyst-filled reaction tubes through which reaction gas flows and around which heat carrier flows during operation. In the region of the catalyst filling, the reaction tubes run through at least two heat carrier zones which are separated from one another, the first of which heat carrier zones extends over the starting region of the catalyst filling. The reaction tubes each have a first reaction tube portion with a first hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling and, downstream thereof in flow direction of the reaction gas, at least a second reaction tube portion with a second hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling that is greater than the first hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a methane-rich product gas, in which a starting gas containing hydrogen and carbon dioxide is catalytically methanated under the influence of at least one adjustatable parameter in at least two stages and at least one criterion relating to the composition of the product gas is monitored. The criterion is fulfilled under a condition influencing the method and when the condition changes, a change in the parameter setting that preserves fulfilment of the criterion is affected.

Abstract: An energy supply system is provided with an electricity generating device for regeneratively generating electrical energy that can be fed into an electricity supply grid. The energy supply system includes an electricity generating device for regeneratively generating electrical energy which can be fed into an electricity supply grid, a hydrogen generating device for generating hydrogen using electrical energy from the regenerative electricity generating device, a methanation device for converting hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generating device and a supplied carbon oxide gas into a gas containing methane, and a gas providing device for providing a supplementary gas or a replacement gas in a variably specifiable supplementary/replacement gas quality suitable for feeding into a gas supply grid with the use of the gas containing methane from the methanation device and/or the hydrogen from the hydrogen generating device. A method of operating the system is also provided.