BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY

Table of content
➢ Energy requirement in rural area.
➢ Biogas potential in India.
➢ Biogas: properties and applications.
➢ Biogas plant designs.
➢ Contribution to rural areas.
➢ Conclusion.
INTRODUCTION

• Biogas is clean environment friendly fuel that can be

obtained by anaerobic digestion of animal residues and
domestic and farm wastes, abundantly available in the
countryside.
• Biogas is an important renewable energy resource for
rural areas in India • Biogas generally comprise of 55-65
% methane, 35-45 % carbon dioxide, 0.5-1.0 % hydrogen
sulfide and traces of water vapor. • Average calorific
value of biogas is 20 MJ/m3 (4713 kcal/m3). • Biogas
like Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cannot be liquefied
under normal temperature and pressure.
• Critical temperature required for liquefaction of
methane is -82.1oC at 4.71MPa pressure, therefore use
of biogas is limited nearby the biogas plant.
• An estimate indicates that India has a potential of
generating 6.38 X 1010 m3 of biogas from 980 million
tones of cattle dung produced annually.
• The heat value of this gas amounts to 1.3 X 1012 MJ.
In addition, 350 million tones of manure would also
produce along with biogas.
Parameter Value
Cattle Population 300 million
Farm Families 75 million
Families Owning 4 or More Cattle 43 million
Potential for Setting Up Family-Size
12 million
Biogas Plants (BGP)
Biogas Plants Established 4.75 million
1575 million
Dung Collection (55% Efficiency)
kg/day
39.85 million
Gas Production
m³/day
112,695 million
Energy Equivalent (at 60% Efficiency)
kcal/day
12.37 million
Equivalent Kerosene
litres/day
14.54 million
Equivalent Crude Oil
litres/day
16.26 million
Equivalent Coal
kg/day
23.94 million
Equivalent Firewood
litres/day
≈ 131 million
Equivalent Electricity
kWh/day
 BIOGAS PRODUCTION PROCESS
Biogas production process (Anaerobic digestion) is a
multiple-stage process in which some main stages are:

Chemical reactions involved in biogas production:

C6H12O6 → 3CO2 + 3CH4 CO2 + 4H2 > CH4 + 2H2O
CH3COOH > CH4 + CO2

THE QUANTITY, RATE AND COMPOSITION OF

BIOGAS GENERATED DEPENDS ON
• The nature and concentration of the substrate,
• Feed rate,
• C/N Ratio, – pH value,
• Bacterial population,
• Temperature, and
• Chemical inducers.
BIOGAS PRODUCTION POTENTIAL FROM
DIFFERENT WASTES

Biogas Methane
Sl. Raw
Production Content in
No. Material
(Litres/kg) Biogas (%)
1 Cattle Dung 40 60.0
Green Leaves
2 100 65.0
and Twigs
3 Food Waste 160 62.0
4 Bamboo Dust 53 71.5
5 Fruit Waste 91 49.2
6 Bagasse 330 56.9
7 Dry Leaves 118 59.2

Non-edible
8 Oil Seed 242 67.5
Cakes
 UTILIZATION OF BIOGAS
• Cooking: Biogas can be used in a specially
designed burner for cooking purpose. A biogas
plant of 2 cubic metres capacity is sufficient for
providing cooking fuel needs of a family of about
five persons.
• Lighting: Biogas is used in silk mantle lamps for
lighting purpose. The requirement of gas for
powering a 100 candle lamp (60 W) is 0.13 cubic
metre per hour.
• Power Generation: Biogas can be used to operate
a dual fuel engine to replace up to 80 % of diesel
oil. Diesel engines have been modified to run 100
per cent on biogas. Petrol and CNG engines can also
be modified easily to use biogas.
• Transport Fuel: After removal of CO2, H2S and
water vapor, biogas can be converted to natural gas
quality for use in vehicles.
 FACTORS AFFECTING OPTIMUM
BIOGAS PRODUCTION

•Temperature ( 35-37 C Mesophilic condition )

•C/N ratio ( optimum between 25:1 to 30:1)
•pH ( optimally pH between 6.8-7.2)
•Solid content ( feed material should have
approx. 10:1 )
•Should not have toxic material/ harmful
material to bacteria in digester
•HRT ( Hydraulic Retention Time – 30, 40, 55
days) •Loading rate
 OvERvIEW OF COMMERCIALLY
vIABLE TECHNOLOGIES
• Family size biogas plants (1 to 10 m3 ) –
KVIC, Deenbandhu, Janta, Pragati, Flexi etc.
• Large scale biogas plants (10 to 140 m3) –
KVIC
• Large scale plants above 1000 m3 – UASB,
Modified UASB, BIMA Digester (suitable for
industrial effluents, MSW, fruit and vegetable
waste etc.)
BIOGAS PLANT DESIGN:
AN OUTLINE OF FIxED DOME BIOGAS PLANT

DETAILED STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF DOME BIOGAS

PLANT
FIxED DOME TYPE BIOGAS PLANT
CONTRIBUTION OF BIOGAS TECHNOLOGY TO
RURAL AREAS
* Better and cheaper fuel for cooking, lighting and
power generation.
* Produces good quality enriched manure to
improve spoil fertility.
* Effective and convenient way for sanitary
disposal of human excreata, improving the
hygienic conditions.
* generate social benefits - reducing burden on
forest, reduction in drudgery of women and
children.
* As a smokeless domestic fuel it reduces the
incidence of eye and lung diseases.
Possible Application of Biogas - Cooking.
Lighting “ Motive power Generation”

Quantity of
Use Specification Biogas
Consumed
Cooking 2" Burner 0.33 m³/hr
Cooking 4" Burner 0.47 m³/hr
Cooking 6" Burner 0.62 m³/hr
Cooking (Per
Average
Person per 0.24 m³/day
Requirement
Day)

100 Candle Power

Gas Lighting 0.13 m³/hr
Mantle Lamp

Dual Fuel 75–80% Diesel

0.50 m³/bhp/hr
Engine Replacement
Electricity
1 kWh Electricity 0.75 m³
Generation
FIG : POSSIBLE APPLICATION OF BIOGAS

ratio of jet area to flame post area = 1:142 Length

& Dia of gas mixing pipe = 20mm
Generation of power : Diesel / petrol saving How ever,
the power obtained is less as composed to liquid fuel
alone, engine become hotter hence cooling has to be
kept in good condition
UTILIZATION OF BIOGAS FOR FUEL, LIGHT,
MANURE AND MOTIVE POWER GENERATION
BIOGAS :-
Main constituent Methane (CH4) = 55-70 %, Carbon
dioxide ( Co2) =30-45%, other gases like Nitrogen,
Hydrogen, Co, Oxygen, and H2S in small quantities.
Almost 20% lighter than air and has an gumption
temperature of 650-750oC. It’s calorific value 4700
kcal/cum.
COMPARISON OF vARIOUS FUELS

Calorific Thermal Useful

Equivalent to
Fuel Value Efficiency Heat
1 m³ Biogas
(kcal/kg) (%) (kcal/kg)
Gobar Gas
4713 60 1.000 m³ 2770
(m³)
Kerosene
9600 50 0.62 L 4800
(L)
Firewood
4700 10 3.474 kg 470
(kg)
Cow Dung
2090 10 12.29 kg 209
Cake (kg)
Charcoal
6930 28 1.458 kg 2079
(kg)

Soft Coke
6292 28 1.605 kg 1887
(kg)
LPG
(Indane) 10882 60 0.433 kg 6529
(kg)
Furnace Oil
9041 75 0.417 L 6780
(L)
Coal Gas
4004 60 1.177 m³ 2400
(m³)
Electricity
860 70 4.698 kWh 602
(kWh)
SPECIAL FEATURES OF BIOGAS ENGINE.
(1)Saving in diesel :- can replace 80% diesel. Example:
5 hp engine running daily 8 hour on biogas & normal
specific fuel consumption 175 gms/bhp- our for 25 days
pr month operation. Then omly42 lit. diesel will be
required and about 168 [Link] diesel per month will be
saved.
(2) The engine cost can be recovered in one year.
Monthly saving - 168 lit. @ 5.00 Rs/lit. = Rs. 840.00 or
Rs 10080.00 per year. Hence cost recovered.
(3) Exhaust smoke density - is less when run on biogas .
(4) Exhaust gas temperature- remains almost the same.
(5) Engine deposits - general cleanliness of engine with
biogas is better then the diesel operation.

Compression of gas :-
It liquefies at a pressure of about 47.4kg/cm2 at a
critical temp of - 82.10C. Not economics on account of
cost of cleaning the gas, compressing it, purchasing a
special high pressure storage bottle and transporting
these heavy bottles. 3.5 Balloon are available 3.5cum
size.
About 70-75% of original wt. of dung is conserved on BG
plant while in compost 50% is lost . Slurry as manure
improves soil fertility & increases crop yield by 10-20%

Recommended dosage –
10 tonnes/ha in irrigated & 5 tonnes / ha in
unirrigated. Useful for raising fish common crop
fry & fingerlings; fed on a mixture of 1:3 (rice
bran & slurry) on an equal nitrogen basis, showed
faster growth in farmers. Recommended feed for
SINGI fish is a mixture of equal parts mustered oil cake
bran & digested slurry.
Integrated energy system – Defined as a
concept that encompasses :
All the facets on the rural energy problem - an
integrated approach which is expected to result in
optimum matching of the needs with energy availability
the emphasis is on renewable sources which can result
in local, decentralized option which are ecologically
sound.