Biogas from Biomass

Prof. Dr. Uwe Rehling 2008 UNUD

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Biomass in Indonesia

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Biomass Potential in Bali

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Conversion of Biomass

Anaerobic fermentation is a process by which organic material is transformed into methane gas CH4 in the absence of air (oxygen). Methane is produced naturally from the degradation of plants in such situations as rice paddies, ponds, or marshes.

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Global Warming
Each year some 590-880 million tons of methane are released worldwide into the atmosphere through microbial activity. About 90% of the emitted methane derives from biogenic sources. Methane is the contributor to Global Warming and has Global Warming Potential (GWP) 21 times that of CO2

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Principle of Anaerobic Digestion

Video

(1 minute)

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Biogas
The anaerobic process of methane production is accompanied by some other gases which as a whole are known as biogas

Methane (CH4): 40-70 vol.%

(Non-toxic, non-smelling, lighter than air. When burned CH4 is converted into CO2 and water H2O )

Carbon dioxide (CO2): 30-60 vol.%

(Colourless, odourless, heavier than air, higher CO2 concentration results in a lower caloric value of the biogas)

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Biogas
Other gases: 1-5 vol.% including -Hydrogen (H2): 0-1 vol.% - Hydrogen sulphide (H2S): 0-3 vol.%
(Colourless, toxic, smelling gas, corrosive, heavier than air. When burned H2S is converted into SO2, toxic, can cause acidification)

- Ammoniac (NH3): 0-0.05 vol. %

(Strong smelling, lighter than air. When burned it is converted into NOX)

- Water vapour (saturated)

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Energy Content: Heating Value

Fuel 1 m Biogas 1 m Natural Gas 1 m Propane Gas 1 l Diesel Oil 1 l Petroleum 1 kg of coal 1 kWh Electricity
Prof. Dr. Uwe Rehling 2008 UNUD

Heating Value 22.1 MJ/m 33.5 MJ/m 46 MJ/m 36 MJ/l 30.5 MJ/l 27.6 MJ/kg 3.6 MJ/kWh
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Biogas Production
The three steps of biogas production: Biogas microbes consist of a large group of complex and differently acting microbe species, notable the methaneproducing bacteria. The whole biogas-process can be divided into three phases: I. Hydrolysis II. Acidification III. Methane formation. The process is cracking complex chemical structures into simple molecules (CH4)
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Phases of Biogas Production

Hydrolysis
Prof. Dr. Uwe Rehling 2008 UNUD

Acidification

Methane formation
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Temperature of Fermentation

Dependant on temperature different type of bacteria are fermenting the biomass: - the psychrophilic temperature range lies below 20C, - the mesophilic temperature range between 20C and 40C, - the thermophilic temperature range above 40C.

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Biogas (small scale)

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Biogas (big scale)

Waste water plant

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Video 30 minutes 00:00 14:31 Introduction 16:30 23:54 Thailand, Bolivia 34:05 39:00 Thailand / Germany

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Which Biomass for Biogas ?

Methane CH4 consists of carbon C and hydrogen H : -all plants with high hydrocarbon are suitable for Methane generation - the plants can be degraded by the bacteria directly in the digester - in practice, the organic materials are used as animal fodder and the manure is fermented in the biogas plant. The advantage lies in the preparation of the plant structure, which dissolves physically and chemically in the digestive system of the animals.
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Biogas
The carbon C in the organic materials is necessary for the energy supply of the anaerobic bacteria. Besides the carbon content, also nitrogen N plays important role in the material since the nitrogen is required for the growth of the bacteria. A balanced content of carbon to nitrogen, the so-called C/Nratio, is therefore necessary: best C/N-ratio is from 10 to 30. With excess of carbon, i.e. C/N = 60, a big share of carbon is not used and the production of biogas declines. If the C/N-ratio is below 9, ammonia NH3 is produced and the gas production is reduced.
Prof. Dr. Uwe Rehling 2008 UNUD
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C/N Ratio
Animal wastes Cow manure Sheep manure Poultry manure Pig manure Horse dung Goose dung Pigeon dung Elephant manure Fish waste Slaughter waste Farm manure (median value) C % Dry mass 30,0 83,6 87,5 76,0 33,4 54,0 50,0 60,0 56,0 64,0 42,0 N % Dry mass 1,66 3,80 6,55 3,80 2,30 2,00 2,00 1,30 7,0 8,0 3,0 C/N-Ratio 18 22 14 20 15 27 25 46 8 8 14 Moisture content of fresh material 80-85 75-80 70-80 75-80 80-85 70-80 70-80 70-85 55-75 55-75 75-80

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C/N Ratio
Household and agriculture Kitchen garbage Paper Fresh grass Amaranths Lucerne Wheat straw Rice straw Grain stalks and leaves Peanut stalks Soybean stalks Sugarcane Soybeans Cabbage Mustard Water hyacinths
Prof. Dr. Uwe Rehling 2008 UNUD

C % Dry mass 62,5 40,0 48,0 39,6 40,0 60,0 18,0 55,0 40,0 64,0 45,0 17,5 43,2 39,0 30,4

N % Dry mass 2,5 0,05 4,0 3,6 2,5 0,5 0,3 1,0 2,0 2,0 0,3 3,5 3,6 1,5 1,9

C/N-Ratio 25 800 12 11 16 120 60 55 20 32 150 5 12 26 16

Moisture content of fresh material 50-70 5-15 40-60 30-50 40-60 20-40 20-40 25-40 25-40 25-40 25-40 10-15 40-50 10-15 85-90
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Combining of C/N Ratio

C/N calculation is on dry matter quantity of organic material because the dry matter the water does not contribute to the fermentation.

Organic material Cow manure Poultry dung Goat dung

Quantity (dry mass) 100 kg 50 kg 10 kg

C-content In % and kg 30,0 % = 30 kg 87,5 % = 43.7 kg 83,6 % = 8.3 kg

N-content In % and kg 1,66 % = 1.66 kg 6,55 % = 3.25 kg 3,8 % = 0.38 kg

Total

81.0 kg

5.29 kg

C/N = 81.0 kg / 5.29 kg C/N = 15.3

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Retention Time

The time bacteria need for anaerobic fermentation of organic material is called Retention time.

If the substance should be fermented completely, the retention time can last until 6 months. In the practice, however, the retention time is dependant on temperature and lies between 30 and 60 days in tropical countries.

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Gas Yield
Type of animal Cow big middle small Water buffalo big middle small Pig big middle small Poultry big middle small Goat big middle small Goose Pigeon Horse Camel Elephant
Prof. Dr. Uwe Rehling 2008 UNUD

Manure per day (kg) 15 10 8 20 15 10 2,00 1,50 1,00 0,15 0,10 0,05 5,00 2,00 1,00 0,15 0,05 15,00 20,00 40,00

Water content % (fresh material) 80-85 80-85 80-85 80-85 80-85 80-85 75-80 75-80 75-80 70-80 70-80 70-80 75-80 75-80 75-80 70-80 70-80 80-85 70-85 70-85

Gas yield (fresh material) l/kg 40 40 40 40 40 40 70 70 70 60 60 60 50 50 50 50 50 40 30 20

Gas yield after 50 days (liter) 600 400 320 800 600 400 140 100 70 9 6 3 250 100 50 8 3 600 600 800

Mixture Manure:Water 1:1

1:1

1:2

1:3

2:3

2:3 1:3 2:3 1:2 2:3

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Gas Demand
Household burners: 200-450 l/h Industrial burners: 1000-3000 l/h

Refrigerator (100 l): 30-75 l/h Gas lamp, equiv. to 60 W bulb: 120-150 l/h Biogas / diesel engine per horsepower: 420 l/h Generation of 1 kWh electric with mixture of biogas/diesel requires 700 litre / h
Prof. Dr. Uwe Rehling 2008 UNUD
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Gas Supply
The amount of biogas generated each day G [m3 / d], is calculated on the basis of the specific gas yield Gy of the substrate and the daily substrate input Sd. The calculation can be based on: 1.) the weight of the moist mass B G = B Gy(moist mass) [ m3/d = kg m3/(dkg) ] 2.) standard gas-yield values per livestock unit LSU G = number of LSU Gy(species) [ m3/d = number m3/(dnumber) ]
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Example 1
How much cow dung is required to produce about 3 m3 biogas? 1 kg of cow dung produces 40 l of biogas 25 kg dung is required to produce 1 m3 biogas, 3 m3 biogas require 75 kg dung If the dung requirement is supplied by water buffalos (mid size), thus at least 5 water buffalos should be available as one buffalo produces about 15 kg dung per day.

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Example 1
Daily water requirement to dilute dung is about 75 kg or 75 litre (ratio 1:1) Daily feedstock volume is about 150 liter ( 75 litre dung + 75 litre water) The retention time is assumed 50 days, thus the feedstock that required to produce 3 m3 biogas per day is 50 days x 150 litre/day =7,500 litre = 7.5 m3 The digester (without gas container) should be designed to hold about 7.5 to 8 m3 of feedstock.
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Example 2
A rural household with 6 persons requires biogas for: a) Illumination: b) Cooking: c) Water pumping: 2 lamps, 3 hrs per day for 6 persons 2 kW motor, 1 hr per day

The family has 4 cows and 3 goats (mid size)

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Example 2
a) Illumination: 2 lamps x 0.15 m3 x 3 hrs/day = 0.9 m3 / day b) Cooking: 6 persons x 0.25 m3/person.day = 1.5 m3 / day c) Water pumping: = 1.2 m3 / day 0.6 m3 x 2 kW x 1 hr/day

Total demand:
Prof. Dr. Uwe Rehling 2008 UNUD

3.6 m3 / day
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Example 2
Cow dung: 15 kg per cow per day 4 cows x 15 kg/d = 60 kg dung per day Gas yield: 40 l per kg 60 kg cow dung x 40 l/kg = 2400 l = 2.4 m3 biogas Goat manure: 2 kg per goat per day 3 goats x 2 kg/goat per day = 6 kg goat dung / day Gas yield: 50 l per kg 6 kg goat dung x 50 l/kg = 0.3 m3 biogas

Total supply : 2.7 m3 biogas

It is enough for cooking and lighting
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Example 2
Calculation of digester volume 60 kg cow dung + 60 kg water (ratio 1:1) 6 kg goat manure + 9 kg water (ratio 2:3) Total daily input volume: 60 kg dung + 60 kg water 6 kg dung + 9 kg water Total: 66 kg dung + 69 kg water = 135 kg substrate daily

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Example 2
Volume of the digester Assumed retention times: 50 days

VDIGESTER = 50 days x 130 litre/d = 6,500 litre = 6.5 m3

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Function

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Function

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Function

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The End

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