Project BIOGAS

Sub group members

M. Abdullah
Aemun Khalid
Arhum Hassan
Moaz Abbas
Contents of Presentation
Motivation for the project
Introduction
Properties of Biogas and Its potential
Benefits of Biogas technology
Selection of best production process
Factors affecting efficiency
Objective and work plan
Experiments, proposals and their potential benefits
Business opportunities
Further optimization through integration

Motivation for Biogas Project
Public health Hazards
Typhoid, Malaria, Cholera
Breeding of flies, mosquitos, rats and other disease
bearing insects
Deforestation for Wood-fuel which leads to soil
erosion
Introduction
This project is to convert harmful waste
materials into useful energy source to get
multiple benefits.

Business opportunity
Social Service
To Play a constructive role
in Energy crises
Properties of Biogas and Its Potential
1 kg Biogas = 5.2(approx) kWh of energy

Properties of Biogas and Its Potential
Composition depends upon feed material
20% lighter than air
Ignition temperature range=650-750
o
C
Burns with blue flame similar to LPG
Calorific value= 20 MJ/m
3

Burns with 60% efficiency on a conventional
stove
Benefits of Biogas Technology
Cost effective and eco-friendly

Slurry (the best alternative of chemical
fertilizers)

No geographical limitations

No sophisticated technology required

Selection of Best Production Method
We discarded some alternative processes due to
following reasons:

Economics of Scale
Requirement of sophisticated technology
Lesser efficiency

The Process of our choice is
Wet Anaerobic Digestion
Why Anaerobic Digestion
High yield

Easier to homogenize the waste in wet
condition to obtain a consistent yield

More methane yield and nitrogen rich
compost (slurry).
Factors Affecting Efficiency
Feedstock characteristics
Design of reactor
Operation conditions (36 degree optimum)
Moisture content
Volatile solids
Particle size
Biodegradability
Objective and Work Plan
Objective of this project is to explore the
factors through which efficiency can be
enhanced, to carry out feasibility study and to
discover business opportunities related to this
project
Work Plan
To check the workability of Biogas plant on
smaller scale
To carry out experiments to verify the effect of
different constraints
To optimize the process
To use Economics of scale to design the smallest
possible commercial plant that is profitable
To explore the growth potential in this business
Experiment 1
We took a polymer semi-transparent white bottle
Attached inlet pipe for waste
Outlet pipe for Gas output
Painted it black so that light passage becomes as
low as possible
Filled with feedstock (water + cow dung)
Waiting for fermentation and detectable gas
output
Pictures of Experiment 1
Problems Faced
The process is extremely slow

The time projected for complete fermentation
is almost 5 weeks

The same assembly has already been used in
some rural areas and not appreciated due to
inefficiency, high initial cost and limitations


Possible Reasons and Solutions proposed
The feedstock we used (cow dung) has very
low calorific values

We can achieve better results if light blockage
was better

pH decreases during the process due to
volatile fatty acids
Solutions
Use of feedstock with starchy or sugary
content. This includes kitchen waste, rotten
fruits, green leaves and other wastes
containing fats and lipids.

painting green color instead of black.

The pH can be controlled by using alkaline
additives. (NaOH)

Potential benefits of purposed changings
faster generation of methanogens bacteria.
Same amount of gas is produced by 95%
lesser amount of waste.
The fermentation reaction completes in 24-30
hours that would have taken 5 weeks in case
of cow dung
These factors increase the efficiency up to
roughly 800%.
Potential benefits of purposed changings
Size reduction

Due to smaller size and nature of waste input,
the urban areas where availability of cow
dung and space is an issue can also take
benefit of this technology
Business Opportunities
What business is all about?
We are here to serve people, to provide them
solutions, and to gain trust. Money is just a
by-product

But we can create a win-win situation. Where
people get the solution and we get the by-
product. How will we do it? The answer is in
upcoming slides
Problem Analysis
Loop holes leading to business opportunities.

Energy crises and gas/electricity load shedding

People need a solution, a way out, a shortcut,
an escape from this problem.
How Can We Help
Independent Power Producing
Company (IPP)
Operational Steps
Biogas Production
(gas condensation and purification)
Bio-methane production
(can be injected into gas grid or fed to
vehicles)
Electricity and heat generation by CHP