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DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE STUDY OF A MODEL BIOGAS PLANT

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Proceedings of the 3r d BSME-ASME International Conference on Thermal Engineering
20-22 December, 2006, Dhaka, Bangladesh

DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE STUDY OF A MODEL BIOGAS

PLANT
Murari Mohon Roy, Md. Sahed Hasan Khan Tushar, Nirendra Nath Mustafi, Syed Muztuza
Ali and Md. Forhad Ibne Al Imran
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology
P. O. Kazla, Rajshahi-6204, Bangladesh
E-mail: mmroy5767@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT- Bangladesh is a tropical country and its temperature condition is very

suitable for the fermentation of organic materials throughout the year. Therefore, there
is a great prospect of biogas to be used as an alternative source of energy in
Bangladesh. This study investigated biogas production from different fermentable
materials by a small size model biogas plant. A model of batch type fixed dome biogas
plant is desig ned and constructed for producing about 0.5 -1.0 m3 of biogas. The
fermentable materials were selected as cow dung , poultry waste and water hyacinth.
Biogas from cow dung, poultry waste and water hyacinth was analyzed and compared.
It was observed that biogas production from cow dung, poultry waste and water
hyacinth is 0.034 m3/kg, 0.058 m3/kg and 0.014 m3/kg respectively. Poultry waste
produced maximum gas 0.026m3 at the 8th day whereas cow dung and water hyacinth
produced maximum gas 0.0263m3 and 0.012m3 respectively at the 26th day. Percentage
of methane content (the main constituent) in biogas produced from different
fermentable materials is almost the same.

Keywords: Biogas, Alternative Energy, Fermentable Materials, Fixed Dome Biogas Plant.

1. INTRODUCTION

Worldwide energy crisis directed the attention to the alternative sources of energy instead of
underground fossil fuel. Average temperature of Bangladesh ranges from 20 0C to 350C. This
is an ideal tempera ture for the fermentation of organic materials. So biogas is a prospective
alternative source of energy in Bangladesh. Raw materials for biogas fermentation such as
cow dung, poultry waste, water hyacinth, straw, weeds, leaf, human and animal excrement,
domestic rubbish and industrial solid and liquid wastes are easily available in Bangladesh.
Usually efficiency of biogas plant varies with the type of digester, the operating
conditions, and the type of material loaded into the digester. Operating temperature is an
important factor influencing digester efficiency. A digester can operate in three temperature
ranges: (1) the low temperature, psycrophilic bacteria range, which is less than 35ºC; (2) the
medium temperature, mesophilic bacteria range, which is 29 to 40ºC; and (3) the high
temperature, thermophilic bacteria range, which is 50 to 55ºC. Although higher temperature
range produces greater quantities of biogas, an additional source of energy will likely be
required to maintain the digester contents at a constant higher temperature. This study used
the medium temperature range.
A model of batch type fixed dome biogas plant is designed and cons tructed for small
amount of biogas production. Percentage of different constituents in biogas is also analyzed.
In this study biogas production from cow dung, poultry waste and water hyacinth was
investigated. In each case 13.5 kg of raw materials are charged separately in the digester for

1
the production of biogas. This shows that the production rate is highest for poultry waste
when all fermentation conditions are the same.

2. MODEL BIOGAS PLANT

Biogas digester is a device in which the digestion process occurs. The organic feedstock is
fed into the digester and permitted to undergo degradation in a sealed oxygen-free chamber.
Figure 1 shows the digester of this study. It is made of GP sheet. The main parts are: hopper
through which slurry is introduced in the digester, inlet pipe which carries slurry from hopper
to the digester, digester or fermentation chamber, where fermentation processes occurred. It
has two parts: one is upper part used for the storage of biogas known as gas tank, and the
lower part is joined with upper part by nut-bolt arrangement for easy discharging of sludge.
There is a gas pipe for the delivery of the gas from the fermentation chamber. The gas flow is
controlled by a gas valve.

Gas valve

Hopper Gas pipe

Gas tank
Upper part

Slurry
Inlet pipe Fermentation chamber

Nut-bolt joint
Lower part

Fig . 1: Biogas digester

2.1. Design of the Digester

The digestion liquor (waste that is diluted) should be in the range of 5 to 12 percent of total
solids (TS), and most favorable TS value of slurry for fermentation is 8% [1, 2]. A rule of
thumb for diluting cattle waste is 2.5 parts water for every one part of relatively dry waste or
one part water for every one part of fresh manure. The standard value of gas production yield
from cow dung is considered as 0.037 m3/kg [2, 3]. The model plant is primarily designed for
0.5 m3 of total gas production from cow dung. This means that about 13.5 kg of cow dung is
needed. The TS content of cow dung is 17% [2]. Therefore, amount of TS of 13.5 kg of cow
dung is 13.5 × 0.17=2.3 kg. Now amount of slurry (fermentable materials plus water) is found
from the ratio of amount of TS to the TS of slurry. If the fermentation materials entering the
digester are calculated by 8% of TS concentration, the quantity of input mixed materials of
digester is 2.3/0.08=28.75 kg. That means 28.75-13.5=15.25 kg of water is to be added. This
amount of water is consistent to that described in the thumb rule for the dilution of cattle

2
waste. The approximate volume of 28.75 kg slurry is 28.75 liters. Usually maximum volume
of the slurry in the digester is about 80% to that of the total volume of the digester. This gives
the total volume of the digester as 28.75/0.8=35.9 liters. But, this study also used poultry
waste as fermentable material. Therefore, provision is made in the total volume of the
chamber for that also. Considering the poultry waste whose gas production yield is 0.07 m3/kg
and TS is 25% [3, 4], the total volume of the slurry for 13.5 kg becomes about 42 liters. For
slurry volume 80% of total volume, the total volume of the digester becomes about 52 liters.
There is an optimum relation between the diameter D of the digester and the total volume V
as D=1.3078V 1/3, where f1/D=1/5, f 2/D=1/8 and H=D/2.5 [2]. This gives D=0.49 m, H=0.19
m, f1=0.1 m and f2=0.06 m. The chamber dimensions are shown in Fig. 2.

f1=0.1 m

H=0.19 m

f2=0.06 m

D=0.49 m

Fig . 2: Digester dimension

2.2. Experimental Procedure

Figure 3 shows experimental set-up with gas measuring arrangements. There are three
sections. First section (1) is digester with gas pipe and valve. Second (2) and third (3) sections
are gas measuring and pressure measuring sections. Biogas is produced in the digester and
taken to the measuring section through gas pipe and valve. Gas measuring section needs a
little bit clarification. Gas was collected by water displacement method. This arrangement
consists of a larger pot made of GP sheet and a smaller pot of very low weight made of
plastic. Two pipes were inserted from the bottom of the larger pot. One is from digester and
the other from the manometer. The smaller pot was placed over these two pipes inside the
larger pot up side down. Water was poured into the larger pot until water was reached the top
of the pipe. When water level touches the bottom of the smaller pot, the air inside the smaller
pot was removed through the pipe with which the manometer was connected. The gas
pressure is measured by a U-tube water manometer.
Before the production of gases, the volume of gas storage chamber and gas pipe lines are
occupied by air. When gas is produced in the digester it pushes the air into the smaller pot of
the gas measuring arrangement and the pot is uplifted. Initially this air is taken outside the pot
and after sometime biogas was colle cted and measured. The volume of the gas was measured
by the formula V=pr2h (r is the radius of the cylindrical pot and h is the height of the pot from
the water surface). Throughout the experiment the maximum gas pressure recorded by the
manometer was only about 4 cm of water which is only 0.48% of the atmospheric pressure.
For this reason the effect of pressure was neglected in the volume calculation.

3. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

3.1. Cow Dung as Fermentable Material

Figure 4 shows the gas production from cow dung. The average temperature of the digester

3
 was about 33.5ºC. It shows that the hydraulic retention time for cow dung is 40 days and gas
production starts at the 5th day. Maximum gas is produced at the 26th day which is 0.0263 m3.
Figure 5 shows the gas production in volume percent in four slots of hydraulic retention
time. In first slot from 0-10 days about 10% gas is produced. From 11-20 days gas production
increases to about 35%. In the third slot from 21-30 days the maximum gas is produced which
is about 46%. Finally, from 31-40 days gas production reduces to about 9% and gas
production ceases after the 40th day.

(3)
Scale

Smaller pot
(2)
Larger pot

(1)

U-tube
manometer

Fig. 3: Experimental set-up with gas measuring arrangement

0.03
Gas production (vol. %)
Gas production (m3)

50 46.03
0.025
40 34.29
0.02
30
0.015
0.01 20
10.41 9.27
0.005 10
0 0
0 10 20 30 40 0-10 11-20 21-30 31-40
Time (days) Time (days)
Fig. 4: Gas production from cow dung Fig. 5: Gas production from cow dung
in different time slots

Figure 6 shows the main components of the biogas produced from cow dung. The main
components are methane and carbon dioxide. Their amounts in biogas are 75.9% and 20.5%
respectively. There are trace amounts of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen and hydrogen sulphide.

3.2. Poultry Waste as Fermentable Material

Figure 7 shows the gas production from poultry waste. The average digester temperature was

4
about 30ºC. It shows that the hydraulic retention time for poultry waste is about 54 days and
gas production starts at the 1st day. Maximum gas is produced at the 8th day which is 0.026
m3.
80 75.9 0.03
Constituents (vol. %)

Gas production (m3)

60 0.025
0.02
40 0.015
20.5
0.01
20
2 1 0.5 0.1 0.005
0 0
CH4 CO2 N2 H2 O2 H2S 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Components Time (days)

Fig. 6: Components of biogas from cow dung Fig . 7: Gas production from poultry waste

Figure 8 shows the gas production from poultry waste in four slots of hydraulic retention
time. In first slot from 0-10 days maximum amount of gas about 25% is produced. From 11-
20 days gas production decreases to about 22%. In the third slot from 21-30 days the gas
production is about 18%. From 31-40 days gas production increases slightly to about 21%.
From 41-50 days gas production decreases to about 12%. Finally, from 51-54 days gas
production reduces to about 1.8% and gas production almost ceases after the 54th day.

3.3. Water Hyacinth as Fermentable Material

Figure 9 shows the gas production from water hyacinth. The average digester temperature was
about 32ºC. It shows that the hydraulic retention time for water hyacinth is about 36 days and
gas production starts at the 4th day. Maximum gas is produced at the 26th and 27th daywhich is
0.012 m3.
0.012
Gas production (vol. %)

Gas production (m3)

30 25.34
22.13 0.01
25 21.08
17.67 0.008
20
11.96 0.006
15
0.004
10
5 1.82 0.002
0 0
0-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-54 0 10 20 30 40
Time (days) Time (days)

Fig. 8: Gas production from poultry waste Fig. 9: Gas production from water
in different time slots hyacinth

Figure 10 shows the gas production from water hyacinth in four slots of hydraulic
retention time. In first slot from 0-10 days about 12% gas is produced. From 11-20 days gas
production increases to about 27%. In the third slot from 21-30 days the maximum gas is
produced which is about 46%. Finally, from 31-36 days gas production reduces to about 13%
and gas production almost ceases after the 36th day. Constituents of biogas from water
hyacinth were found very similar to that from cow dung (Fig. not shown here).

5
 3.4. Comparison of Results
Figure 11 shows the total gas production from different fermentable materials. The average
digester temperature for different fermentable materials is a little bit different, although
constant digester temperature is desirable for proper comparison. This is due to the seasonal
changes during the investigation procedure. It shows that the total gas production from 13.5
kg of cow dung is 0.46 m3. This means that 0.034 m3 /kg of biogas is produced from cow
dung. The total gas production from poultry waste is almost twice (0.79 m3) to that of cow
dung. This gives 0.058 m3/kg of biogas production from poultry waste. And total gas
production from water hyacinth is 0.19 m3 which is equivalent to 0.014 m3/kg. This means
that less amount of poultry waste is needed for the same amount of biogas production in
comparison to cow dung and water hyacinth.

Total gas production (m3)

Gas production (vol. %)

60 1
0.79
50 45.52 0.8
40 0.6
28.79 0.46
30
0.4
20 11.74 13.95 0.19
10 0.2
0 0
0-10 11-20 21-30 31-36 Cow dung Poultry Water
Time (days) waste hyacinth

Fig. 10: Gas production from water hyacinth Fig . 11: Total gas production from
in different time slots different fermentable materials

4. CONCLUSIONS

The following conclusions can be made from the investigation.

1) Biogas production from cow dung is 0.034 m3/kg and maximum gas is produced at
the 26th day. The methane content of biogas produced from cow dung is about 76%.
2) Biogas production from poultry waste is 0.058 m3/kg and maximum gas is produced
at the 8th day. Maximum gas from poultry waste is produced in the first slot (from 0-
10 days) and it is more than 25% of total gas production.
3) Biogas production from water hyacinth is 0.014 m3/kg and maximum gas is produced
at the 26th and 27th day. The methane content of biogas produced from water hyacinth
is very similar to that from cow dung.

REFERENCES
[1] Mattocks, R., Understanding Biogas Generation. Arlington, Virginia, VITA, 1984.
[2] Ali, S. M. , and Imran, M. F. I. A., Design and construction of a Model of a Biogas
Plant, B. Sc. Engineering Thesis, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rajshahi
University of Engineering & Technology, August, 2004.
[3] Rahman, M. H., Mottalib , M. A., and Bhuyian, M. H., A Study on Biogas
Technology in Bangladesh, 22nd WEDC Conference, New Delhi, 1996.
[4] Targanides, P., Anaerobic Digestio n of Poultry Waste, World Poultry Science
Journal 19 (1962), pp. 252-61.

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