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Thermochemical Conversion:
Basically this involves dry processes to convert biomass into
thermal energy. The methods used for conversion are pyrolysis,
liquefaction, gasification and hydrogenation.
Biochemical Conversion:
These are basically wet processes, involving either anaerobic
digestion or fermentation.
Anaerobic digestion involves the microbial digestion of the biomass,
while fermentation involves the breakdown of complex molecules
of organic compounds.
Thermochemical Process
Pyrolysis:
Gasification
Combustion
Liquefaction
Steam Gasification
Hydrogenation
Biochemical Conversion
Wet Method : These include biological methods of producing energy. Anaerobic digestion
and fermentation are two such processes.
Anaerobic Digestion:
Anaerobic digestion is the microbial digestion of biomass in the absence of oxygen.
An Anaerobic is a micro-organism that lives and grows without oxygen.
The process takes place in the temperature range of 35 to 65°C, and about 80% moisture
is essential for the reaction to take place.
The reaction releases mainly CO2 and CH2 (methane) with negligible impurities.
Green plants, animal dung, sewage sludge, wood shavings, straw, etc., under go
anaerobic digestion.
Fermentation:
Fermentation is the process of breaking down of complex molecules in the organic
compound in the presence of a ferment like yeast, bacteria, enzymes, etc.
Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is produced by the fermentation.
Generally, the fibrous residues from plant crops (like crushed sugar cane, fruits, etc) are
widely used.
Cellulose material like wood, paper waste, straw, can also be subjected to fermentation.
By they required a pre-treatment with hot acid.
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
For Cellulose,
(C6H10O5)n + nH2O -------> 3n CO2 + 3nCH4
Cont…
Continuous types
Single stage
Double Stage
2. Batch type
3.The dome type or the drum types
Floating gas holder (Floating Drum) or KVIC Model or Indian
design digester.
Fixed dome type or Chinese model or Janatha model.
Advantages:
It has less scum trouble.
No separate pressure equalizing devices are required,
In it the danger-of mixing oxygen with the gas to form an explosive
mixture is minimized.
Higher gas production per m3 of the digester volume is achieved.
No problem of gas leakage.
Constant gas pressure.
Disadvantage:
It has higher cost, as cost is dependent steel and cement.
It has poor insulation against heat and hence it troubles in colder
regions and periods..
Gas holder requires painting once or twice in a year.
The overall maintenance cost of the plant is more compared to
fixed dome type.
Fixed dome type [ Chinese digester or Janata Model Biogas
Digester or Common Circular Fixed Dome Digester ],1, 2, 3
Advantages and Disadvantages of Fixed Dome Digester
Advantages:
It has low cost compared to floating drum type.
It has no corrosion problem.
The plant is well insulated against the heat and hence
constant temperature can be maintained,
Almost all bio mass can be fed.
No maintenance.
Disadvantages:
This plant construction requires skilled masons.
Gas production per cum of the digester volume is less.
Scum formation is problem no stirring arrangement.
It has variable gas pressure.
Deenbandhu biogas plant
Methods for Continuous Biogas Production ( or
Methods for maintaining Biogas Production):
Temperature:
The temperature range from 35 °C to 40 °C results in better
methane formation.
The gas generation starts decreasing at 20 °C and ceases
completely at 10 °C.
Total solid content of feed material:
Around 80 to 82 % of moisture is present in raw cow dung and
remaining 18 - 20 % is called total solids.
Factors affecting biogas generation:( or Factors
influencing biogas yield):-
Loading rate:
The amount of raw material supplied to the fermentation tank
(digester) per day per unit volume is known as loading rate.
For municipal sewage treatment plants, the loading rate ranges from
1.2 to 5.3 kg/m3/day
High loading rate, results in the formation of acids and thus
fermentation stops.
Seeding:
Seeding is nothing but the increase in number of methane formers by
artificial means.
Uniform feeding:
In order to provide good fermentation in the digester, a control over
quality and quantity of raw material supplied to the digester is
essential.
Factors affecting biogas generation:( or Factors
influencing biogas yield):-