The North Auburn Fisheries unit, located in Auburn,

Alabama harvests Nile Tilapia year round. The tilapia

grow to maturity in two adjacent tanks located inside
of a greenhouse to. The winter months make it
difficult to keep the water warm for healthy growth
conditions. Monetary constraints posed by traditional
heating methods creates the need to develop a
sustainable heating system that utilies the fish
waste at hand.
!eat tank water from ""#$ to "%#$ through anaerobic
digestion and collection of generated methane.
Alter agriculture digestion systems for an
a&uaculture system.
'esign a completely nature powered and cost
effective system to demonstrate the potential in
green energy.
!eat tilapia sludge from ""(to )%($ during the
winter months.
*un in batch mode for about + hour.
Two solar stills at a time heat the sludge for one
digester.
The solar stills will be filled ) times a day with ",
gallons of sludge.
Top of solar still can open to allow user to push
leftover sludge into outlet.
Methane a&uaculture system consists of-
, solar stills
% fi.ed film anaerobic digesters
*ain water capture barrels
Methane burner for heating
This increases the revenue potential of tilapia by
facilitating increased tilapia growth and
decreasing the use of electrical heating. The
system also creates an opportunity to educate
future generations on the potential of sustainable
energy.
Dr. Jesse Chappell, Dr. Mark Dougherty, and Dr. Oladiran Fasina.
\
METHANE PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION FROM TILAPIA EFFLUENT
Annie Gallagher, Steven Major, Bobbi Steenbergen Williams
Biosystems Engineering Department, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
DESIGN GOALS
SUMMARY
LOCATION MAP
PROPOSED DESIGN
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SOLAR STILL DESIGN
COST ESTIMATE
DIGESTER DESIGN
%% /allon, +%( conical bottom tank with removable lid and stand.
'enim insulation, and black tarp to keep digester temperature
between )"(and )%($.
Fi.ed film of te.tured plastic electrical conduit pipe to increase
contact between bacteria and total solids.
'igesters run in batch mode, with a hydraulic retention time 0!*T1
of + day, and a solid retention time 02*T1 of +3 days.
2lurry runs through system in updraft mode.
2ystem of % digesters produces +4 cubic meters of Methane a day.
Figure 3: Sketch up rendering of Fixed Fil !naero"ic Digester.
+. 5.isting Features
*ainwater
$apture
". 2olar 2tills
). Fi.ed Film Anaerobic 'igesters
,. 'igestate $ollection
+. 5.isting Features- 6aste water with "7 solids flows from the Tilapia tanks to clarification basin.
". 2olar 2tills- Thickened sludge 0%7 solids1 from the hydrostatic valve are gravity fed into the solar still. The
sludge is heated from ""(to )%($.
). Fi.ed Film Anaerobic 'igesters- Fed every ", hours with ,8 gallons of sludge from the solar stills.
,. 'igestate $ollection- 'igestate from fi.ed film digesters is collected in a trough to be used as fertilier.
Figure #: Sketch$p %endering of Methane &roduction Syste
Component Costs Savin
gs
Solar stills '() * #+(.3, --
!naero"ic digesters '+) * #.,.(./, --
&up and piping
'#0 &1C Sch. (,)
* +.#./. --
2eating sa3ings -- * ##3.3.
4ncreased fished production profit -- * #.35.,,
*evenue 9 "+:.83
6a"le /: !nnual cash flo7 for the syste. 6akes into account the onths
that re8uire heating 'Dece"er-Fe"ruary).
Figure /: 6ilapia greenhouse located 7ithin the 9.:. Shell ;orth !u"urn
Fisheries $nit.