Digester Terminology, Abbreviations and Units

Terminology
acidogenic acid producing ambient - outside air temperature anaerobic in the absence of oxygen microbes breakdown organic material (i.e.animal manure) anaerobic bacteria microbes whose metabolisms require the absence of oxygen to survive anaerobic digestion the breakdown of animal manure (organic material) in the absence of oxygen, (methane producing bacteria are most active in two temperature ranges, 95 to 105 F and 130 to 135 F biogas the gas produced from decomposition of livestock manure in an anaerobic digester consisting of 60-80 percent methane, 30-40 percent carbon dioxide, and other trace gases such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and hydrogen complete mix digester - a tank designed above or below ground as part of a manure management system to handle manure containing 2 to 10 percent solids. The digester is heated and mixed mechanically or with gas-mixing systems to keep the solids suspended. This maximizes biological activity for destruction of volatile solids, methane production and odor reduction. covered lagoon digester an anaerobic lagoon is commonly used when manure has less than 2 percent solids. Decomposition of the manure occurs, methane is produced and effluent odor is reduced. The lagoon is covered with a gas-tight cover to capture the biogas. digester a sealed container or tank, where the biological digestion can occur of animal manure and biogas formed effluent organic liquid and solid material (slurry) leaving a digester feedstock liquid and solid material fed to the digester, usually manure, also known as influent fixed film digester a tank designed as part of a manure management system to handle manure up to 3 percent solids. The digester is temperature controlled and a media is placed inside the digester. This design allows the microbial populations to attach to the media and grow as a biofilm (fixed film), thus preventing the microbes from being removed with the effluent. hydraulic retention time (HRT) the average length of time the liquid influent remains in the digester for treatment influent liquid and solid material fed to the digester, usually manure induction generator this type of generator operates in parallel with the utility for its phase, frequency and voltage and cannot operate in isolation (stand alone), in other words it cannot operate without the power company. loading rate the total amount of solids and liquids fed to the digester daily

manure consists of animal urine and feces, wasted feed and bedding collected to put into the digester as influent mesophilic the temperature range of 95 to 105 F in which methanogenic microbes thrive methane a combustible gas produced by anaerobic digestion, also the principal component of natural gas methanogenic methane producing microbes microturbine a small-scale gas turbine generation system to combust gas and generate electricity net metering an agreement with the utility company to purchase the electricity produced by the digester system at a rate equal to the farm electricity purchase rate psychrophilic less than 68F plug-flow digester a tank designed for a manure management system which handles manure containing 11-14 percent solids. The digester is given daily influent plugs that flow-through the digester. The digester is heated. This helps with the destruction of volatile solids, methane production and odor reduction. settled solids the separated manure solids which settle to the bottom of the digester slurry the mixture of manure and water processed in the digester synchronous generator this type of generator can operate in parallel with the utility or operate in isolation from the power company (stand alone). This generator does not need the utility voltage to create electricity; the machine is self excited. Generally more expensive utility breaker controls are required. temperature-phased anaerobic digester (TPAD) two tanks designed as part of a manure management system. The digesters are heated, the first digester in the thermophilic temperature range and the second digester in the mesophilic temperature range. This will maximize biological activity for the destruction of volatile solids, methane production and odor reduction. thermophilic temperature range of 125 to 135 F where certain methanogenic bacteria are most active, the greatest pathogen destruction occurs in this temperature range volatile acids these are produced in the digester by acid-forming bacteria and then used by the methaneforming bacteria to produce methane volatile solids the organic matter in manure which can be converted to gas volatile solids loading rate the total amount of volatile solids fed to the digester daily (note: volatile solids are what the microbes use to make methane gas)

Abbreviations

AD Anaerobic Digester ASBR Anaerobic Sequencing Batch Reactor (a suspended growth reactor treating waste in four distinct phases over a 12 hour cycle, including digester feeding, digester mixing and gas production, biomass and solids settling, and liquid effluent discharge) HRT Hydraulic Retention Time TPAD Temperature-phased Anaerobic Digester RAS Return Activated Sludge SRT Solids Retention Time

Units
AU Animal unit Btu British thermal units (a unit of energy defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water 1 F) cfd (ft3/day) cubic feet per day gpd gallons per day kW kilowatt kWh kilowatt hours

Links for biogas

http://www.biogas.psu.edu/ http://www.fao.org/sd/EGdirect/EGre0022.htm http://www.renewable-energy-concepts.com/biomass-bioenergy/anaerobic-methanedigester.html http://cdm.unfccc.int/filestorage/U/I/P/UIP6VBSW0P75ILFDZQWBPVZ6TUNQ1L/GCM %2020%20Biogas%20Calculations.pdf?t=ekJ8MTMxMTgzMjgyMy4w| ll7NViKAShWZi6X_37YNpZfaF8A= http://www.lth.se/fileadmin/energiportalen/Filer/Om_Energiportalen/Invigning/Posters/Energy_an alysis_of_biogas_production_Maria_Berglund_P_l_B_rjesson.pdf http://wn.com/model_of_a_biogas_plant__part_I

Biogas Production
Biogas production using anaerobic (oxygen free) digestion is a biological treatment process to reduce odor, produce energy and improve the storage and handling characteristics of manure. A biogas production system must be specially designed and requires regular attention by someone familiar with the needs and operation of the digester.

Questions
What makes a well designed Digester ?

What are the attentions and care needed to operate Digester ? What are the appropriate environmental temperature conditions ? Guide for environmental responsible manure storage and handling system How much of waste is required to generate electricity to meet all the power needs to run a house? What are the safety measures and regulation needed to operate Digester ?

Safty Note
Biogas production systems have many hazardous components and characteristics. No design or project is complete without a safety plan. Biogas is lighter than air and can accumulate under roofs and ceilings and create a fire or explosion hazard. Pumps and other machinery may present entanglement hazards from rotating shafts, pinch points and other moving parts. Digester vessels, liquid manure tanks and pump sumps are confined spaces that may be immediately hazardous to life and should only be entered using approperiate procedures and equipment. Biogas from any size or type of digester is flammable, explosive and corrosive. Ladders and platforms more than eight feet high require railings, cages or fall protection and should provide for exclusion of children and curious visitors. Biogas and manure liquids will result in rapid corrosion and deterioration of various components, wiring systems and piping in and around digester systems. Manure and other decomposing organic matter can produce hydrogen sulfide, a deadly gas that settles to the bottom of pits, sumps and tanks. Exclude small children and unaware visitors from covered lagoon digesters and open manure storages by installing tight fences and signs. Project Introduction: - Read and edit My Project Reuse, Reduse and Recycle talks about biogas. One of the burning issues around the world is "Where should we dump our daily waste?" What we do is, we collect all the waste around our house and through it in dustbins. We never think about what will happen in future If this thing continues.One day will come when we will have no place to live because of garbage. The daily garbage which we throw in dustbins can be used to produce biogas. After producing biogas the leftover can be utilized as a fertilizer. This is one of the way how biogas can help us to make our environment more better. So my project concentrates on making a biogas plant and after making a biogas plant spread awareness about biogas. For spreading awareness i created posters and manual which will help other to understand how to make a biogas plant? Uses of biogas plant? and Why use Biogas? For downloading The manual then Go to Making Biogas Plant. "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, i.e. from the decomposition of biomass. The remainder is of fossil origin (e.g. petrochemical processes). In the northern hemisphere, the present tropospheric methane concentration amounts to about 1.65 ppm(parts per million)."- By Green Power India. So if we start using biogas then there will be less emition of methane. After burning biogas, it goes under complete combustion and forms neutral carbon dioxide at the end. Therefore biogas helps us in improving environment but at the same time it helps us to gain energy from organic matter. Biogas can be used to cook food or bioling house at domastic use.

So using biogas is the best option which doesnot harm nature and helps us to generate energy at home using waste material(Organic Material like rotten vegetables, Fruits,etc). What is biogas? Biogas is also called deep green gas. Biogas is a byproduct of the decomposition of organic matter by anaerobic bacteria. Biogas is a clean and renewable energy that may be substituted to natural gas to cook, to produce vapor, hot water or to generate electricity. Biogas is the gas that is the product of the digestion of organic materials under anaerobic conditions. Substrates such as manure, sewage sludge, municipal solid waste, biodegradable wastes or feedstock are transformed into methane and carbon dioxide. What is composition of Biogas? Biogas is typically composed of 60% methane and 40% CO2. It is similar to natural gas which is composed of 99% methane. Methane is a gas chemically CH4. It is colourless, odourless and, of course, flammable. Methane is widely used as the main constituent of mains natural gas. Where is biogas produced? Biogas is normally produced in nature by the anaerobic degradation of organic waste in soil, marshes, ocean, etc. Biogas is also produced in landfills where organic food waste degrades in anaerobic conditions. Biogas can be produced in anaerobic digesters. These are equipment (tanks) providing full control of the process and ensuring full biogas recovery. Organic waste is put into a sealed tank called a digester (or bioreactor) where it is heated and agitated. In the absence of oxygen anaerobic bacteria consume the organic matter to multiply and produce biogas. What type of waste produces biogas? Any organic waste has the ability to produce biogas: human excreta, manure, animal slurry, fruit and vegetable waste, slaughterhouse waste, meat packing waste, dairy factory waste, brewery and distillery waste, etc. Fiber rich wastes like wood, leaves, etc. make poor feedstocks for digesters as they are difficult to digest.

What Type of Waste Produces Biogas?

Any organic waste can produce biogas Human, manure, fruit and vegetable waste

What Type of Waste Does NOT Produces Biogas?

Fiber rich waste such as wood, leaves, etc. are difficult to digest Heavy metals Inorganic materials in high concentration (Nitrate, Sodium, Sulphate, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, etc) Is biogas safe? Biogas is not poisonous. The only danger is from explosion if it is mixed with air and lit by fire. However, it only explodes if mixed with air or oxygen with a lighted match or fire very close by. What are the input for Biogas production? Any organic waste is input for production of Biogas. what are the output in production of Biogas? In production of Biogas, manure and Biogas are the outputs.Manure is used as healthy urea for plantings.

Advantages
Generation of a renewable energy No electrical energy required Saving of natural resources (e.g. wood)

Contributing to reducing the emission of gases that contribute to global warming Saving of other resources (e.g. electricity, gas), After drying or dewatering (e.g. in sludge drying beds) the digested sludge can be composted and used for agricultural land application Simple and didactic process design Reduces workload in collecting pollution firewood and in cooking, Reduces indoor air biogas is quicker and

Deforestation and soil erosion can be reduced, Cooking on easier than cooking with firewood

It can be used for riping fruits like mangos. Before we are using calcium carbide for riping fruits It causes so much health problems. So by using methane gas for riping is good for health.

Disadvantages
Biogas lamps have lower efficiency compared to using kerosene Gas production below 15C is no Digested sludge and effluent still longer economically feasible requires further treatment

The biogas digester requires expert design and skilled construction and involves high construction material costs