High performance Biogas Plants for Organics Waste Diversion

Wild uctuations in prices for agricultural products and mushrooming prices for energy can greatly inuence the economics of biogas plants. Long term reliable protability calculations are becoming increasingly difcult. Generally speaking, however, rising energy prices have a positive effect on the economics of well designed biogas projects. By selecting low cost feedstock, the protability of biogas plants can be assured in the long run.

Biogas plants use anaerobic digestion, a process similar to that of a cow. The process starts with the crushing of the substrate. These substrates are inexpensive and normally discarded or composted. EISENMANN biogas plants reliably digest ber rich organic waste and are well suited for installation in front of an existing composting facility. The additional income from energy production and the reduction of odorous emissions are an important advantage for the operation of a composting plant.

Energy from Biomass

Generating energy from manure, industrial byproducts and energy-yielding crops is a worthwhile, environmentally benecial investment for many farmers, waste management companies and municipalities. Given increasingly higher levels of government support for clean Renewable Energy, the Return On Investment from your biogas plant is now better than ever.

Substrate Crushing
Saliva Belly Substrate Input

Hydrolysis Stage 1: Dissolving easy decomposable substances

Hydrolysis Stage 2: Dissolving difcult decomposable substances

Methane Stage: Conversion to biogas substances Fermented Substrate

Thin-Thick Gut Fourth Stomach

Leaves Stomach

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Process Technology
Chopped and sifted organics waste is stored in a walking oor feed system. A screw conveyor delivers the feedstock to the digester. Inside, the substrate is mixed continuously by a slow moving horizontal agitator. The substrate is digested and the solids are converted to biogas. The efuent is pumped through a screw process that separates the liquid and the solid phases. The nutrient rich liquid efuent can be spread on elds as fertilizer. The solids can be composted or spread on the elds as well. The energy of the biogas is converted to electricity and heat by a Combined Heat and Power gas engine. Its also possible to upgrade the biogas to pipeline quality for use by external consumers.

Main Digester
The rst fermentation stage in the EISENMANN process is a heat insulated round steel reactor that includes a horizontal mixer shaft, sand and suspended layer discharge as well as a gas dome. Solid substrates are introduced into the digester via a separate inlet, while the liquid substrates are delivered by a pump. In the main digester, these substrates are fermented at a constant temperature between 30 - 55C (86 - 131F). This stage usually produces between 60% and 70% of the total gas yield. The main digester is pre-assembled prior to delivery. The compact design ensures a short construction period. Both digesters can be dismantled and recommissioned elsewhere. Advantages of the horizontal steel digester include: Continuous mixing prevents the substrates from settling or oating on the surface Sand and gravel collect at the bottom and are easily discharged from the digester Wall heating maximizes the area available for heat transfer and ensures a uniform temperature distribution

Concept
EISENMANN offers standardized biogas plants for an annual organics waste throughput of 3,600 to 12,000 Tons Per Year (TPY) . This throughput equates to a biogas production rate of 55 m3/h to 160 m3/h or an electric output capacity of 120 kW to 360 kW. Higher capacities can be achieved by operating several plants in parallel. By adding industrial organics waste or renewable materials, it is possible to increase the capacity of the plants signicantly. Furthermore, variation in feedstock availability, quality and quantity can be balanced.

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Thermal Disintegration
Following fermentation in the main digester, the substrate proceeds to the patented thermal disintegration process. The performance advantages of this patented process have been validated through rigorous scientic testing. The substrate is heated to a temperature of at least 158C (70C). Substances that do not degrade easily continue to ferment with shorter residence times. The process developed by EISENMANN makes operation of the biogas plant more economical and efcient, resulting in very low operating costs and increased gas yield.
Walkway with integrated pipe system Main digester with agitator

Case Study: Biopower Nordwestschweiz

In Ormalingen, Switzerland, the Biopower-Anlage facility is an excellent example of an advanced high solids green waste Anaerobic Digestion system meeting their material handling and pretreatment challenges with a compact design and highly efcient use of both electric and thermal energy for approximately 85% energy recovery and use. Switzerland currently has high tipping fees (147 Swiss Francs CHF/tonne) for green waste at their landlls. Organic and non-inert materials are no longer allowed to be land lled and food waste can no longer be fed to animals so a new solution had to be found. A high electric feed-in tariff (0.19 Swiss Francs CHF/kWh el) also contributed to the need for a biogas system. The plant processes the following streams to generate biogas:

Cow and Chicken Manure Yard Waste Food Production Waste (pasta, pastry)
Post digester with gas storage and biological desulphurization CGU in container with pilot injection diesel or gas motor

Substrate input with spiral conveyor system

Biopower-Anlage also processes straw packed manure from horses, sterilized food waste, grease trap materials, dairy waste and grain dust. The EISENMANN BIOGAS system with a plug ow digester provided a exible feed system so a variety of materials in various quantities and textures could be processed. Very limited space required a compact design. The system was located near the wood waste red heating plant so the waste heat generated from the BIOGAS system could be fed back into the hot-water grid. General Overview

Post Digester
From the thermal disintegration stage, the substrate passes to an additional digester for continued fermentation. The remaining methane gas produced in the process is buffer-stored under the gas-tight double membrane roof and withdrawn by the consumer as required. An upright mixing tank is used as the post digester. Biological desulphurization is used to increase the quality of the biogas.

Overall Investment: 3,500,000 Swiss Francs Input Processing Capacity: 6,000 Tons Per Year (TPY) Manpower: 1/2 man per year for operation Fertilizer Solid Output: 5,500 TPY Results: 1,100,000 m3/year of biogas produced which is the
equivalent to 4,200,000 kWh/year of energy produced. (= 100%) * 620,000 kWh/year to run anaerobic digester (= 15%) * 3,600,000 kWh/year net energy produced to sell or use ( = 85%)

Biogas plants made by EISENMANN

With more than 60 years of plant engineering experience and as an international systems supplier for process, thermoprocess and environmental engineering, EISENMANN is your partner for complete turnkey biogas plants. In addition to standard biogas plants, EISENMANN also builds plants individually tailored to your specic needs. We build biogas plants for energy-yielding crops and liquid manure, as well as for by-products from food production or waste disposal. We can provide a system that is optimized for the highest level of efciency for your particular application.

For example, 3,600,000 kWh/year of energy can supply electricity to 450 houses and heat 130 houses per year. Biopower-Anlage has sent the electricity to the grid and sold the waste heat generated.

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