What is Biogas?
Every nation and community should be looking for
alternatives to turn around the energy crisis, and biogas might just be the
answer to the ongoing fuel shortages.
Biogas has many popular uses and can be cheaply produced and provided to communities
that are without fuel.
Biogas is a gas which is produced through the process of
fermentation (the break down) of organic matter. Organic matter can consist of
sewage, municipal waste, manure and any other type of biodegradable feedstock.
Biogas mostly consists of methane and carbon dioxide. As the biogas can be
produced through the fermentation of organic matter, it is a renewable resource
that can be created again and again as needed. The name of the gas will change
depending on where the gas will be produced. Biogas can also be known as
digester gas, landfill gas, swamp gas or marsh gas. The great thing about
biogas is that it can be used to create fuel for vehicles or to even generate
electricity. Biogas is also commonly used as a fuel for heating, lighting, and
cooking.
How biogas is made
Biogas, as already mentioned, is the result of fermentation
of organic matter. In order for the process to be successful it has to be completed
at a temperature of around 38 – 55 degrees Celsius. Roughly half of the gas
produced is going to be carbon dioxide while the other half will be methane.
When the heat is used in conjunction with the facilities
that a power plant can provide, the methane gas can be transformed into power
and heat which can in turn be delivered into homes and businesses. Because biogas
is created from natural matter, the gas is 100% environmentally friendly and
the carbon dioxide can be absorbed into the plants during photosynthesis.
Manure and food waste generate the most amounts of gas, and as
these products are in an almost never ending supply, the production of biogas
will be almost never ending.
The biogas creation
process and machinery important to the process
A slurry tank will serve as an interim storage container for
the liquid fertilizer. When the organic matter breaks down in the heat, and
broken down by the processes that are involved with the creation of the biogas,
the matter can become liquefied. Slurry tanks are ideal as any heavy products
that are within the organic matter that is to be broken down can now settle at
the bottom of the tank. The tank will need to have around 2 to 3 days’ worth of
manure. The slurry is then mixed together and any floating layers are then
mixed away.
The biofeeder can then come into play, depending on the
first phase of the biomass and the material is then passed through the screw
system. The biofeeder has an open container and it can transport the material
using a walking floor. The material will then pass through milling drums.
The fermenter is the next part of the process and it is the
part of the process that is at the heart of the plant. It is at this part of
process that the actual conversion of the matter takes place and it is
converted into the biogas. Using a number of techniques as well as
microorganisms, the final conversion to extract the methane gas that is so
important to biogas, will be completed. The full process will take place in one
container while the temperature is between 35 and 45 degrees Celsius.
The fermenter receives a continuous amount of feed from the
slurry which can be converted into gas, this means that there is a never ending
supply of matter that is going to be converted into biogas. What is very
important to the process is the mixer which is designed to continuously keep
the matter moving. The mixer needs to keep moving in order to ensure that there
is no floating matter on top and no solid particles in the middle. Substrate
keeps moving through the machine to ensure the continuous production of biogas.
The conclusion
It might sound like a rather confusing process but it is a
process that is worthwhile. The benefits of biogas production and its many uses
outweigh the traditional fossil fuels that are commonly used around the world.
Biogas fuels are not only a whole lot cheaper to manufacture but they are also
cleaner. Biogas is able to provide a continuous stream of uninterrupted energy
that is not going to affect the environment. The industry is also able to
create jobs in all communities, making it a really wonderful option.
Biogas is part of our future and now is the time to embrace
it.
