Institute of hotel management & catering

technology & applied nutrition

Research project
By

Bineet Merrie Jan

3rd year

Topic

Feasibility study on setting up of proper

waste management system in the food
and beverage industry.

Roll no.: 060685

IGNOU Roll no.:063206499

Year: 2008- 2009

RESEARCH PROJECT
A Feasibility study on setting up of proper waste
management system in food and beverage industry. This
is a bonafied record of work done by Bineet Merrie Jan,
Roll No. 060685. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the Final Year Bachelor in Hotel
Management and Catering Technology 2008- 2009.

Faculty Guide
Principal

Research Coordinator

SUBMITTED FOR THE VIVA VOICE EXAMINATION

HELD ON ...

Internal
External Examiner

Examiner

RESEARCH PROJECT
A Feasibility study on setting up of proper waste
management system in food and beverage industry. This
is a bonafied record of work done by Bineet Merrie Jan,
Roll No. 060685. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the Final Year Bachelor in Hotel
Management and Catering Technology 2008- 2009.

Faculty Guide
Principal

Research Coordinator

SUBMITTED FOR THE VIVA VOICE EXAMINATION

HELD ON ...

Internal
External Examiner

Examiner

AUTHENTICATION CERTIFICATE
I Bineet Merrie Jan, Hereby declare that this project is
my original work and that I have not submitted this
report to any university or academic institute for the
partial fulfillment of any course or degree or diploma as
the case may be.
Station: Chennai
Student Signature
Date:
I certify that the above particulars are true and the
project work has been done under my supervision.
Station: Chennai
Guide Signature
Date:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I Bineet Merrie Jan, would like to acknowledge my
sincere thanks and gratitude to Mr. S Rajamohan,
Principal IHM Chennai, for the support extended by him
in completing this project.

I would also like to thank Mr. Jitendra Das, my project

guide and also project coordinator
Mr. Thriulogachandar, for all the assistance they offered,
which enabled me to complete this project. I also thank
them for the guidance they provided in finalizing project.

I cannot forget the valuable contributions the hospitality

students, educator respondents, and recruiters, made to
this project and I want to thank them for their
informative responses.

CONTENTS
PROPOSAL FORMAT

06

DEFINING WASTE MANAGEMENT

09

WASTE MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS

10

WASTE DISPOSAL METHODS

12

HISTORY OF ANAEROBIC DECOMPOSITION

19

METHOD.
BIOGAS PLANT FOR BIOLOGICAL WASTES
RECYCLING
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BIOGAS PLANT?

25
28

BIOGAS PRODUCTION PROCESS

31

BIOGAS PLANT SCHEME

46

CONCLUSION

55

BIBLIOGRAPHY

56

PROPOSALFORMAT
NAME: Bineet merrie jan
COURSE/ YEAR, BATCH: Bsc. H&ha 3rd year, A batch.
TITLE: Feasibility study on setting up of proper waste
management system in the food and beverage industry.

INTRODUCTION
Waste is an important by-product of the food and beverage
industry. Also it poses a great threat to the environment in which
we survive. Hence it is very much important to eradicate the
various threats that are caused by the pollution. At this present
century waste management is an important strategy that every
industry is looking forward to. Through my research project I
would like to bring out the various strategies that food and
beverage industry has taken to do a proper waste management.

OBJECTIVES

To study about various waste management systems prevalent

in the industry.

To study about the various waste products that our industry

produce and its impact on the environment

To plan out a proper waste management system for the

industry.

Providing information about use of biogas production

technology in reducing the pollution.

METHODOLOGY

Information through various books and newspapers.

Information from Internet.

Information from various personalities working in the

industry.

SCOPE OF STUDY

This research project is carried out in order to bring out an

awareness in the people regarding the need for proper
waste management system that has to be installed in the
food and beverage industry in order to reduce the
environment pollution that it causes.

It also provides an outline about the strategies that the

industry has to plan in order to have a self-sustainable
growth.

SIGNATURE OF THE STUDENT.

GUIDE

DefiningWasteManagement
Waste minimization is a methodology used to achieve waste
reduction, primarily through reduction at source, but also including
recycling and re-use of materials, as shown in the figure below.

The benefits of waste minimization are both environmental and

financial and wide in their coverage. Some of the main benefits
include the following:

10

Improved bottom line through improved process efficiency

Reduced burden on the environment, with improved public

image and compliance with legislation

Better communication and involvement of employees and

therefore greater commitment to the business

Waste management concepts

There are a number of concepts about waste management, which
vary in their usage between countries or regions. Some of the most
general, widely used concepts include:

11

Diagram of the waste hierarchy.

Waste hierarchy - The waste hierarchy refers to the "3 Rs"

reduce, reuse and recycle, which classify waste management
strategies according to their desirability in terms of waste
minimization. The waste hierarchy remains the cornerstone
of most waste minimization strategies. The aim of the waste
hierarchy is to extract the maximum practical benefits from
products and to generate the minimum amount of waste.

12

Extended producer responsibility - Extended Producer

Responsibility (EPR) is a strategy designed to promote the
integration of all costs associated with products throughout
their life cycle (including end-of-life disposal costs) into the
market price of the product. Extended producer responsibility
is meant to impose accountability over the entire lifecycle of
products and packaging introduced to the market. This means
that firms which manufacture, import and/or sell products are
required to be responsible for the products after their useful
life as well as during manufacture.

Polluter pays principle - the Polluter Pays Principle is a

principle where the polluting party pays for the impact
caused to the environment. With respect to waste
management, this generally refers to the requirement for a
waste generator to pay for appropriate disposal of the waste.

WasteDisposalMethods

13

Source reduction
Volume of solid waste is reduced by reducing packaging,
disposable products, etc.
Could introduce advanced practices, reducing waste at source.
Many sources lie outside individual cities.

Uncontrolled dumping
Controlled application of waste on land.
Low-cost and low technology solution when land available. Risks
in certain circumstances, e.g., to water supply.

Sanitary land filling

Controlled application of waste on land.
Low-cost and low technology solution when land available. Risks
in certain circumstances, e.g., to water supply.

Composting
14

Biological decomposition of organic matter in waste under

controlled conditions.
Needs correct proportion of biodegradable material in waste. May
be expensive where no market for compost. Large decentralized
schemes claimed to be unsuccessful.

Multi-material recycling
Complements

composting

Design

products

for

ready

recycling/reuse, sorting by consumers and pick-up by types of

materials.
Recycling and reuse already occurs in many countries as a matter
of economic necessity.

Incineration
Controlled burning of waste at high temperatures to reduce its
volume; possibility to gain energy from combustion.

15

High capital cost; requires skilled operation and control. Waste

must have high calorific value. Advantage if land not available for
landfill.

Gasification
Biological decomposition of organic matter in waste under
controlled conditions to obtain methane and other gases.
High cost and technologically complicated.

Refuse derived fuel

Separation of combustible materials from solid waste to be used
for fuel purposes.
Assumes combustible material not separated out. Costs and
operational issues not widely known for large-scale operations.

16

Pyrolysis
High temperature conversion of organic material in absence of
oxygen to obtain combustible by-products.
Capital intensive with high running costs, and technically complex.

AdvantagesandDisadvantages
OCEAN DUMPING
Advantages:

Convenient
17

Inexpensive

Source of nutrients, shelter and breeding

Disadvantages:

Ocean overburdened

Destruction of food sources

Killing of plankton

Desalination

SANITARY LANDFILL
Advantages:

Volume can increase with little addition of people/equipment

Filled land can be reused for other community purposes

Disadvantages:

Completed landfill areas can settle and requires maintenance

Requires proper planning, design, and operation

INCINERATION
18

Advantages:

Requires minimum land

Can be operated in any weather

Produces stable odor-free residue

Refuse volume is reduced by half

Disadvantages:

Expensive to build and operate

High energy requirement

Requires skilled personnel and continuous maintenance

Unsightly - smell, waste, vermin

OPEN DUMPING
Advantages:

Inexpensive
Disadvantages:

19

Health-hazard - insects, rodents etc.

Damage due to air pollution

Ground water and run-off pollution

RECYCLING
Advantages:

Key to providing a livable environment for the future

Disadvantages:

Expensive

Some wastes cannot be recycled

Technological push needed

Separation of useful material from waste difficult

History of anaerobic decomposition method.

Scientific interest in the gasses produced by the natural
decomposition of organic matter, was first reported in the
seventeenth century by Robert Boyle and Stephen Hale, who noted

20

that flammable gas was released by disturbing the sediment of

streams and lakes. In 1808, Sir Humphry Davy determined that
methane was present in the gasses produced by cattle manure. The
first anaerobic digester was built by a leper colony in Bombay,
India in 1859. In 1895 the technology was developed in Exeter,
England, where a septic tank was used to generate gas for street
lighting. Also in England, in 1904, the first dual purpose tank for
both sedimentation and sludge treatment was installed in Hampton.
In 1907, in Germany, a patent was issued for the Imhoff tank, an
early form of digester.
Through scientific research anaerobic digestion gained academic
recognition in the 1930s. This research led to the discovery of
anaerobic bacteria, the microorganisms that facilitate the process.
Further research was carried out to investigate the conditions under
which methanogenic bacteria were able to grow and reproduce.
This work was developed during World War II where in both

21

Germany and France there was an increase in the application of

anaerobic digestion for the treatment of manure.

Applications
Anaerobic digestion is particularly suited to wet organic material
and is commonly used for effluent and sewage treatment.
Anaerobic digestion is a simple process that can greatly reduce the
amount of organic matter, which might otherwise be destined to be
land filled or burnt in an incinerator.
Almost any organic material can be processed with anaerobic
digestion. This includes biodegradable waste materials such as
waste paper, grass clippings, leftover food, sewage and animal
waste. The exception to this is woody wastes that are largely
unaffected by digestion as most anaerobes are unable to degrade
lignin. The exception being xylophalgeous anaerobes (lignin
consumers), as used in the process for organic breakdown of
22

cellulosic material by a cellulosic ethanol start-up company in the

U.S. Anaerobic digesters can also be fed with specially grown
energy crops such as silage for dedicated biogas production. In
Germany and continental Europe these facilities are referred to as
biogas plants. A co-digestion or co-fermentation plant is typically
an agricultural anaerobic digester that accepts two or more input
materials for simultaneous digestion.
In developing countries simple home and farm-based anaerobic
digestion systems offer the potential for cheap, low-cost energy for
cooking

and

lighting.

The

United

Nations

Development

Programme has recognized anaerobic digestion facilities as one of

the most useful decentralized sources of energy supply. From 1975,
China and India have both had large government-backed schemes
for adaptation of small biogas plants for use in the household for
cooking and lighting. Presently, projects for anaerobic digestion in
the developing world can gain financial support through the United

23

Nations Clean Development Mechanism if they are able to show

they provide reduced carbon emissions.
Pressure from environmentally related legislation on solid waste
disposal methods in developed countries has increased the
application of anaerobic digestion as a process for reducing waste
volumes and generating useful by-products. Anaerobic digestion
may either be used to process the source separated fraction of
municipal waste, or alternatively combined with mechanical
sorting systems, to process residual mixed municipal waste. These
facilities are called mechanical biological treatment plants.
Utilizing anaerobic digestion technologies can help to reduce the
emission of greenhouse gasses in a number of key ways:

Replacement of fossil fuels

Reducing methane emission from landfills

Displacing industrially-produced chemical fertilizers

24

Reducing vehicle movements

Reducing electrical grid transportation losses

Methane and power produced in anaerobic digestion facilities can

be utilized to replace energy derived from fossil fuels, and hence
reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses. This is due to the fact that
the carbon in biodegradable material is part of a carbon cycle. The
carbon released into the atmosphere from the combustion of biogas
has been removed by plants in order for them to grow in the recent
past. This can have occurred within the last decade, but more
typically within the last growing season. If the plants are re-grown,
taking the carbon out of the atmosphere once more, the system will
be carbon neutral. This contrasts to carbon in fossil fuels that has
been sequestered in the earth for many millions of years, the
combustion of which increases the overall levels of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere.
If the putrescible waste processed in anaerobic digesters were
disposed of in a landfill, it would break down naturally and often
25

anaerobically. In this case the gas will eventually escape into the
atmosphere. As methane is about twenty times more potent as a
greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide this has significant negative
environmental effects.
Digestate liquor can be used as a fertilizer supplying vital nutrients
to soils. The solid, fibrous component of digestate can be used as a
soil conditioner. The liquor can be used as a substitute for chemical
fertilizers, which require large amounts of energy to produce. The
use of manufactured fertilizers is therefore more carbon intensive
than the use of anaerobic digestate fertilizer. This solid digestate
can be used to boost the organic content of soils. There are some
countries, such as Spain where there are many organically depleted
soils, and here the markets for the digestate can be just as
important as the biogas.
In countries that collect household waste, the utilization of local
anaerobic digestion facilities can help to reduce the amount of
waste that requires transportation to centralized landfill sites or
26

incineration facilities. This reduced burden on transportation has

and will reduce carbon emissions from the collection vehicles. If
localized anaerobic digestion facilities are embedded within an
electrical distribution network, they can help reduce the electrical
losses that are associated with transporting electricity over a
national grid.

Biogas plant for biological wastes recycling

What is biogas plant?
Biogas plant produces biogas and bio-fertilizer from biological
wastes of agricultural and food industries by means of oxygen-free
fermentation (anaerobic digestion).
Biogas plant is the most active system of biological recycling.
This system performs utilization, recycling and has shortest
payback period. The differences from the other recycling systems
are the following.

27

1) biogas plant does not consumes power, but produces it

2) produced electricity is used by the enterprise and end products
of other recycling systems (dry feed or dry manure) needs to be
sold or recycled.

Following raw materials can be used for biogas

production:

28

Cattle manure, pig manure, chicken dung, slaughterhouse waste

(blood, fat, entrails, and rumen content), plants waste, silage, rotten
grain, waste water, fats, bio-waste, food industry waste, malt
remnants, marc, distillery slop, bioethanol plant slop, brewers
grain (crushed malt remnants after wort filtration), sugar beet and
fruit pulp, sugar beet tops, technical glycerin (after biodisel
production), fiber and other starch and treacle production, milk
whey, flotation sludge, dewatered flotation sludge from municipal
waste water treatment plants, algae. Most of the raw materials can
be mixed with each other.

What are the benefits of biogas plant?

Waste recycling gives:

29

Main benefits
1. Ecological cleaning
2. Gas,
3. Bio-fertilizer,
4. Investment cost saving (for new enterprises)

Additional benefits
1. Electricity,
2. Heat,

Ecological cleaning and utilization

Biogas plant can reduce sanitary zone (distance from the enterprise
to residential area) from 500m to 150m. In many cases such
ecological issues are vital for some enterprises.
30

Out-of-date lagoons occupy lots of space and have bad smell.

Biogas plant requires space that several times less if to be
compared to lagoons and manure storages. Water in lagoons is
bounded by colloid compounds hence evaporation is very faint.
After treatment in biogas plant water is separated and easily
vaporized. Digested biomass can be released to the fields without
any time delays, which can reduce lagoons area up to 5 times!
Investments into lagoon construction are money thrown down the
drain. By investing into biogas plant you payback your money with
profit and make land usage more effective. Biogas plant
construction is useful not only for new farms but for existing as
well, because old lagoons maintenance cost are considerable.
Some of waste products can be stored in lagoons while the other
requires energy and cost consuming utilization (slaughterhouse
waste), biogas production looks more attractive in that respect.
Usage of conventional lagoons and land fills often makes possible
filtrate percolation to the groundwater that causes health problems

31

to people and animals as well as sanctions from state sanitary

service and costly medical treatment. Using biogas plant system
you will avoid diseases, medical and penalty bills.
Equipped with additional filtration devices (pressure filter,
decanter) biogas plant can reduce COD and BOD levels in filtrate
so it can be discharged to sewage system or factory water treatment
facility. COD chemical oxygen demand and BOD biological
oxygen demand. Biogas plant makes possible removal of most part
of contaminating biological matter (organic matter content reduced
up to 60-70%).

Biogas production process

Four steps of fermentation

32

Scheme 1. Metabolism products of the anaerobic fermentation

Bacteria decompose the organic matter in anaerobic environment.
Biogas

is

an

intermediate

product

of

their

metabolism.

The decomposition process can be divided into 4 steps (see scheme 1)

each of those accompanied by different bacteria groups:
In the first stage aerobic bacteria reconstructs high-molecular
substances (protein, carbohydrates, fats, cellulose) by means of
enzymes to low-molecular compounds like monosaccharide, amino
acids, fatty acids and water. Enzymes assigned by hydrolysis bacteria
decompose substrate components to small water-soluble molecules.

33

Polymers turn into monomers (separate molecules). This process

called hydrolysis.
Then acid-forming bacteria make decomposition. Separate molecules
penetrate into bacteria cells where further transformation takes place.
This process is partially accompanied by anaerobic bacteria that
consume rest of oxygen hence providing suitable anaerobic
environment for methane bacteria.
This step produces:

Acids (acetic acid, formic acid, butyric acid, propionic acid,

caproic acid, lactic acid),

Alcohols and ketones (methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol,

glycerin and acetone),

Gases (carbon dioxide, carbon, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia).

The step is called oxidation.

Afterwards acid-forming bacteria form initial products for methane

34

formation: acetic acid, carbon dioxide and hydrogen). These products

are formed from organic acids. For vital functions of these bacteria
that consume hydrogen, stable temperature mode is very important.
The last step is methane, carbon dioxide and water formation.
90% of methane yield takes place at this stage, 70% from acetic acid.
Thus acetic acid formation (3rd step) is the factor that defines the
speed of methane formation.

One and two stages process

35

Scheme 2. One and two stages methane production process.

In most cases such processes take place simultaneously it means that

there is no boundaries for place and duration of decomposition. Such
technology is called two stages technology. For fermentation of
rapidly decomposable raw materials in pure state two stage
technology required. For example chicken dung, distillery slop
shouldnt be recycled in one digester. In order to process those
substrates hydrolysis reactor is needed. Such reactor allows control
over the acidity and alkalinity level in order to avoid bacteria collapse
and increase methane yield. (Scheme 2.)

36

For successful lifecycle of all microorganisms inside the digester

special conditions must be secured. Mandatory factors for that are the
following:
Anaerobic environment - active functioning of bacteria is possible
only

in

oxygen-free

conditions.

Biogas plant design takes that into consideration.

Humidity - bacteria can live, feed and propagate only in moist
conditions.
Temperature - the optimum temperature for mode for all bacteria
groups is 35-40 range. Human is not able to control this, that is
why it is done by automatic control system.
Fermentation period - The quantity of produced biogas is different
within the fermentation period. In the beginning of fermentation it is
more intensive then at the en of it. Then comes the moment when
further biomass presence in the digester is economically unfeasible.
Our specialists rest upon long-term experience while calculating
37

fermentation period efficiency.

level - hydrolysis and oxidation bacteria can live in acid

environment with pH level 4.5-6.3 while methane and acetic acid
formation bacteria can exist only in low alkalinity environment with
pH 6.8-8. All the bacteria kinds have tendency to suspend their
activity in case pH level is higher of the optimum hence the biogas
production suspends as well. That is why the best pH level 7 should be
maintained.
Even substrate feed - the by-products of each group of bacteria
lifecycle are the nutrients for other bacteria group. The all work with
different speed. The bacteria should not be overfeed as they hardly be
able to produce nutrients for another group. That is why the substrate
feed is calculated and programmed for each project carefully.
Nutrients supply - bacteria provided with all necessary nutrients that
are contained in substrate so the only thing is needed is constant

38

substrate supply. Substrate contains vitamins, soluble ammonia

compounds, microelements and heavy metals in small quantities.
Nickel, cobalt, molybdenum, wolfram and ferrum are required by
bacteria for enzyme formation and are also present in substrates.
Particle size - The smaller the better rule is working here. Bacteria
size 1/1000 mm the smaller the substrate particles the easier the
decomposition made by bacteria. Fermentation period becomes
shorter and biogas production faster. If necessary additional substrate
disintegration should be done before substrate feed into reactor.
Mixing - is important not only to avoid floating cork and sediment
formation but also for biogas extraction (mixers help bubbles to go up
the digester). Mixers work constantly in a bacteria preserving mode.
Process stability - microorganisms are used to certain feed other
modes.
Any changes should be done smoothly.
Avoid getting into reactor antibiotics, chemical and disinfection
39

means, big quantities of heavy metals. Our specialists can advice you
on that.
The end product of biological treatment are:

biogas (methane not less then 55%, carbon dioxide not more
then 45%, hydrogen sulfide not more then 2%, hydrogen not
more then 1%);

fermented substrate as fermentation residue, consisting of

water, cellulose residues, small quantity of bacteria and organic
nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium etc.).

Biogas
What is biogas?
Biogas is the gas consisting of approximately 50-70% of methane
(CH4) and 50-30% of carbon dioxide (CO2). Synonyms for biogas
such words as sewage gas, marsh gas, methane. Different
microorganisms metabolizing carbon from organic matter in
oxygen-free environment (anaerobically). This process is known as
40

decomposition or anoxic fermentation and follows food chain. In

the process of fermentation biological waste produces biogas. This
gas can be used as natural gas for technological purposes, heating
or electricity production. It can be stored, pumped, used as vehicle
fuel or sold to your neighbors. In order to produce electricity no
additional treatment of biogas is required.
By properties biogas is similar to natural gas. In case adjustable
burner is used biogas needs only drying, hydrogen sulfide and
ammonia removal. If the burner is not adjustable the system of
carbon dioxide removal will be needed.
For vehicle refueling additional gas treatment system should be
used. After such treatment biogas becomes pure natural gas analog
(90-97% of methane (CH4) and 10-3% of carbon dioxide (CO2)).
Another by-product of biogas treatment is CO2. This gas used as
dry ice, for beverages production or technological purposes and
can be sold as valuable commodity.

41

Biogas yield m3/t of raw

Raw material
Cow manure
Pig manure
Chicken dung
Fat
Distillery slop
Grain
Silage, plant

material
60
65
130
1300
70
500-560
tops,
400

grass, algae
Milk whey
50
Fruit and sugar beet
50-70
pulp
Technical glycerin
500
Brewers grains
180
Anyone understands that natural gas price increase is inevitable
and substantial. Gas pipeline broaching worth millions of dollars,
contrarily biogas plants construction is more cost effective. After
investment into gas pipeline we have to pay for gas as well, to be
compared with biogas it is nearly costless (less then 30 123 per
1000 m3). Biogas plant is the best solution for gas supply to
remote regions.
42

Bio-fertilizer
Raw manure or other biological waste is not applicable as fertilizer
for 3-5 years. Anaerobically digested biomass is a finished and
ready for use high-performance bio-fertilizer. This is not only
ecological issue, but the matter of profit. In raw biological waste
(manure for example) minerals are chemically bounded to organics
that complicates their consumption by plants. For example
mineralization in raw manure is 40% if to be compared to 60% in
digested biomass. Digested biomass is finished solid and liquid
bio-fertilizer free of nitrites, weed seeds, pathogenic microflora,
helminth eggs and odors. As a result of balanced bio-fertilizer
application crop yield can be increased up to 30-50%.
Biogas plant produces high quality bio-fertilizer. Bio-fertilizer is a
commodity. The quality of bio-fertilizer is higher then mineral
fertilizers and the net cost almost equals to 0. As a commodity it
can be sold to anyone.

43

Investment savings
New enterprises can have considerable investment savings due to
the possibility to avoid building new gas pipeline, electricity line,
auxiliary generators and waste storage facilities. Thanks to the
short digestion period the volume of waste lagoons can be reduced
twice. Investment cost savings can reach about 30-40% from
biogas plant price.
Electricity
Combustion of 1 m3 produces 2 kWh of electricity. You get
fluctuation free electricity in comparison with public electricity
network. By building biogas plant you will have electricity at a
fixed price, that makes about 0.01$/kWh.
Heat
Heat from generator cooling or biogas combustion is used for
working

premises

heating,

technological

purposes,

steam

44

generation, seeds drying, firewood drying, hot water supply and

stock keeping.
New or existing greenhouse nearby biogas plant is a perfect
solution. Heat can come directly from biogas combustion or from
generator cooling device. Only generator cooling device can heat 2
Ha of greenhouse area. 90% of expenses for growing greenhouse
cucumbers, tomatoes and flowers are heat and fertilizer costs. If
greenhouse combined with biogas plant it is possible to reach 300500% of profitability.
Heat is also used to activate refrigerator vaporizer and produce
cold for refrigeration of fresh milk at dairy farms or meat and eggs
storage.
Vehicle fuel
After treatment of biogas you get biomethane (90-95% methane,
the rest is CO2). Biomethane is complete analog of natural gas by

45

its properties and quality. The only difference is the source of the
gas. Such methane can be and should be filled into vehicle tank.
Huge gas filling station network already exists. In the
circumstances of constant diesel fuel rice in price, methane usage
becomes more attractive. Biogas plants equipped with biogas
treatment system and methane filling station. Also we can
undertake conversion of engines to run on methane. Conversion of
one system unit to run on methane costs 2200 123, all materials
and work included. Methane filling station payback period is about
half a year.
Net cost of biomethane is 1200 Rs for 1000 m3, and price for diesel
fuel 50000 Rs for 1000 L. 1 L of diesel fuel equals 1 m3 of
biomethane.

46

Biogas plant scheme

47

Operation principle of biogas plant

Liquid biological waste is pumped to biogas plant by sanitary
pump or extraction pipeline. Sewage pumping station (SPS) is
located in a separate service room. Solid biological waste (manure,
dung) delivered by belt conveyor, in case of manure or dung
storage, delivery made by tractor. Liquid wastes initially come to
primary tank. In primary tank waste homogenized and heated

48

(sometimes cooled) for required temperature. As a rule such tank

has 2-3 days storage capacity. Solid waste can be loaded to that
tank as well for homogenization or get into digester through screw
charger.
From homogenization tank and screw charger biomass (manure,
dung or distillery slop) comes to digester (biological reactor).
Biological reactor is gas-proof tank made of acid-resistant
concrete. Reactor is heat-insulated. The heat-insulation is
calculated depending on the biogas plant site climate conditions.
For microorganisms vital activity a constant and even temperature
inside the digester is kept, usually it is mesophilic temperature
mode (+30-41). In some cases termophilic mode of temperature
is used (about 55). Biomass mixing inside the digester is made
by several ways and depends on the type of raw material, its
humidity and other features. Mixing can be done by slopped mixer,
paddle giant type mixer or submersed mixers. Al mixer types are
made of stainless steel. In some cases mixing device can be

49

hydraulic instead of mechanical. Such mixers pump the biomass

into the layers with bacterial clumps. Bioreactors are built with
wooden or concrete dome and have service life of 25-30 years.
Digesters are heated by hot water with inlet temperature about
60 and discharge temperature of about 40. Heating system is
a network of pipes, which can be built-in to reactor wall or to be
mounted to interior side of the digester wall. In case biogas plant
equipped with co-generation unit, digester can be heated by
generator cooling water. Generator cooling water has temperature
of 90 and before getting into digester heating system it is mixed
with 40 water so that heating system receives water with 60.
The water is previously treated and returnable. In winter time
biogas plant requires up to 70% of heat from generator cooling
device and 10% in summer time. If biogas plant is purposed only
for gas production hot water is taken from a special water boiler.
Biogas plant self energy and heat consumption usually makes from
5% to 15% of overall produced.

50

The average hydraulic retention time of biomass in bioreactor

(depending on the material type) is 20-40 days. During this time
organic matter is metabolized (modified) by microorganisms
presented in the biomass. Corn silage hydraulic retention time is
about 70-160 days. The hydraulic retention time defines the size of
the digester.
The fermentation process is made by anaerobic microorganisms,
which are injected into the digester during the biogas plant start up.
Any

further

microorganisms

injection

is

not

required.

Microorganisms injection is made by one of three ways: 1)

microorganisms concentrate injection 2) fresh manure addition or
3) injection of biomass from operational biogas plant. As a rule
2nd

and

3rd

methods

are

used

being

cheapest

ones.

Microorganisms get into manure from animal bowels and are not
harmful to human or animal. Moreover bioreactor is a hermetically
sealed container. That is why bioreactors or fermenters can be
placed near the farm or production facilities.

51

As end products we have: biogas and bio-fertilizer (composted or

liquid).
Biogas is stored at a gasholder. Inside the gasholder pressure and
biogas composition is evened. Gasholder is a high-tensile and
distensible EPDM membrane. The membrane material is resistant
to sunlight and internal bioreactor sediments and evaporations.
Gasholder service lifetime is 15 years. Bioreactor hermetically
sealed by the gasholder from the topside and covered by additional
tilt cover. The space between the gasholder and tilt cover is
pumped with an air in order to form pressure and heat insulation.
Sometimes gasholder is a multichamber cover. Depending on the
project solution such cover can be secured by belts on the top of
the concrete dome or to be placed in a separate concrete tank.
Gasholder volume capacity is 0.5 1 operational day.
From the gasholder biogas constantly comes to gas or diesel/gas
co-generation unit. Here heat and electricity are being produced.
1m3 of biogas produces 2 kWh of electrical and 2 kWh of heat
52

power. Big biogas plants are equipped with an emergency flare for
instances of engines malfunction and the necessity to burn the
excessive biogas. Biogas system can be equipped with ventilation,
condensate extractor and desulphurization unit.
The automatic control unit operates the whole system. Control unit
operates the work of pumping station, mixers, heating system, gas
automatics and generator. For operational control only one person
for 2 hours a day is required. This person affects the control with
the help of computer. After two weeks of training any person
without any special skills can operate the biogas plant.
Anaerobically digested biomass is finished and ready for use as
fertilizer. Liquid bio-fertilizer is separated by separation unit and
stored in a tank. In Germany this liquid (ammonia water) is used as
a fertilizer due to high ammonia (NH4) content. Solid fertilizer is
stored separately. From the storage tank liquid bio-fertilizer is
pumped to transportation tanks for further distribution or sale. As
an option biogas plant can be supplied with fertilizer packing line
53

(bottles 0.3, 0.5, 1.0 l). In case liquid fertilizer is of no interest for
biogas plant owner, such plant can be equipped with additional
wastewater treatment modules.
When company doesnt need electricity but gas for vehicle filling,
biogas plant supplied with gas treatment system and methane
filling station. Gas treatment system is equipment that separates
carbon dioxide from biogas and is based on absorption and stripper
technology. Carbon dioxide content can be reduced from 40% up
to 10% (even 1% is possible if required). This option is very
interesting taking into consideration diesel fuel high prices.
For some types of biological waste above mentioned operation
principle requires modification. For example it is not workable
with single raw materials such as distillery slop and brewers grain.
In that instance two stage systems with additional hydrolysis
reactor should be used. The peculiarity of the process is the support
of acidity level in hydrolysis reactors. This technology patented by

54

123 and is under protection that makes impossible its usage by

other companies.
Biogas plant self energy consumption is 10-15% in wintertime and
3-7% in summer time. In order to operate even big biogas plant
only one person for two hours a day required.
Biogas plant equipment and facilities
1. Homogenization tank
2. Solid biomass loader
3. Bioreactor (digester)
4. Mixing devices
5. Gasholder (gas storage)
6. Water mixing and heating system
7. Gas system
8. Pumping station
9. Separator
10. Control gauges

55

11. Control equipment with visualization

12. Emergency flare system and security system

CONCLUSION
Thus it can be concluded that waste management is an
important part in outlining the developmental strategies

56

of every industry especially in the food and beverage

industry.
Now a days since the environmental laws are really
strict it becomes the need of the hour to plan and
execute the various waste management programmes
that are necessary for the industry.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Hindu Daily.

Hotel and Hospitality Magazines

57

Wikipedia.org

Gdrc.org

Zorg-biogas.com

Wm.com

Auroville.com

Ficci.com
BOOKS

Journal of industrial Ecology, S. Nakamura. 2002.

International

Journal

Of

Contemporary

Hospitality Management, D. Krik- 1995

Waste Management And Reserch,Y. S Wang-1997

58