EXPERIMENT NO- 03

TO STUDY BIOGAS PLANT

What is a biogas plant?

A biogas plant is where biogas is produced by fermenting biomass. The substrate
used for the production of this methane-containing gas usually consists of energy crops
such as corn, or waste materials such as manure or food waste.

How to Build a Medium Sized Biogas Plant

1. Step 1: What Is Biogas, What Is Biogas Plant and How It Functions...? ...
2. Step 2: Selection of Tanks. ...
3. Step 3: Other Materials Required. ...
4. Step 4: Adhesives Used. ...
5. Step 5: Tools Required. ...
6. Step 6: Preparation of Gas Holder Tank. ...
7. Step 7: Preparation of Digester Tank.

What are types of biogas plants?

Types of biogas plants: Biogas plants basically are two types. This mainly consists of a
digester or pit for fermentation and a floating drum for the collection of gas. ...
Through the inlet, the dung is mixed with water (4:5) and loaded into the digester.

Is biogas good or bad?

Biogas is Eco-Friendly

Biogas is a renewable, as well as a clean, source of energy. ... Biogas plants

significantly curb the greenhouse effect: the plants lower methane emissions by
capturing this harmful gas and using it as fuel. Biogas generation helps cut reliance on
the use of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal.

ADVANTAGES OF BIOGAS

1. Biogas is Eco-Friendly
2. Biogas Generation Reduces Soil and Water Pollution
3. Biogas Generation Produces Organic Fertilizer
4. It’s A Simple and Low-Cost Technology That Encourages A Circular Economy
5. Healthy Cooking Alternative For Developing Areas

DISADVANTAGES OF BIOGAS

1. Few Technological Advancements

2. Contains Impurities
3. Effect of Temperature on Biogas Production
4. Less Suitable For Dense Metropolitan Areas

Explain the principle and working of a biogas plant.

The principle of a biogas plant is, the anaerobic fermentation of the biomass (organic matter) in
presence of water. The working of a biogas plant is, the biomass is mixed with water and then is
decomposed by the anaerobic bacteria into the products like gasses (methane, hydrogen,
carbon dioxide) and the other side products (manure, fertilizers).

Complete step by step answer:

The principle of a biogas plant: The principle of a biogas plant is to produce the gasses like
methane and other side products like carbon dioxide, etc by decomposing (breaking down the
complex substances into the simple/basic substances) the biomass (the organic matter - the
natural substances obtained from the plants and animals, such as the cow dung, the vegetable
waste) in the absence of air (the anaerobic fermentation) and presence of the water.
The schematic diagram representing the bio-gas plant is as follows.

The working of a biogas plant: Consider the above diagram while going through the
below-working steps of the biogas plant.
The inlet of the biogas plant is the mixing tank. In this mixing tank, the biomass is mixed
with the water to form a slurry. A slurry is a composition of the water and the cow dung
(biomass). The mixing tank is also called the slurry region. Then, this slurry enters the
digester.
The digester (air-tight chamber) is an area with the absence of the oxygen (basically an
anaerobic region) and the presence of microorganisms (the anaerobic bacteria). These
bacteria are capable of decomposing the substances in absence of oxygen.
Thus, these microorganisms in the digester, decompose the biomass, that is, breaks
down the complex substance into basic substances like methane, hydrogen, carbon
dioxide, hydrogen sulfide. These gasses produced are stored in the gas tank and
wherever required, these gases are taken out through the gas outlet.
The other side products, other than the gas, produced during the decomposition of the
biomass are substances like manure and the fertilizers.

Note:
The microorganisms present in the digester are capable of decomposing the substance
in the absence of air, thus, they are also called as the anaerobic bacteria. This biogas
produced in a biogas plant has many commercial and household applications, like, this
biogas can be used as a fuel, even as a kitchen gas, in gas engines.

What is the working of biogas plant?

Biogas plants rely on anaerobic digestion, a fermentation process in which waste is
digested by microbes to produce methane gas (biogas). The waste can be converted
into biofertiliser and spread directly onto fields, or the biogas itself can be used
interchangeably with natural gas as fuel.

Three main types of simple biogas plants can be distinguished (see Figure 3): - balloon plants,
- fixed-dome plants, - floating-drum plants. A balloon plant consists of a plastic or rubber
digester bag, in the upper part of which the gas is stored.

How are biogas plants classified?

Continuous OR Batch type biogas plants.:-

Continuous type biogas plants are of two types . Single stage continuous type biogas
plant. Two stage continuous type biogas plant.