AE BOARD REVIEWER – 2013

SUBJECT 3
Rural Electrification, Agricultural Processing, Ag. Structures and Allied Subjects (34%)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Select the best answer.

Shade the corresponding box of your answer in the answer sheet.
No erasures allowed in the answer sheet.
Give only one answer for each question.
Do not make any unnecessary marking in the answer sheet.

1. RURAL ELECTRIFICATION

RENEWABLE ENERGY (GENERAL) – Easy Questions

1. Renewable Energy Act of 2008 is also known as

A. RA 9367 B. RA 9513 C. RA 8559 D. RA 8435

Answer: B

2. Biofuels Act of 2006 is also known as

A. RA 9367 B. RA 9513 C. RA 8559 D. RA 8435

Answer: A

3. What energy generating plant does not use turbine for power generation?

A. Hydro B. Geothermal C. Ocean-thermal D. Biogas plant

Answer: D

4. From the BiGSHOW acronym of renewable energy coverage, what “Bi” stands for?

B. Biomass B. Biofuel C. Biomass and biofuel D. Biodiesel

Answer: C

RENEWABLE ENERGY (GENERAL) – Moderate Questions

1. Aerogenerator, covered lagoon biodigester and minihydro energy projects are evaluated for
financial feasibility. Only one feasible project can be funded. Each project needs PHP 30M
investment. The financial internal rate of returns are 11%, 8% and 9%, respectively. Annual
discount plus inflation rate is 12%. Which of the 3 projects shall be implemented?

A. Aerogenerator B. Covered lagoon biodigester C. Minihydro D. None

Answer: D (since all their IRRs are less than the discount plus inflation rate)

2. An Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) project was evaluated for financial
feasibility. At 12% annual discount rate, it has the following feasibility indicators: net present
value of 2.5 billion pesos and internal rate of return of 60%. If annual discount rate drops to
10%, will the project still be feasible?

A. No B. Yes C. Maybe D. Insufficient data to determine

Answer: B (if it is feasible at 12% discount rate, the more it will be feasible at 10%)
ELECTRONICS, INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL – Easy Questions

1. What part of solar module should be included such that solar charging is continuous at
slower rate even when partially shaded by trees?

A. Blocking diode B. Bypass diode C. Shading diode D. Lightning diode

Answer: B

2. What diode is needed as protection against lightning in solar installations?

A. Blocking diode B. Bypass diode C. Shading diode D. Lightning diode

Answer: A

3. What pin is common in integrated circuits (ICs).

A. +12 Vdc input B. +5 Vdc output C. Ground D. Binary output

Answer: C

4. A kind of IC included as an important part of electronic instruments for gathering speed,

velocity and discharge real-time data.

A. Voltage reducer B. Timer C. Sensor D. Variable resistor

Answer: B

5. Which one is an integrated circuit (IC) used in instrumentation and control?

A. TD 8062 B. ES 8813 C. CQ 556 D. LM 333

Answer: D

6. Which DC voltage is best for remote instrumentation?

A. 5, 7 or 9 Vdc B. 5 Vdc C. 7 Vdc D. 9 Vdc

Answer: A

7. Transmission of data to a remote line-of-sight point is best done using

A. Fiber optics B. Fax C. E-mail D. Radio frequency

Answer: D

8. To automate control of irrigation dam gates, what switch is useful in the instrumentation?

A. Automatic transfer switch B. Pressure switch C. Power switch D. Time switch

Answer: A

9. A switch for automatic starting of pumps with sealed water tank in drip irrigation systems.

A. Automatic transfer switch B. Pressure switch C. Power switch D. Time switch

Answer: B

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WIND POWER – Easy Questions

1. In an aerogenerator exceeding 100 kw capacity, which part is responsible in converting

rotational movement to electricity?

A. Rotor B. Turbine C. Alternator D. Governor

Answer: C

2. What component of force is used in multi-bladed windmills?

A. Lift force B. Drag force C. Side force D. Drop force

Answer: A

3. What component of force is used in savonius windmills?

A. Lift force B. Drag force C. Side force D. Drop force

Answer: B

4. The type of pump is appropriate for multi-bladed windmills.

A. Hydraulic B. Pneumatic C. Reciprocating D. Diaphragm

Answer: C

5. While the windmill is in operation, what efficiency can exceed 100%?

A. Volumetric B. Transmission C. Rotor D. All of the above

Answer: A

6. What wind energy resource is located about 10-16 km from Earth surface with velocity over
150 kph?

A. Terrestrial wind B. Extra-terrestrial wind C. Jet stream D. High wind

Answer: C

7. In multi-bladed windpumps, which part is responsible in converting rotational movement to

reciprocating action?

A. Rotor B. Connecting rod C. Reciprocating pump D. Crank arm

Answer: B

8. What tail type of multi-bladed windpump is more effective for windy areas?

A. Hinged side vane B. Ecliptic C. Manual folding D. No tail

Answer: A

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WIND POWER – Moderate Questions

1. In wind farm development, which should be done first?

A. Rotor B. Energy demand survey C. Transmission D. Wind velocity measurement

Answer: D

2. In multi-bladed windpump manufacturing, which should be done first?

A. Rotor blade B. Rotor frame C. Tower D. Jig

Answer: D

3. To have bigger water displacement volume in windpumps, which should be increased?

A. Connecting rod length B. Rotor diameter C. Crank arm D. Well diameter

Answer: C

4. In windmill design, what should be the average rotor blade twist angle in degrees to have a tip
speed ratio of 1:1?

A. 30 B. 45 C. 60 D. 75

Answer: B

5. If typical overall efficiency of savonius windmills is 7-10%, what is the typical overall
efficiency of aerogenerators?

A. 7-10% B. 15-17% C. 18-21% D. 90-95%

Answer: D

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WIND POWER – Difficult Questions

1. If a multi-bladed windpump has a tip-speed ratio of 1:1, what windspeed is needed to have its
rotor tip move at 3 m/s?

A. 1 m/s B. 3 m/s C. 1 ft/s D. 3 ft/s

Answer: B

Solution:

Windspeed = tip speed, since tip-speed ratio is 1:1

= 3 m/s

2. A 6-bladed windmill with 8 meters rotor diameter and 45 degrees twist angle is to be
modified due to insufficient starting torque. What should be done?

A. Increase blades B. Decrease blades C. Increase twist angle D. Decrease twist angle

Answer: A (since increasing blades increases torque)

3. A windmill with 6 meters rotor diameter, 5 cm pump diameter and 2 cm crank arm is to be
modified due to low volumetric efficiency. What should be done?

A. Enlarge rotor B. Reduce rotor C. Elongate crank arm D. Enlarge pump diameter

Answer: C (since elongating crank arm increases pump stroke and volumetric efficiency)

4. A 3-bladed 40-meter tall aerogenerator with 20 meters rotor radius designed for 6 m/s wind
can’t rotate. Average windspeed at rotor center is 5.5 m/s. Which part needs to be increased?

A. Number of blades B. Rotor radius C. Crank arm D. Tower height

Answer: D (windspeed is higher at higher elevation; increasing rotor radius will severely
affect twist angle of entire blade & tip-speed ratio; aerogenerators have no crank arm)

CONVENTIONAL ENERGY – Moderate Questions

1. What is the electrical energy consumption of a 15-kw vermin cast production shredder
plugged in a 220-volt source if it requires 2 hours to shred 1.5 tonnes of farm waste?

A. 0.02 kwh/kg B. 0.04 kwh/kg C. 0.06 kwh/kg D. 0.08 kwh/kg

Answer: A

Solution:
Ec = PcTo / Wi
= 15 kw (2 h) / 1,500 kg
= 0.02 kwh/kg

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SOLAR POWER – Easy Questions
1. Which battery is designed for slow charging and slow discharging?

A. Maintenance-free battery B. Automotive battery C. Solar battery D. All of the above

Answer: C

2. Kind of battery useful in solar-powered energy systems.

A. Lead-acid battery B. Automotive battery C. Solar battery D. All of the above

Answer: D

3. Material used in solar cells.

A. Silicon B. Boron C. Equal silicon and boron D. Silicon with little boron

Answer: D

SOLAR POWER – Moderate Questions

1. In a sunny 12:00 noon in the Philippines, what is the likely voltage reading of solar pump
without battery when load is in turned on?

A. 20-22 V B. 16-19 V C. 14-15 V D. 11-13 V

Answer: B

2. In a sunny 12:00 noon in the Philippines, what is the likely voltage reading of solar battery
charger when no battery is being charged?

A. 20-22 V B. 16-19 V C. 14-15 V D. 11-13 V

Answer: A

3. At 8:00 P.M. in the Philippines, what is the likely voltage reading of a solar home system
when all loads are turned on?

A. 20-22 V B. 16-19 V C. 14-15 V D. 11-13 V

Answer: D

SOLAR POWER – Difficult Questions

1. In solar panel installation, which positive polarity wire should be connected last to the battery
control unit?

A. Solar module B. Load C. Battery D. Monitor

Answer: C

2. If a coconut tree shades half of solar module, which condition is true?

A. Zero voltage B. Low voltage C. Zero amperage D. Low amperage

Answer: D

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HYDRO POWER – Easy Questions

1. A 260 kw hydro power plant is classified as

A. Microhydro B. Minihydro C. Small hydro D. Big hydro

Answer: B

2. Under Philippine classification, what is the maximum power rating for microhydro?

A. 25 kw B. 50 kw C. 75 kw D. 100 kw

Answer: D

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY – Easy Questions

1. A geothermal power generation principle resembles a

A. Kettle B. Gas pump C. Jet propulsion D. Hot air balloon

Answer: A

2. In a geothermal power plant development, which stage comes first?

A. Drilling B. Energy demand survey C. Geophysical survey D. Chemical test

Answer: C

3. The rotating part in geothermal power plants which drives the generator.

A. Rotor B. Rotator C. Turbine D. Motor

Answer: C

OCEAN ENERGY – Easy Questions

1. The operating principle of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system resembles a

A. Water tank B. Gasoline engine C. Hydro power plant D. Refrigerator

Answer: D

2. In Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) system, what causes fluid flow which passes
through the turbine?

A. Bouyancy B. Temperature difference C. Underwater current D. Fluid pressure

Answer: B

3. Form of ocean energy.

A. Wave B. Tidal C. Thermal D. All of the above

Answer: D

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2. AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING

A. EASY
1. Industrial bottling of virgin coconut oil prints a batch number. What is the main purpose of
this batch number?

A. Serial number B. Bottle identification C. Expiry indicator D. Product recall

Answer: D
2. Which one is a part of a vertical feed mixer?

A. Screw B. Hopper C. Discharge chute D. All of the above

Answer: D
3. A feed mixer tested to have mixing coefficient of variation of 10-15% is rated as

A. Poor B. Fair C. Good D. Very good

Answer: C

4. As a standard, stripping efficiency of the mechanized stripping machine shall be at least

A. 70% B. 80% C. 85% D. 90%

Answer: B

B. MODERATE

1. A 2.4-tonne capacity Jatropha oil expeller was loaded full with dried Jatropha seeds in 4
minutes. It produced 600 kg of crude oil in 2 hours. What is its crude oil production rate?

A. 300 kg/h B. 200 kg/min C. 600 kg/h D. 600 kg/min

Answer: A

Solution:

Poil = Weight of crude oil collected / Total time

= 600 kg /2 h
= 300 kg/h

2. A Jatropha oil expeller was loaded with 2.1 tonnes dried Jatropha seeds. It produced 600 kg
of crude oil in 3 hours. What is its Jatropha cake production rate?

A. 700 kg/h B. 500 kg/h C. 400 kg/h D. 300 kg/h

Answer: B

Solution:

Pcake = Weight of resulting Jatropha cake produced / Total time

= (2,100 kg seed - 600 kg oil) /3 h
= 500 kg/h

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C. DIFICULT

1. A 20-tonne capacity coconut oil expeller was loaded full with grated copra. It produced 8,000
kg of crude oil in 20 hours. What is the copra cake production rate of the machine at 98%
cake collection efficiency?

A. 392 kg/h B. 600 kg/h C. 588 kg/h D. None of the above

Answer: C

Solution:

Pcake = [(Wt. of copra input - Wt. of crude oil collected )/ Total time] x Eff
= [(20,000 kg - 8,000 kg) /20 h] x 0.98
= 588 kg/h

2. How many tonnes of agricultural waste is needed annually to optimally operate a 26-ampere
6-kw vermi cast production shredder having a capacity of 0.25 tonne of waste per hour? It
optimally operates 16 hours daily during the 3-month peak sunny months and 8 h/day at 26
days/month for the rest of the year.

A. 828 B. 414 C. 441 D. 114

Answer: A

Solution:

Wt = Input Rate x (Peak Operating Time + Lean Operating Time)

= [0.25 tonne/h][ (16 h/d x 30 d/mo x 3 mo/yr)+ (8 h/d x 26 d/mo x 9 mos/yr)]
= 828 tonnes /yr

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3. AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES

FARM-TO-MARKET ROADS - Easy Questions

1. The minimum carriageway of one-lane and two-lane farm-to-market roads, respectively,

excluding the road shoulders, shall be

A. 3.5 and 7 m B. 3 and 6 m C. 2.5 and 5 m D. 2 and 4 m

Answer: D

2. In lateral and sub-lateral irrigation canals where the available roadway width is 3 meters, the
carriageway and shoulder, respectively, of the farm-to-market road shall be

A. 2.8 and 0.2 m B. 2.4 and 0.3 m C. 2 and 0.5 m D. 2 and 1 m

Answer: C

3. In main irrigation canals where the available roadway width is 6 meters, the shoulder and
carriageway, respectively, of the farm-to-market road shall be

A. 0.5 and 5 m B. 1 and 4 m C. 0.5 and 4.5 D. 1 and 5 m

Answer: B

4. For gravel and bituminous farm-to-market roads, the minimum slope from the centerline
towards the ditch shall be

A. 1% B. 2% C. 3% D. 5%

Answer: C

5. For concrete farm-to-market roads, the maximum slope from the centerline towards the ditch
shall be

A. 5% B. 3% C. 2.5% D. 1.5%

Answer: D

6. For farm-to-market roads constructed along the main, lateral and sub-lateral irrigation canals,
the run:rise side slope of the earth embankment shall be

A. 1.5:1 B. 2:1 C. 1:1 D. 0.5: 1

Answer: A

7. In farm-to-market roads, the minimum radius of curvature for flat, rolling and mountainous
terrains, respectively, shall be

A. 75, 50 & 5 m B. 150, 100 & 50 m C. 500, 150 & 50 m D. 600, 200 & 100 m

Answer: C

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8. In a bituminous farm-to-market road, what course is the third layer from the top?

A. Aggregate B. Aggregate subbase C. Aggregate base D. Earth

Answer: B

9. As an engineer, what thickness of the Portland cement concrete pavement will you use in a
two-lane farm-to-market road?

A. 10 cm B. 15 cm C. 20 cm D. 25 cm

Answer: C

10. In concrete farm-to-market road construction, what plus or minus in thickness variation will
you allow in the Portland cement concrete pavement?

A. 10 mm B. 20 mm C. 30 mm D. 40 mm

Answer: B

11. As a minimum, all culverts and storm drains used in relation with farm-to-market roads
should be designed using a storm of two-year return period and duration of

A. 6 hours B. 12 hours C. 18 hours D. 24 hours

Answer: D

12. Culverts and storm drains have ideal slope of 2-4 %. What is the absolute minimum slope for
culverts and storm drains?

A. 0.5 % B. 0.75 % C. 1 % D. 1.25 %

Answer: A

13. In concrete farm-to-market road design, what class A concrete thickness will you use in
triangular concrete-lined ditch?

A. 10 cm B. 15 cm C. 20 cm D. 25 cm

Answer: B

14. In concrete farm-to-market road design, what wall thickness will you use in rectangular
grouted riprap ditch?

A. 10 cm B. 15 cm C. 20 cm D. 25 cm

Answer: D

15. As a contractor, what project management amount in terms of estimated direct cost
percentage will you charge aside from the 10-15 % profit in farm-to-market road projects?

A. 5 % B. 7.5 % C. 10 % D. 12 %

Answer: A

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IRRIGATION STRUCTURES – Easy Questions

1. The standard diameter of both vertical and horizontal reinforcing bars in open channel
construction.

A. 8 mm B. 10 mm C. 12 mm D. 16 mm

Answer: B

2. In open channel construction, what class of concrete mix should be used?

A. Class A B. Class AA C. Class B D. Class C

Answer: A

3. The standard spacing between vertical bars in open channel construction.

A. 10 cm B. 20 cm C. 30 cm D. 50 cm

Answer: B

4. In open channel design, what is the standard concrete wall thickness of lateral trapezoidal
open channel?

A. 5 cm B. 10 cm C. 15 cm D. 20 cm

Answer: C

5. The standard gage number of G.I. tie wire for open channel construction.

A. 8 B. 10 C. 12 D. 16

Answer: D

6. In class A, B or C concrete, how many cubic meters of sand should be mixed to produce 1
cubic meter of concrete?

A. 0.25 B. 0.50 C. 0.75 D. 1.0

Answer: B

7. In open channel construction, how many 40-kg bags of cement are needed per cubic meter of
concrete?

A. 12 B. 9 C. 7.5 D. 6

Answer: B

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IRRIGATION STRUCTURES – Moderate Questions

1. In open channel construction, how many 40-kg bags of cement are needed for a 10-km lateral
channel if it requires 0.6 cubic meter concrete per linear meter? Use 5% safety factor.

A. 67,500 B. 65,700 C. 57,600 D. 56,700

Answer: D

Solution:

Bags = Safety factor x Bags cement/cu.m. concrete x Concrete volume

= 1.05 x 9 bags/cu.m. x (0.6 cu.m/m x 10,000 m)
= 56,700 bags

2. How many truck loads of sand are needed for 25-km main irrigation canal requiring 3.5 cubic
meters concrete per linear meter? 1 truck load is 2.5 cubic meters. Use 5% safety factor.

A. 1,837 B. 1,387 C. 18,375 D. 18,357

Answer: C

Solution:

Truck loads = Safety factor x Cu.m. sand/cu.m. concrete x Trucks/cu.m. x Concrete volume
= 1.05 x 0.5 cu.m./cu.m. x 1 truck load/2.5 cu.m. x (3.5 cu.m/m x 25,000 m)
= 18,375 truck loads

3. Estimate the truck loads of gravel needed for an 8-km main irrigation canal requiring 4 cubic
meters concrete per linear meter. 1 truck load is 2.5 cubic meters. Use 6% safety factor.

A. 12,210 B. 13,570 C. 15,370 D. 11,220

Answer: B

Solution:

Truck loads = Safety factor x Cu.m. gravel/cu.m. concrete x Trucks/cu.m. x Concrete volume
= 1.06 x 1 cu.m./cu.m. x 1 truck load/2.5 cu.m. x (4 cu.m/m x 8,000 m)
= 13,568 truck loads

4. How much should be budgeted for cement for 20-km irrigation canal if it requires half cubic
meter concrete per linear meter and cement costs Php200/bag? Use 5% safety factor.

A. Php 1,869,000 B. Php 18,690,000 C. Php 18,900,000 D. Php 18,960,000

Answer: C

Solution:

Budget = Safety factor x Bags cement/cu.m. concrete x Concrete volume x Unit Cost
= 1.05 x 9 bags/cu.m. x (0.5 cu.m/m x 20,000 m) x Php 200
= Php 18,900,000

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IRRIGATION STRUCTURES – Difficult Questions

1. Give cement budget estimate for 20-km canal requiring 2/3 cubic meter concrete per linear
meter. Cement costs Php200/bag while transport costs Php 10/bag. Use 5% safety factor.

A. Php 2,574,000 B. Php 25,738,000 C. Php 25,378,000 D. Php 26,473,000

Answer: D

Solution:

Budget = Safety factor x Bags cement/cu.m. concrete x Concrete volume x Unit Cost
= 1.05 x 9 bags/cu.m. x (0.667 cu.m/m x 20,000 m) x (Php 200 + Php 10)
= Php 26,473,230

2. A gravity dam weighing 65,000 tonnes is to be constructed with length along dam axis of 1
km and base of 100 meters. What should be the minimum soil bearing stress? Use factor of
safety against sinking of 2.

A. 13 tonnes/sq.m. B. 1.3 tonnes/sq.m. C. 3.1 tonnes/sq.m. D. 31 tonnes/sq.m.

Answer: B

Solution:
Sinking Factor of safety = Min. defensive bearing stress/Offensive bearing stress
Min. def. stress = Sinking FS x Offensive Stress, Offensive stress = Weight/Area
= 2 x (65,000 tonnes / (1,000 m x 100 m)
= 1.3 tonnes/square meter

3. A 1-meter thick trapezoidal section of a concrete dam has resisting moment about the dam
toe of 300,000 tonne-meters. The water exerts 4,050 tonnes horizontally at 30 meters above
the dam toe. What is the factor of safety against overturning?

A. 2.5 B. 3.6 C. 5.2 D. 1.9

Answer: A

Solution:
Overturing Factor of Safety = Resisting moment/Overturning moment
= 300,000 /(4050 x 30)
= 2.47

4. A concrete dam with 50,000 sq.m. submerged vertical upstream wall is to be constructed
against a 546 tonnes/sq.m. average water pressure. Coefficient of friction at dam base is 0.8.
What should be the minimum dam weight? Use factor of safety against sliding of 2.

A. 68,250,000 tonnes B. 68,250 tonnes C. 62,850,000 tonnes D. 62,850 tonnes

Answer: A

Solution:
SlidingFactor of Safety = Min. defensive horizontal force/Offensive horizontal force
Min. defensive force = Coef. of friction x Weight = FS x Offensive force
Weight = FS x Offensive force / Coef. of friction
Weight = 2 x (546 tonnes/sq.m. x 50,000 sq.m.) / 0.8
Weight = 68,250,000 tonnes

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4. WASTE MGT. & CLEAN DEVELOPMENT MECHANISM (CDM)

A. EASY QUESTIONS

1. The amount paid to project owners from CDM fund for carbon emission reduction projects.

A. Carbon credit value B. Emission value C. Carbon trading value D. None of the above

Answer: A

2. The acronym of the Inter-Governmental Panel for Climate Change.

A. IGPCC B. IPCC C. Any of the above D. None of the above

Answer: B

3. Best kind of biogas plant for large animal farms having effluents with low solid content.

A. Fixed dome B. Floating type C. Covered lagoon D. None of the above

Answer: C

4. Plastic sheet for constructing balloon and bed lining in covered lagoon biogas plants.

A. Acetate B. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

C. High density polyethylene (HDPE) D. None of the above

Answer: C

5. By how many times is methane destructive to the environment than carbon dioxide?

A. 2 times B. 10 times C. 21 times D. None of the above

Answer: C

6. Toxic by-product of geothermal power plants.

A. Carbon monoxide B. Hydrogen sulfide C. Carbon dioxide D. Sulfuric acid

Answer: B

7. When using covered lagoon biodigester, what is approximate methane content in biogas?

A. 40% B. 50% C. 70% D. 80%

Answer: C

8. What is the minimum methane content of biogas in order to operate biogas-fueled generators?

A. 50% B. 65% C. 85% D. 90%

Answer: B

9. When using 1:1 water-manure ratio, what is the approximate methane content of biogas?

A. 40% B. 50% C. 60% D. 80%

Answer: C

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B. MODERATE QUESTIONS

1. Determine the daily biogas consumption in cubic meters of an industrial boiler using 10 units
of 50-cm gas burner 8 hours a day. The consumption of each gas burner is 1.2 cu.m./hour.

A. 9.6 B. 96 C. 120 D. 80

Answer: B

Solution:

C = NBT
where C= Consumption, N = No. of units, B = biogas consumption of device, T = Time

C = (10 units)( 1.2 m3/hr)(8 hrs)

= 96 m3

2. Estimate the biogas production in cubic meters per day from a large balloon type digester
using 1:1 water-manure ratio. The source farm has 1,000 heads of porkers of mixed ages. Use
a retention period of 30 days. The mean daily manure production of porkers is 2.2 kg/head
while the specific gas production for 30-day manure retention period is 0.063 m3/kg.

A. 97 B. 102 C. 139 D. 193

Answer: C

Solution:

P = NMG
where P = biogas production potential, N = No.of heads, M = manure production,
G = Specific gas production of the manure for a specific retention period

P = (1000 heads)(2.2 kg/head)(0.063 m3/kg)

= 138.6 m3

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C. DIFFICULT QUESTIONS

1. How many heads of breeding cattle are needed as source of manure to generate 75 m3 of
biogas a day if the retention period is 25 days and water-manure ratio is 1:1. The mean daily
manure production of breeding cattle is 13 kg/head while its specific gas production for 25-
day manure retention period is half of that of chicken dung.

A. 192 B. 193 C. 129 D. 139

Answer: B

Solution:

N = P/(MG)
where N = No. of heads, C = biogas production, M = manure production,
G = Specific gas production of the manure for a specific retention period

G = 0.5 x G for chicken dung at 25-day retention period

= 0.5 x 0.06 m3/kg
= 0.03 m3/kg

C = (75 m3)/[(13 kg/head)(0.03 m3/kg)]

= 192.3 heads, to avoid gas shortage round up to 193 heads

2. In the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), how much will the project owner of a new
covered lagoon biodigester receive annually from CDM fund for the first 10 years if his
biodigester produces 7,000 tonnes of methane and 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
Assume that the current carbon credit costs US$10 per tonne of carbon equivalent.

A. US$ 30,000 B. US$ 100,000 C. US$ 70,000 D. US$ 1,500,000

Answer: D

Solution:

Considering that methane is 21 times more destructive than carbon,

Amount = Carbon cost per tonne x [(tonnes carbon/year + 21 (tonnes of methane/year)]

= US$ 10 [3,000 + 21(7,000)]
= US$ 1,500,000/year

REFERENCES:

1. Farm Electrification by Robert H. Brown, E.E., A.E., latest edition

2. Philippine Agricultural Engineering Journal, Vol. XXX (2)
3. Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standards (PAES), Vols. 1-8
4. Renewable Energy Journal, various issues & authors
5. Biogas Plant Design by Arthur It. Tambong, 1992
6. Manual for Micro-Hydropower Development, DOE and JICA, 2004
7. Electrical Power Calculations, AUDELS, latest edition
8. Fundamentals of Environmental Science by G. C. Catchillar, 2008

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