WASTE TO ENERGY CONVERSION

DESIGN OF ANAEROBIC DIGESTER

DR. PRASENJIT MONDAL

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

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 Gas purification Biogas for
and storage exploitation
Waste Factors influencing
Feedstocks plant performance
• Solid(dry matter)
Biomass for content in feed
fertilisation wastes
Reactor Secondary • C/N ratio
Reactor • Temperature
• pH
Simple schematic diagram of a biogas plant • Retention time

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Specific biogas production potential & methane content for several wastes
Wastes Average Dry Biogas Potential Methane Content
Matter(DM) l/ kg substrate %
content (wt %)

Wheat straws 86.5 367 78.5

Barley straws 84 380 77
Lucene 22.5 445 77.7
Grass 16 557 84
Corn silage 34 108 52
Corn stalks 86 309 -
Dried leaves 12.5 260 58

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Specific biogas production potential & methane content for several wastes
Wastes Average Dry Biogas Potential Methane Content
Matter(DM) l/ kg Substrate %
content wt %
Beet leaves 13.5 501 84.8
Poultry wastes 27.5 520 68
Cattle manure 14 260-280 50-60
Horse dung 27.5 200-300 66
Sheep dung 25 320 65
Pig manure 13.5 480 60

 Most desirable solid content is 08 %

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 Variation of biogas production rate with temperature
0.5
0.45
0.4
0.35
m3/kg total solid

0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
Pig manure Cattle dung Human Rice straw Wheat Green
wastes straw grass
Temperature (35 oc) Temperature 25 oc Temperature 8oc

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C/N ratio of some wastes
Suitable conditions for digestion
Material C/N ratio (%/%)
Dry rice straw 67:1 (42/0.53) • Solid(dry matter) content in feed
Dry wheat straw 87:1 (46/0.53) wastes : 08 %
Corn stalks 53:1 (40/0.75) • C/N ratio : 20:1 to 30:1
Fallen leaves 41:1 (41/1) • Temperature : 25-35 oC
Wild grass 27:1 (14/0.54) • pH : 6.8 to 7.2
Fresh cattle dung 25:1 (7.3/0.29) • Retention time : 60-90 days
Fresh pig manure 13:1 (7.8/0.60) • For mesophilic digestion it is > 20
Fresh human wastes 29:1 (2.5/0.85)
days.
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Cross section of digester
Where
Vcol

Vgst Vcol is gas collection volume

Vgst is gas storage volume

Vd Vd is active digestion volume

Mixing zone Vsl is sludge layer volume
Vsl

Total volume (V) = Vcol + Vgst + Vd + Vsl

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Reactor dimension • V1 is volume of top head
S1 • V2 is Volume of bottom head
V1 h1 • S1 is surface area of top head
• S2 is surface area of bottom head
R1 • V3 is the volume of cylindrical part
V3 H
R • R1 is the characteristic diameter of top head
Mixing zone2
• R2 is the characteristic diameter of bottom head
V2 h2 • H is the height of cylindrical portion
S2
D • h1 is the height of top head
R • h2 is the height of bottom head
Geometrical dimensions of the • R is radius of the cylindrical part
cylindrical shaped biogas •All the
D is above
the diameter of the
parameters cylindrical
can be relatedpart
to “D”
digester body differently on the basis of head types
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 Comparison between cross section and dimension
Vcol
S1
Vgst V1 h1
H1

V3 R1 H
Vd
R2
Mixing zone
Mixing zone
V2 h2
Vsl S2
D
R

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Reactor dimension For a typical case
For geometrical dimension
For volume Source
http:// D = 1.3078*V 1/3
Vcol ≤ 5 % of V www.sswm.info/ V1 = 0.0827 D3
sites/default/
Vsl ≤ 15 % of V files/ V2 = 0.05011 D3
reference_attachm V3 = 0.3142 D3
Vgst + Vd = 0.8*V ents/BRC%20ny
%20Design R1 = 0.725D
Vgst = 0.5 *(Vgst + Vd + Vsl)*K
%20Biogas R2 = 1.0625D
Or = 0.5*TS*M %20Plant.pdf
h1 = D/5
Where K is gas production rate per m3 digester volume per day
h2 = D/8
and M is gas production rate per kg of TS per day.
For Bangladesh K is 0.4 m /m /d and M is 0.28 m /kg/d
3 3 3 S1 = 0.911 D2
S2 =0.8345 D2 10
Volume calculation of digester chamber-
Determine the volume of the digester chamber and dimension of the chamber for
the biogas production from the cow dung of 10 cows having body weight of 200 kg
each. Assume the temperature is 30 oC , the solid content of the cow dung is 16 %,
HRT is 40 days. One cow produces 10 kg cow dung daily.

Solution:
Total discharge = 10 kg X 10 = 100 Kg/day
TS of fresh discharge = 100 kg X 0.16 = 16 Kg.
In 8% concentration of TS ( To make favourable condition )
8 Kg. Solid = 100 Kg. Influnt
1 Kg. Solid = 100 / 8 Kg influent
16 Kg Solid = 100 x 16/ 8 = 200 Kg. Influent.
Total influent required = 200 Kg.

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Water to be added to make the discharge 8% concentration of TS
=200 Kg - 100 Kg. = 100 Kg.
Working volume of digester = Vgst + Vd
Vgst + Vd = Q.HRT
= 200 Kg/day X 40 days
= 8000 Kg. ( 1000 Kg = 1 m3 ) = 8 m3.

From geometrical assumptions:

Vgst + Vd = 0.80 V
Or V= 8/0.8 = 10 m3. (Putting value Vgst + Vd = 8 m3)
& D = 1.3078 V 1/3 = 2.8176 m ~ 2.82 m.

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 Again
V3 = 3.14*D2*H/4
Putting V3 = 0.3142D3 = 7.046 m3 h1 = 0.564
V1 =
3.14*D2*H/4 =0.3142D3 m
1.86 m3
Or H = 4*0.3142D/3.14 = 1.129 m
V3 = R1= 2.045 H=
h1=D/5 = 0.564 m
m 1.129 m
h2 = D/8 = 0.352 m 7.05 m3 R
Mixing zone 2= 2.996
R1 = 0.725D= 2.045 m m

R2 = 1.0625D= 2.996 m V2 = 1.12

h2=
V1 = 0.0827D3 =1.855 m3
D= 2.82 m 0.352 m
V2= 0.05011 D3 = 1.124 m3 R

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 Vcol= 0.05*V= 0.5 m3
Vgst = 0.5 *(Vgst + Vd + Vsl)*K = 0.5 *(V- Vcol)*K= 0.5*(9.5)*0.4 = 1.9 m3
Alternatively,
Vgst = 50 % of daily gas yield = 0.5 * TS* gas production rate per kg TS/day
= 0.5*100*0.16*0.28 m3/kg TS= 2.24 m3
Vgst + Vcol = 0.5 + 2.24 = 2.74 m3

Further,
V1 = [(Vgst + Vcol ) - (3.14*D2H1/4)] = 2.74 – 6.24 H1
Or H1 =(2.74-1.855)/6.24 = 0.142 m
Vd = (V- Vgst -Vcol – Vsl)
Assuming Vsl = 15 % of V = 10*0.15 = 1.5 m 3
= 10-2.74-1.5= 5.76 m3
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