Abstract
An anaerobic bio-digester with electronically controlled stirring system was fabricated and tested using locally available materials. The experiment was conducted on a laboratory scale in Federal University of Technology Owerri. Cow dung obtained from an abattoir in Owerri and household biodegradable waste randomly collected from residential homes and eateries were used as the feedstock for this work. The feedstock was pre-fermented for a period of 10 days in an airtight bag before it was mixed with water in the ratio of 1:2 to form slurry that was fed into the digester. An Arduino system controlled timer with LED display screen was designed to control the on/off signal of a 2Hp electric motor powering the stirring arms. The programmable stirring timer device was set to run the electric motor for 30minutes at an interval of four hours to allow for even distribution of nutrients and microbes in the bio-digester. A control experiment was also carried out with non-automated stirring system. . It was observed that gas production in the control experiment reached its peak in fourteen days and the period was mired by fluctuating and less volume of gas production when compared to the main experiment where the gas production increased appreciably and steadily with maximum volume recorded on the tenth and eleventh day as contained in the results obtained. Model equations were generated for the two experiments and the wide variation in values of determinant factors (R2) in the two experiments is an indication that the automated stirring system with R2 = 0.97 performed better than the manually timed stirred trials with R2=0.88.
Highlights
Green plants manufacture their food through the process of photosynthesis [1]
Biogas can be produced basically in two ways which may include: landfill gas (LFG), which is produced by the breakdown or decomposition of biodegradable waste inside a landfill due to chemical reactions and microbes, or as digested gas, produced inside an anaerobic digester
The appreciable and steady increase in biogas production recorded in the main experiment could be linked to the automation of the stirring system which ensured even distribution of nutrients, microbes and generated heat within the anaerobic tank
Summary
Green plants manufacture their food through the process of photosynthesis [1] These plant foods are stored in the form of hydrocarbon compounds that could be further processed under given conditions to release the held hydrocarbon gases to meet human needs. These natural occurring gases could be obtained through laboratory or industrial anaerobic decomposition of plants and animals materials, and are referred to as biological gases. The gases methane, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide (CO) can be combusted or oxidized with oxygen, the energy release makes biogas a source of fuel which can be used for domestic and industrial heating purposes, such as cooking or in a gas engine to convert the energy in the gas into electricity and heat [4]. Biogas can be produced basically in two ways which may include: landfill gas (LFG), which is produced by the breakdown or decomposition of biodegradable waste inside a landfill due to chemical reactions and microbes, or as digested gas, produced inside an anaerobic digester
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