Biogas production from cattle manure and sugar cane tip (Saccharum officinarum)

Abstract

The purpose was to study the use of bovine manure mixed with sugarcane tip (Saccharum officinarum) in the production of biogas. A semicontinuous biodigester prototype of 1.7 m long and 6 in. diameter was designed and built with CPVC material. The waste was collected fresh for physical-chemical characterization, based on basic laboratory methods. Then the prototype was put into operation under controlled conditions. The biodigester was fed in two moments: the first, with 200 g of manure diluted in 750 ml of water and the second with a mixture of 200 g of manure and 50 g of cane tip, diluted in 750 ml of water. Finally, the volume of biogas produced and its quality were measured, with a water column pressure gauge and with a 540 multitec device, respectively. The results show that manure with the cane tip generates more biogas, this is attributed to the higher percentage of volatile solids in the mixture, whose organic components were converted to methane. The biogas production studied is a management option for waste from the agricultural sector and thus mitigate CO2 emissions in the region.