Abstract
This work thoroughly evaluates the electric power consumption of a full scale, 3 × 923 m3 complete stirred tank reactor (CSTR) research biogas plant with a production capacity of 186 kW of electric power. The plant was fed with a mixture of livestock manure and renewable energy crops and was operated under mesophilic conditions. This paper will provide an insight into precise electric energy consumption measurements of a full scale biogas plant over a period of two years. The results showed that a percentage of 8.5% (in 2010) and 8.7% (in 2011) of the produced electric energy was consumed by the combined heat and power unit (CHP), which was required to operate the biogas plant. The consumer unit agitators with 4.3% (in 2010) and 4.0% (in 2011) and CHP unit with 2.5% (in 2010 and 2011) accounted for the highest electrical power demand, in relation to the electric energy produced by the CHP unit. Calculations show that 51% (in 2010) and 46% (in 2011) of the total electric energy demand was due to the agitators. The results finally showed the need for permanent measurements to identify and quantify the electric energy saving potentials of full scale biogas plants.
Highlights
Energy production from biogas is one part of the strategy of the Federal Government of Germany to achieve a modern, climate-friendly, sustainable and secure energy supply [1]
A survey on 61 biogas plants in Germany showed a range from 5% to 20.7% of electricity, consumed with an average of 7.9%, in relation to the total electric energy produced by the combined heat and power unit (CHP) unit [13]
The research biogas plant of the University of Hohenheim is located at the “Lindenhof” agricultural research estate in the village of Eningen unter Achalm, 35 km south of Stuttgart
Summary
Energy production from biogas is one part of the strategy of the Federal Government of Germany to achieve a modern, climate-friendly, sustainable and secure energy supply [1]. By using renewable energy crops as basic material for the anaerobic conversion to biogas, these substrates represent the main costs of biogas production This means a great difference to other bioenergy sources such as wind and solar power which work on naturally supplied energy. A survey on 61 biogas plants in Germany showed a range from 5% to 20.7% of electricity, consumed with an average of 7.9%, in relation to the total electric energy produced by the CHP unit [13]. The "Intensive Measuring Program" project, financed with funds of the Landesstiftung Baden-Württemberg GmbH, aims to examine the influence of the process technology on the auxiliary electrical power consumption of the plant and its influence on the microbial conversion of the biomass. On the basis of these results the energy production process could be analyzed and optimized along the closed biomass material cycle
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