Increasing the biogas yield of a floating drum anaerobic digester using poultry droppings with banana (Musa Paradisiacal) peels

Abstract

An anaerobic digester was used to generate biogas using poultry droppings and banana (Musa paradisiacal) peels. The digester was tested twice with a retention period of 35 days. The first test (control) was carried out with poultry droppings and water as the feedstock using a ratio of 1:2 kg. The second test was carried out using poultry droppings, water and banana (Musa paradisiacal) peels as the feedstock using a ratio of 1: 2: 3 kg. The temperature of the slurry in the bio-digester was monitored and recorded three times daily. The ambient temperature measured during the first stage of the study was between 21–34°C while the slurry temperature was between 21 and 39.3°C. For the second stage of the study, the ambient temperature measured was between 21 and 32°C while the temperature of slurry measured was between 19.8 and 38°C. Higher ambient temperatures during the first test were responsible for the slurry temperature. The total volume of biogas produced during digestion for the first test was 83.38 litres while 121.3 litres was generated during the second test. The study shows that the biogas yield of the anaerobic digester was increased when poultry droppings were mixed with banana (Musa paradisiacal) peels. Banana peels aided the digestion of poultry droppings in the digester.