Biogas Development Research Articles

Solvent‐Templated Block Ionomers for Base‐ and Acid‐Gas Separations: Effect of Humidity on Ammonia and Carbon Dioxide Permeation

AbstractAs energy needs continue to drive the development of biogas and fossil‐fuel technologies, methods by which to selectively remove basic (NH3) and acidic (CO2) gases are becoming increasingly important, especially in light of global climate change. Block copolymers are considered as suitable membrane candidates in gas separations due to the ability of such copolymers to microphase‐separate and spontaneously form nanoscale morphologies that exhibit spatially modulated chemical specificity. Incorporation of charged moieties along the midblock of a thermoplastic elastomeric multiblock copolymer yields an amphiphilic block ionomer possessing a flexible molecular network stabilized by rigid endblocks. The presence of hydrophilic microdomains introduces an important consideration regulating molecular transport: humidity. In this study, solvent‐templating paradigms are employed to control the morphologies of midblock‐sulfonated pentablock ionomers, as discerned by electron microscopy and X‐ray scattering. The effect of humidity on the permeation of NH3, CO2, and N2is then investigated through the resulting membranes. As expected, NH3permeates significantly faster than N2, especially under humid conditions. Although not as pronounced, similar behavior is observed for CO2, thereby establishing that this block ionomer is generally selective to humidified polar gases.

MOŻLIWOŚCI I POSTAWY ROLNIKÓW W ZAKRESIE PRODUKCJI BIOGAZU I NAWOZÓW NATURALNYCH W BUŁGARII

The investments in biogas and bio-based fertilisers are an important tool for improving competitiveness and potential to increase production and economic performance of companies. The process of restructuring of the agricultural sector in Bulgaria, which is characterised by a large number of limited-capacity small farms, can be stimulated to diversify business by promoting development of biogas and bio-based fertilisers. This helps to increase the viability of the economy of rural Bulgaria which is currently heavily dependent on agriculture. The purpose of this article is to present and analyse the capabilities and attitudes of farmers to produce biogas and bio-based fertilisers as a precondition for improving competitiveness, achieving higher production and economic performance of farms in the agricultural sector and enhancing viability of rural areas in Bulgaria.

Microbial Electrolytic Capture, Separation and Regeneration of CO2 for Biogas Upgrading

Biogas upgrading to natural gas quality is essential for the efficient use of biogas in various applications. Carbon dioxide (CO2) which constitutes a major part of the biogas is generally removed by physicochemical methods. However, most of the methods are expensive and often present environmental challenges. In this study, an innovative microbial electrolytic system was developed to capture, separate and regenerate CO2 for biogas upgrading without external supply of chemicals, and potentially to treat wastewater. The new system was operated at varied biogas flow rates and external applied voltages. CO2 was effectively separated from the raw biogas and the CH4 content in the outlet reached as high as 97.0 ± 0.2% at the external voltage of 1.2 V and gas flow rate of 19.6 mL/h. Regeneration of CO2 was also achieved in the regeneration chamber with low pH (1.34 ± 0.04). The relatively low electric energy consumption (≤0.15 kWh/m3 biogas) along with the H2 production which can contribute to the energy input makes the overall energy need of the system low, and thereby makes the technology promising. This work provides the first attempt for development of a sustainable biogas upgrading technology and potentially expands the application of microbial electrochemical technologies.

Biofuels – tools for achieving environmental goals or green place branding? Present drivers and future visions in two Swedish municipalities

This paper presents a study of two Swedish municipalities’ engagement in biogas development. To analyse the drivers of such biogas development, the conceptual framing incorporates two perspectives on local biogas policy: first, policy drivers as connected to environmental goals and, second, policy as a matter of green place branding. The results indicate that biogas engagement serves as a self-governing activity with the fulfilment of environmental goals as a driver; furthermore, it is a way of expressing the mission of municipalities as “engines” of environmental policy. In one studied municipality, biogas engagement has an important symbolic value for green identity, meaning that green place branding is a driver. Still, interviewed actors from both municipalities lack clear long-term visions of biogas. Further studies of biofuel production should critically investigate visions of the future among central and local governments and evaluate the implications of municipalities as biofuel producers.

The readiness of farmer communities in biogas development (A case study: Wiyurejo Village, Malang Regency Indonesia)

Wiyurejo Village has the potential for biogas development with ±75% of breeders wanting to build biogas but do not have enough vacant land. Biogas is a renewable energy source which requires the involvement of the community and public awareness in its implementation. The purpose of this research is to know the readiness of breeders for the development of biogas with limited land availability for the development of biodigester in Wiyurejo Village, Malang Regency, Indonesia. Based on the analysis, the value of the stage of readiness of farmers community in Wiyurejo Village is 2.20, which means that from nine stages of community readiness, the stage of community readiness of Wiyurejo Village is in stage three, namely vague awareness. Vague awareness means most people feel that there is a local concern, but there is no motivation to do anything about it (Plested, Edwards, & Jumper-Thurman, 2006). The value of the dimension that gives the lowest contribution and is below the average value of the community readiness is community knowledge on the issue.

PERSEPSI DAN PARTISIPASI MASYARAKAT TERHADAP PROGRAM PENGEMBANGAN BIOGAS DI KECAMATAN TAMBAN CATUR KABUPATEN KAPUAS

Biogas is a renewable energy source needed as an alternative potential fuel. This research aims to 1) analyse perceptions and participations of community to the development of biogas in Kecamatan Tamban Catur, Kabupaten Kapuas, 2) identify factors influencing the success of biogas development in Kecamatan Tamban Catur, Kabupaten Kapuas, and 3) analyse the benefits of using biogas for community in Kecamatan Tamban Catur, Kabupaten Kapuas. The research was carried out in Sidomulyo, Sidorejo, and Warnasari Villages in Kecamatan Tamban Catur, Kapuas Regency. The research was conducted using survey data, and the data were further analyzed through descriptive statistics involving 33 respondents who have received the program of biogas development in Kecamatan Tamban Catur Kapuas Regency. The dependent variables were perceptions and participations of community while the independent variables were ages, the number of cattle, education, supporting program, and duration of biogas utilization. The results indicated that community perceptions of the biogas development were positively increasing (78.8%). The F-Test showed that independent variables influencing community perceptions significantly (P<0.05) with 35.1% of coefficient determination (R2). Although community participations to biogas development were relatively high (72.7%), there was no apparent impact (P>0.05) of independent variables to the community participations. Factors influencing the success of biogas development in Kecamatan Tamban Catur were passion, the number of cattle, floor types, applicable technology, and supporting programs from the government agencies. There are several advantages of using biogas for the community. First, the use of biogas improves cost efficiency per month by reducing the usage of fuel/kerosene for about 15 liters (Rp.150.000,-) and the usage of 60 bundles of fire-wood (Rp.120.000,-). Moreover, utilizing solid and liquid organic fertilizer increased daily income for Rp. 10.000,- and Rp. 48.000,- respectively. In addition, biogas application is more environmentally-friendly.

Enhancing the analytical capacity for biogas development in Brazil: assessment of an original measurement system for low biogas flow rates out of agricultural biomass residues

This study presents a comparison of two systems for measuring low-flow biogas production rates. Grass silage was used as substrate in the experiment. Measurements were made by using (a) manual readings and (b) an automated system. The automated system proved to be efficient as it allowed readings of the biogas flow rates in real time. Results were stored in a computerized system with a safe access interface to download the recorded data at any desired moment. Furthermore, the systems also minimized the error rate in comparison to the manual method.

Sustainability that backfires: the case of biogas in Emilia Romagna

The development of a low carbon society does not always deliver sustainable outcomes at local level, as in the case of bioenergy. This paper analyses the impacts of biogas development in Emilia Romagna (Italy) from a social, economic and environmental perspective (triple bottom line). Since 2009, the number of biogas plants has exponentially increased here, following the introduction of the feed-in tariff. Social opposition has been rising since. Therefore, the goal of the study is to investigate the causal processes of biogas development in order to understand what endangered its triple bottom line sustainability. The study does so by employing qualitative system dynamics (i.e. causal loop diagram). Results show that sustainability is threatened by weak local synergies, plants management and equipment deficiencies and agriculture related issues. The analysis suggests that policy interventions should focus on biomass supply and outputs diversification, governance, and social participation.

Taming the Renewables: Actors’ Innovation in Improving the Utilisation of Biogas for Everyday Use in Agricultural Setting

Biogas development in Indonesia has reached a large number of users since 2009 and the technology has had a successful adoption rate at the local level. However, the ways that users develop and adopt innovation with regards to this useful technology has been under-researched. This study aims to address the innovations being undertaken by biogas users; these innovations are a decentralising process of technical knowledge that is based on users’ interpretations of pre-existing social and cultural values they experience in everyday life. Through innovation, users can demonstrate a greater sense of ownership, which leads to them feeling more able to integrate the biogas into their lives, including its incorporation into agricultural activities at home. The main recommendation drawn from this research is that users’ ideas and knowledge, as well as the social-cultural values underlying their everyday lives, should be taken into account in order to ensure successful construction processes and that they be understood as co-shaping elements that will enable a smooth immersion of the users and the technology. Article History : Received November 26 th 2015; Received in revised form January 15 th 2016; Accepted January 26 th 2016; Available online How to Cite This Article : Alam, M. (2016) Taming the Renewables: Actors’ Innovation in Improving the Utilisation of Biogas for Daily Use in Agricultural Setting. Int. Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 5(1),57-64 . http://dx.doi.org/10.14710/ijred.5.1.57-64

Benefits of Rural Biogas Implementation to Economy and Environment: Boyolali Case Study

Selo, a small agricultural-based village in Boyolali, Central-Java, Indonesia has initiated small-scale rural biogas adoption as it presumably reduces the consumption of LPG, firewood, chemical fertilizer and (women’s) overall workload, which especially suitable due to the relatively high use of cattle in that area As environmental problems such as global warming from fossil fuel consumption and land degradation from deforestation and overuse of chemical fertilizers, and socio-economic problems as gender empowerment and self-sufficiency are becoming more pressing, it is useful to analyse the benefits of biogas as an alternative renewable energy technology (RET) provision in rural areas. This paper aims to assess the benefits of rural biogas adoption from an economic perspective, through calculating the direct and indirect benefits obtained from biogas adoption in Selo. For this, a field survey was carried out in Selo to ask questions to biogas users (N=21) and non-users (N=5) on their energy and fertilizer consumption, as well as emissions reductions resulting from biogas adoption. Based on the analysis, oon average, a household with biogas saves 490 kWh month–1, 20,000 IDR month–1,185 kg CO2e month–1.Chemical fertilizer consumption remains remarkably high, which may due to a lack of awareness on the potential of digester slurry by the farmers, for indeed, reduction of chemical fertilizer use would help address some environmental problems. Biogas quality of one household has also been determined by comparing its heating value to that of methane; the methane percentage (MP) was approximately 31%. The quality is considerably lower than expected from the literature (i.e. around 60%), which may be due to the farmers neither mixing nor supplying water to the dung. Trainings providing methods for improving digester overall effectiveness to particularly the women-folk may enhance digester management and thus biogas production, as they form the main primary operatives. Despite the room for improvement, the existing results clearly show that biogas adoption significantly reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, household energy costs, workload, improves environmental conditions and generates income through carbon credit exchange. Therefore, under the notions of sustainable development, environmental preservation and self-sufficiency, policy makers and NGOs should expedite their support in biogas development, e.g. by providing subsidies and awareness raising.

State of Development of Biogas Production in Europe

The share of renewable energies in electricity production is still low in Europe but there is a political will to increase it in the future by the development of solar and wind energies but also by the development of electricity production from biogas. Biogas production from solid waste is developing in Europe but with important differences between countries. Germany is from far the country where biogas industry is the most developed with 62% of the European biogas plants. However, the latest support schemes implemented in Germany (2012 and 2014) have strongly slowed down the German biogas market. Italy is number two for the number of anaerobic plants. Biogas industry developed very rapidly till 2013 when Italy had the highest feed-in tariff in Europe. However Italy has revised its support scheme to redirect the biogas market towards small size plants based on animal and agricultural waste. The development of biogas in France started significantly at the end of the years 2000 with the implementation of the first support scheme. However, the biogas market is developing rather slowly due to the rather low feed-in tariffs implemented in France. The example of Germany shows clearly that biogas market dynamism is directly linked to the support schemes and the feed-in tariffs implemented. Indeed, biogas industry in Europe was performing rather well since recently, but negative changes or cuts in the support schemes in some countries during the last two years, particularly in Germany and Italy, have slowed down a lot the biogas market, phenomenon which should last in the coming years though some countries like UK or France are maintaining their policies in favor of biogas.However, several factors could favor the development of the biogas market: The acceptance of digestate as a fertilizer, the possible ban of land-filling and the limitation of incineration of organic waste.

Analysis of supply-push strategies governing the transition to biofuel vehicles in a market-oriented renewable energy system

In this paper, the capacity expansion strategies of biofuels supply and the potential for the market development of biofuel vehicles are examined using an integrated System Dynamics model of energy and transport systems for Iceland. The biofuel markets are simulated in the context of a market-based economic system. The demand side enables an endogenous analysis of the road transport sector in which the long-term evolutions of light-duty and heavy-duty vehicle fleets are simulated through a consumer choice algorithm. Two scenarios are defined to support the fuel and infrastructure for biofuel vehicles: i) the Initial Push scenario as a tracking capacity planning strategy with an initial supply momentum, and ii) the Enthusiastic scenario as a leading capacity strategy with a continuous supply push. The results indicate that the dynamics of the bio-diesel market are not highly sensitive to the supply strategies employed. However, changing the capacity planning strategy could significantly influence the medium-term development of biogas as well as the evolution of the bio-ethanol market throughout the planning horizon until 2050. While the Initial Push scenario is less costly from a fuel supply perspective, the Enthusiastic strategy would be advantageous in terms of overall energy and transport benefits.

Development of a New Phase Change Biogas for Renewable Energy Storage System

<p>The aims of this study are to decrease the concentration of organic matter are to cooking and generate electricity from biomass. The methods were the preparation of fixed dome reactor, unit of CO2 removal, preparation and fermentation of cow dung, water, chicken manure running and sampling periodically every one hour and data analysis. Therefore, CO2 must be eliminated from the biogas and the corresponding phenomena of mass transfer with chemical reaction of packed column have to be studied. This study assumed steady state and isothermal condition. The system studied consists of packed column (stainless steel 304) 10 cm in diameter filled with 2 mm in diameter bead (zeolite) to the height of 80 cm and storage system of methane.. The gas flow rate was held constant at F = 800 ml/s, liquid flow rate (L) was 100 ml/s, pressure (P) was varied from: 350 to 700 mm water column (WC), and the concentration of aqueous NaOH 1.5 M inlet absorbent was held constant. The results showed that the percentage of absorbed CO2 can be enhanced by increasing the pressure. Using column with packing height of 100 cm. gas flow rate of 800 ml/s, using absorbent containing NaOH1.5 M with flow rate: 100 ml/s and at pressure of 350 mm water column (WC) and temperature of 30o C , the percentage recovery of CO2 reacted was 85%. The biogas then will be used to generate electricity.</p><p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Aqueous NaOH 1.5 M, Biogas purification, CO2 removal, Storage system</p>

Potential of biogas expansion in Sweden: identifying the gap between potential studies and producer perspectives

Many studies are available on the potential for increased biogas development and production in Sweden. The studies have varied assumptions on availability and potential for different substrates in addition to the demand for biogas in the transportation sector. Despite the potentials outlined, a dramatic increase has not been met in the biogas sector in Sweden and the constraints faced by biogas producers are rarely outlined. The aim of the article is to highlight this gap between potential studies and biogas producer perspectives in order to understand which factors affect the expansion of biogas in Sweden. Through a review of these factors and using SWOT analysis, the research provided has identified that important factors for Sweden include, for example, the availability and competition for substrate, digestate handling, regulations, and market incentives and support for biogas production.

Upgraded biogas for transport in Sweden – effects of policy instruments on production, infrastructure deployment and vehicle sales

Sweden is a leading country in the development of upgraded biogas for use in the transport sector. The introduction of a new vehicle fuel is complex when the production, infrastructure, and vehicle fleet must be developed simultaneously. The aim of this article is to present and analyse the development of upgraded biogas in the Swedish transport sector in relation to policy instruments and the availability of a natural gas grid. Plausible implications for the future development of the biogas system are also analysed.The development of upgraded biogas in Sweden's transport sector is heavily influenced in several ways by domestic policy instruments. Investment support schemes and exemptions from energy and carbon dioxide taxes have been key instruments in initiating the construction of new biogas production facilities and infrastructure. The study of the biogas development in relation to the natural gas grid presented in this article indicates that it may not be necessary to construct a comprehensive network of pipelines for methane (natural gas) to develop the market – at least not initially. In Sweden and elsewhere the biogas volumes will still be quite small in the near future and it is possible to achieve biogas development without an available methane gas grid.Public procurement, investment schemes and reduced fringe benefit tax have likely been important policy instruments in the introduction of biogas vehicles, whereas the support for private biogas cars has been short-sighted in some ways, and not sufficient to achieve a competitive cost of ownership for biogas cars in relation to diesel cars.The future strategy for biogas should be based on a realistic potential for using biogas in the transport sector; this would determine whether further market expansion is necessary or if incentives should be focused on development of the production side to cover the current demand for vehicle gas.The development of biogas production likely depends on continued tax exemptions, which are currently available only until the end of 2015; it is uncertain whether they will remain in place. If biogas should be promoted further among private car owners, more visible incentives for private cars are needed together with incentives for expanding the fuelling infrastructure network.

Development of Biofuels in China: Progress, Government Policies and Future Prospects

China is the largest energy consumer in the world, but has limited energy resources. Energy security is thus a primary concern for China. Over reliance on the consumption of fossil energy has resulted in severe environmental pollution, which puts pressure on the government to adjust its energy mix. To strengthen its energy supply and prevent further environmental degradation, China has been committed to developing renewable energies, such as biofuels.
 This article provides a comprehensive assessment of the development of biofuels, rural household biogas, and bioethanol, in particular. It also examines related government policies and the future prospects of the biofuel sector. The analysis shows that remarkable achievements have been made in the development of biogas in rural areas and in bioethanol at the industrial level. This progress is largely credited to government's strong support for the biofuel sectors. Nonetheless, although ongoing energy insecurity and environmental pollution continues to motivate the central government to support the development of biofuels, widening domestic food supply and demand gap, changes in rural life and agricultural industrialization constrain the further expansion of rural household biogas and cereal-based bioethanol. This article suggests that while China urgently needs to find alternative feedstock for the existing rural household biogas digesters and bioethanol plants, centralized biogas and non-cereal-based bioethanol projects should be prioritized for future development.

Experimental and numerical investigations of biogas vortex combustion

Low calorific value of biogas is one of the most important barriers of biogas development in industrial scale. Since biogas upgrading is complicated and not economic, various characteristics of pure biogas combustion have been experimented in recent years. In this paper, the characteristics of biogas flame structure and emissions in nonpremixed vortex combustion are studied experimentally and numerically. A lab-scale asymmetric chamber is employed as an industrial vortex combustor model and characteristics of biogas vortex combustion such as temperature distribution inside the chamber, the flame stability and the combustion emissions are investigated with respect to the various mole fraction of CO2 in the biogas content. The flame structure and emissions were recorded by changing the percentage of CO2 mole fraction in the biogas from 0 to 40% by volume. The results indicate that the stability of nonpremixed biogas combustion decreases when the rate of CO2 mole fraction increases in the fuel. The rate of both CO2 and NO x formation of nonpremixed combustion reduce monotonically when the rate of CO2 fraction increases in the biogas ingredients.

Insights into the production potential and trends of China's rural biogas

Summary China, one of the countries in the world abundant in agricultural wastes, has a great potential for rural biogas production. As a strategy for building a new socialist countryside and sustainable agriculture in rural China, the development of biogas is an important means to convert agricultural wastes to clean and safe energy, thereby reducing the need for fossil fuel and alleviating environmental pollution. This study presents an assessment of the biogas production potential, its current development state, and perspectives of agricultural wastes in rural China. Estimated data show that annual biogas potential from agricultural wastes is approximately (3350.58 ± 669.28) × 108 m3 (equal to 239.22 ± 47.78 million tons of equivalent standard coal); such potential has been underutilized in the past. By analyzing and summarizing the direction for future development and various benefits of rural biogas in China, we present burning questions and countermeasures for biogas development and recommend that the future development of rural biogas in China should focus on both household-scale and large-scale development, giving priority to the establishment of large-scale biogas engineering and biogas plants, improvement of biogas comprehensive utilization level, and construction of a reticular model of systemized green agricultural engineering linked with biogas to solve completely the problem of agricultural waste accumulation and improve the living conditions in rural China. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sustainability Objects as Performative Definitions of Sustainability: The Case of Food Waste-Based Biogas and Biofertilizers.

This article introduces the notion of sustainability objects to label objects that come with a claim to promote a more sustainable mode of living. The purpose is to show that organizations that develop such objects contribute to defining sustainability. A case study of the development of a food waste-based biogas and biofertilizers production facility serves as empirical example of sustainability objects development. The analysis demonstrates that this development has involved situating biogas and biofertilizers socially, entangling them in nets of relations and endowing them with an agency of their own. The study also shows that developing sustainability objects entails constructing performative definitions of sustainability. With sustainability objects embodying local definitions of sustainability, the success or failure of sustainability objects is also the success or failure of these definitions. Asking why sustainability objects gain or lose ground is therefore suggested as a way to understand the state and nature of sustainability transition.

Biogas as a boundary object for policy integration – the case of Stockholm

Policy integration between autonomous policy sectors is a tool for managing interdependent technical systems to avoid suboptimization. Biogas, regarded as a renewable energy carrier usable in the energy and transport systems, is produced from organic material such as municipal organic waste (MOW). It is connected to a number of systems and policy sectors, making biogas management an instructive case for studying policy integration processes. Swedish biogas production has increased in recent years, and in the Stockholm region there has been enormous interest in biogas production for vehicle use since the early 2000s. In this paper biogas will be discussed in the perspective that it is or has potential to be a vital part of three systems: waste, energy, and transportation. The aim is to analyse whether policy integration occurs between the systems and to explore if boundary objects can play a role when understanding policy integration processes. In examining the biogas development process, regional policy documents and interviews with stakeholders in the biogas process are used. The results indicate consensus among regional actors that biogas should be used in vehicles and that MOW should be collected for this purpose, indicating congruence of understanding of biogas. Biogas functions as a boundary object in these cases and contributes to high policy integration between the energy and waste systems. Despite consensus that biogas should be used in the transport system, there is little policy integration between the energy and transport sectors. The policy sectors of transport infrastructure and spatial planning are not concerned with fuel or biogas issues. Public transport policy focuses on the use of biogas for their vehicles, but even if biogas serves as a boundary object it is not developing into policy integration processes. The conclusion is that biogas development has resulted in integrated policymaking between the energy and waste sectors and biogas has served as a strong boundary object which has spurred that development. Between the energy and transport sectors there is little policy integration, and biogas is not a boundary object in the cases of transport infrastructure and spatial planning policy sectors. What this case shows is that if there is a lack of presence of a boundary object it suggests no preconditions for policy integration processes to start.