A methane digester, or anaerobic digester, decomposes organic waste by limiting oxygen intake and produces methane gas as a byproduct. The gas can be collected and used as fuel for heating and electricity generation. Anaerobic decomposition proceeds in two stages, producing gases and solids with high nitrogen content that can be used as fertilizer. The construction of a methane digester provides for an airtight container with a waste inlet port and a gas collection pipe. The process is not odor-free and emits harmful gases, so it is not ideal for residential areas.
A methane digester is more properly known as an anaerobic digester because it decomposes organic wastes by limiting oxygen intake and produces methane gas as a byproduct. Anaerobic decomposition of organic matter such as animal feces, food waste and plant matter is a natural process that produces methane gas, but when it occurs in a methane digester, the gas can be collected and used as fuel. Large farms and waste treatment plants frequently recycle animal waste and wastewater in a methane digester and use the gas, which is similar to natural gas, for heating and electricity generation.
Anaerobic decomposition proceeds in two stages. In the first, complex organic molecules in waste are broken down by acidic microbes into peptides, alcohols and simple sugars. These molecules are then broken down again by a different set of microbes. As a byproduct, the process produces gases, including methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and solids with a high nitrogen content. This process differs from aerobic decomposition, or decomposition in the presence of oxygen, which mainly produces carbon dioxide and ammonia as by-products. Furthermore, it also reduces the raw material into a substance that is lower in nitrogen and can be used as a fertilizer.
The construction of a methane digester provides for an airtight container with a waste inlet port and a gas collection pipe. Digestion proceeds best at temperatures between 32°C and 35°C (89°F and 95°F) and will decrease sharply if the temperature drops below 16°C (61°F). The solids to water ratio should be around 8%, which means that animal waste should be mixed with an equal amount of water. While a methane digester will work well with animal waste alone, its efficiency can be improved by adding plant matter.
The dual fuel benefits of electricity and heat and the reduction of waste to recyclable, odorless sludge make the methane digester an economical and environmentally friendly option for waste treatment. A large digester can be designed as a covered lagoon with gas collection collectors, while a smaller one can consist of a tank that can be placed on the ground or buried. Tank digesters can be heated, making them better candidates for colder climates. Although a methane digester reduces waste to an odorless material, the process is not odor free. In addition, digesters emit harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides and ammonia, so the area surrounding a large digester is not an ideal residential area.
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