Biogas is produced by anaerobic bacterial digestion of organic matter, including human and animal waste, food waste, and crops. The process takes place in a sealed anaerobic digester, producing methane and carbon dioxide. The trapped biogas can be used for heat and electricity, while the waste residue can be used as fertilizer. Biogas production is environmentally friendly and economically beneficial, creating job opportunities and reducing energy production costs.
Biogas generation is the production of biogas for the purpose of generating alternative energy for electricity, auto fuel and various other purposes. An odorless and flammable gas, composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide, biogas is produced when organic matter is broken down by anaerobic bacterial digestion. The organic matter used for biogas generation includes human waste, animal manure, food waste, slurry, paper crops and so on.
Organic waste is generally processed, liquefied and pasteurized to rid it of pathogens and facilitate its decomposition by anaerobic bacteria. These bacteria, commonly found in soil and water, first use enzymes to convert waste matter into amino acids and sugars and then ferment them into fatty acids. The fatty acids are then transformed into a gas which is mainly methane and carbon dioxide, or biogas.
The entire process takes place in a sealed, waterproof chamber known as an anaerobic digester. The digester is usually cubic or cylindrical in shape and can be constructed of brick, concrete, steel or plastic. The liquefied organic waste is fed into the digester chamber through a tube and exposed to the anaerobic bacteria that thrive there at optimum temperatures between 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) and 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius).
The sealed nature of the biogas generator prevents the entry of oxygen and prevents the exit of the biogas once it is produced. The trapped biogas can then be diverted to a cogeneration unit to be transformed into heat and electricity for various practical uses. After the generation of biogas, a waste residue is obtained in liquid and solid form. It is called digestate and can be used as a soil fertilizer.
Using anaerobic digestion for biogas generation is a clean and environmentally friendly way of producing energy. Effectively disposes of waste that would otherwise have littered and polluted the environment. It also provides alternative and renewable energy that does not increase the greenhouse effect.
Biogas production also has economic benefits, reducing expenditure on energy production and benefiting communities, especially rural ones in developing countries. Biogas plants can create job opportunities for local people, and apart from helping local farms reduce their electricity bills, the biogas system can also help companies profit from waste treatment, fertilizers and the sale of energy from biogas.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
