Biogas

 Bio Gas Definition :Combustible gas used as cooking gas in agricultural communities. Composed largely of methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide, it is produced by fermenting animal and human wastes in absence of oxygen (an anaerobic process). Solids, remaining after the fermentation is complete, are used as organic fertilizer.

What is Biogas?l

Most organic matter begins the process of decomposition when it is exposed to oxygen and sunlight. However, organic matter can also decompose without any oxygen, by the process of anaerobic This happens due to the bacteria present in the matter which acts during the absence of oxygen. Landfills see a lot of such decay, especially when the waste material becomes wet and receives little sunlight. As a result, a lot of methane and nitrous oxide is produced and released into the atmosphere. Biogas is the result of this decay, and it is an energy source like no other.

Advantages of Biogas

of Energy: To begin with, biogas is considered to be a  energy. Since it often produced from materials that form sewage and waste products, the only time it will be depleted is when we stop producing any waste.

2. Non-Polluting: It is also considered to be non-polluting in The production of biogas does not require oxygen, which means that resources are conserved by not using any further fuel.

3. Reduces Landfills: It also uses up waste material found in landfills, dump sites and even farms across the country, allowing for decreased soil and 

4. Cheaper Technology: Applications for biogas are increasing as the technology to utilize it gets better. It can be used to produce electricity and for the purpose of heating as well. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is biogas that has been compressed and can be used as a fuel for Production can be carried out through many small plants or one large plant.

5. Large number of Jobs: Either way, work opportunities are created for thousands of people in these plants. These jobs are a blessing in rural areas, which are the targeted grounds for the use of biogas. In fact, biogas can easily be decentralized, making it easier to access by those living in remote areas or facing frequent power outages.

6. Little Capital Investment: Biogas are easy to set up and require little capital investment on a small scale basis. In fact, many farms can become self sufficient by utilizing biogas plants and the waste material produced by their livestock each day. A single cow can provide enough waste material within a day to power a bulb the entire day.

7. Reduces Greenhouse Effect: It also reduces the greenhouse effect by utilizing the gases being produced in landfills as forms of energy. This is a major reason why the use of biogas has started catching on. It recycles most forms ofand works on simple forms of technology.

Disadvantages of Biogas

1. Little Technology Advancements: First of all, the current systems in place used to create biogas are not as efficient as they get. Little new technology has been introduced for streamlining the process and making it more cost effective. As a result, largeSCALE industrial production of biogas is still not on the energy map. Although it could solve the energy issues being faced by countries all over the world, very few investors are willing to put in the startup capital. It is also not the best idea to construct one biogas plant per house, which means that a central system will have to be put into place.

2. Contain Impurities: Biogas contains a number of impurities even after refining processes have been put into place. When compressed for use as fuel, these can become corrosive to the metal parts of engines.

3. Not Attractive on Large Scale: The process of using biogas on a largeSCALE is not economically viable and it is very difficult to enhance the efficiency of biogas systems.

4. Unstable: It is also somewhat unstable, making it prone to explosions if the methane comes in contact with oxygen and become flammable inNATURE.

Even with all of the disadvantages present, countries have started to apply the uses of biogas in everyday life. Public transportation has been renewed and made efficient with the help of CNG. Remote locations that are off the electric grid receive a steady supply of power from these plants. The future use of biogas is bright, even with the problems it faces.

Limitations

One main reason, often mentioned, is the required high investment capital. But often the reasons for failure were the unrealistically high expectations of potential users. Biogas technology cannot solve every problem of a farm, a village or a big animal production unit. If disappointment is to be avoided, the limitations of biogas technology should be clearly spelt out.
If from the below listed guiding questions one or more cannot be answered with 'YES', the success of biogas technology is questionable or even unlikely.

• Is there a real problem that biogas technology can address?

e.g. Is there a problem with the affordability and availability of energy? Is the substrate to be bio-degraded an environmental hazard? Is the lack of high-quality fertilizer a serious problem in the farming system?

• Can a permanent supply of bio-degradable material be guaranteed at low cost?

e.g. Are animals kept in a stable, connected to the biogas plant? Would filling the biogas plant reduce the workload of the farmer? If necessary, is transport capacity for the substrate guaranteed permanently? Will the biogas plant be connected reliably to the sewage system?

• Can the FINANCING of biogas systems realistically be solved?

e.g. Do potential users have access to credit? Can a substantial subsidy be expected from private or public sources? How realistic is the optimism of the biogas plant owner-to-be?

• For unheated biogas plants: does the climate allow bio-digestion for most of the year?
• Under arid conditions: Is the availability of water secured and affordable?
• Is the use of human feces as substrate and fertilizer culturally acceptable?
• Is the use of biogas, generated from human waste, acceptable for cooking?
• Are there allies among government and institutional decision makers with a certain degree of awareness of environmental problems?
• Is in the region a sufficient number of skillful craftsmenAVAILABLE  who can be upgraded to be 'biogas technicians'?

e.g. Is good quality masonry work known in the region? Is plumbing a trade that is practiced in the region?

• Does the number of potential biogas users in the region justify a 'biogas project' or the establishment of private 'biogas business'?

How Does Biogas Work?

Biogas is made in a biogas digester. We call it a digester because it is a large tank filled with bacteria that eats (or digests) organic waste and gives a flammable gas, called biogas. The bacteria in the Gesi550 biogas digester need to be cared for like you would care for an animal. If the bacteria have too much or too little food they get sick. You must feed the bacteria every day with a mixture of food waste and water. In addition to biogas, the Gesi systems make waste water that is rich in nutrients. This water may be poured over your plants to help them grow.

Biogas systems make use of a relatively simple, well-known, and mature technology. The main part of a biogas system is a large tank, or digester. Inside this tank, bacteria convert organic waste into methane gas through the process of anaerobic digestion. Each day, the operator of a biogas system feeds the the digester with household by-products such as market waste, kitchen waste, and manure from livestock. The methane gas produced inside biogas system may be used for cooking,LIGHTING, and other energy needs. Waste that has been fully digested exits the biogas system in the form of organic fertiliser.