AISHA KANWAL

[M.Sc Final] Inorganic Section

University of Peshawar
Contents of presentation
 What is biogas?

 What is history of biogas?

 What is the composition of Biogas?

 How biogas is produced?

 Types of Biogas plant?

 Introduction
Biogas is produced by the anaerobic
digestion or fermentation of biodegradable materials such
as biomass , manure, sewage, municipal waste, green
waste, plant material, and crops.
 Composition

 Vegetation: when vegetation decomposes, It

gives off Methane gas.
History of Biogas

. Jan Baptita Van H[elmont determined in 1630

that flammable gases could evolve from
decaying organic matter
Count Alessandro Volta in 1776 found a
correlation between amount of decaying organic
matter and amount of flammable gas produced.
 Anaerobic digestion first described by Benjamin
Franklin 1764.
In 1808, Sir Humphrey Davy determined
that methane was present in the decay
process.

`QSA
 Composition

 Biogas comprises primarily methane (CH4) and carbon

dioxide (CO2) and may have small amounts of hydrogen
sulphide (H2S), moisture

The composition of biogas varies depending upon the

origin of the anaerobic digestion process.

 Landfill gas typically has methane concentrations around

50 %.

 Advanced waste treatment technologies can produce

biogas with 55–75 % methane.
 Composition

Typical composition of biogas[10]

Compound Chem. %
Methane CH4 50–75
Carbon dioxide CO2 25–50
Nitrogen N2 0–10
Hydrogen H2 0–1
Hydrogen
H2S 0–3
sulphide
Oxygen O2 0–0
 Biogas Digester Types
Fixed dome plants
Floating-drum plants
Fixed-dome Plants:
 Advantages:

 Low initial costs

 Long useful life-span

 No moving or rusting parts involved

 Basic design is compact saves space

 Well insulated

 Construction creates local employment.

 Disadvantages:

Frequent problems with the gas-tightness of the

brickwork gas holder (a small crack in the upper
brickwork can cause heavy losses of biogas)

 Fixed-dome plants are, therefore, recommended only

where construction can be supervised by experienced
biogas technicians

The gas pressure fluctuates substantially depending on

the volume of the stored gas.
`
`

Floating Drum Plant

 Advantages:

Easily understood operation

 The volume of stored gas is directly visible

 The gas pressure is constant, determined by the

weight of the gas holder

 The construction is relatively easy

 Construction mistakes do not lead to major problems

in operation and gas yield.
 Disadvantages:

 Disadvantages are high material costs of the

steel drum

 The susceptibility of steel parts to corrosion

 Because of this, floating drum plants have a

shorter life span than fixed-dome plants and
regular maintenance costs for the painting of the
drum.
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 SOME PICTORIAL
REPRESENTATIONS
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