Proceedings of the National Conference on

Trends and Advances in Mechanical Engineering,

YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad, Haryana, Oct 19-20, 2012

USE OF BIOGAS FOR COOKING PURPOSE IN A TECHNICAL

INSTITUTE: A VIEW POINT
Indraj Singh
SLIET, Longowal, Punjab, India
e-mail: indrajsliet@yahoo.co.in

Abstract
Energy crisis in world is increasing. There are limited resources of crude available on the earth. Price of LPG
increasing day by day. There is a lot off waste generated which have a problem of disposal. Bio gas production
condition in India is very high. The temperature conditions for the production of bio gas are very favorable
throughout the year and the availability of the bio degradable waste is in bulk. There is great need for the
development of the plants which should be based on the Kitchen waste, industrial waste and municipality waste
treatment. So author feel, there is a lot of potential to produce biogas from kitchen waste. SLIET is spreading in
451 acre area. More than four thousand students are staying in 13 boys and girls hostels and five hundred
families are also staying in residential area of SLIET campus. A survey is conducted at SLIET Longowal and
kitchen waste data collected from different mess, residential areas, shopping complex and restaurant. Survey
revealed that 600 kg/day of kitchen waste collected from residential area of faculty, staff, students mess and
other location. Biogas of more than 32 kg/day (2 LPG Cylinder/day) can be produced by using the biogas plant.
There is an expenditure of Rs 2.50 lacs in constructing a bio gas plant. Produced biogases have a potential to
replace a LPG already utilized for a cooking purpose of 250 student capacity in a hostel. The payback period is
around 1 year and 3 months approximately.

Keywords: Kitchen Waste, Biogas Plant, Anaerobic Digesters

1. Introduction
The biogas results from organic material anaerobic fermentation. The most important biogas components are
methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfuric components (H2S). The percentage composition of these
components as: methane 65-70%, carbon dioxide 30-35%, sulfuric components 1-2%. The bio gas can be
purified for its use in various applications.

The viability of bio gas production in India is very high. The temperature conditions for the production of bio gas
are very favourable throughout the year and the arability of the bio degradable waste is in bulk.
It is also possible to earn carbon credits for biogas-based power or heat generation in India. For instance, in Apr
2008, And hyodaya, a non-government agency working in the field of promoting water management and non-
conventional energy and social development distributed the first installment of the biogas carbon credit to
farmers in the state of Kerala. Andhyodaya had helped construct 15,000 biogas plants in the state and earned
carbon credits. This trend is likely to grow further.

The use of biogas for electricity generation in India is more recent, but this trend is accelerating. In many cities
across India, sewage treatment centers and organic waste treatment plants (those treating organic municipal solid
waste, for instance) already use anaerobic digesters to generate biogas and electricity. Some of the industries that
generate significant amounts of solid or liquid organic waste also have installed digesters and gas engines for
electricity production. Many of these require sizable investments, but it is estimated that they have a good return
on investment as the main feedstock that they use is essentially free.

1.1 Mechanism of Biogas Fermentation

Reactions:
The formation of methane from biomass follows in general the equation:
The products include, for example, the following:

Carbohydrates: C6H12O6 3CO2 + 3CH4

Fats: C 12 H 24 O 6 + 3H 2 O 4.5CO 2 + 7.5CH 4
Proteins: C 13 H 25 O 7 N 3 S + 6H 2 O 6.5CO 2 + 6.5CH 4 + 3NH 3 + H 2 S
Because the sulphur remains in the residue and part of the CO 2 binds to NH 3 , the result in general is a biogas
composition of CH4 :CO2 = 71%:29%The ratio of CO 2 to CH 4 is determined by the reduction ratio of the
organic raw material. During the fermentation of glucose (C 6 H 12 O 6), CH 4 and CO 2, for example, develop in
the ratio 1 : 1, since only if this is so is the balance of the redox values fulfilled: glucose has a reduction ratio of

217
 Proceedings of the National Conference on
Trends and Advances in Mechanical Engineering,
YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad, Haryana, Oct 19-20, 2012

+24, 2) CH 4 of +8, CO 2 of 0.The energy balance can be calculated as follows: Organic material, which is built
up by photosynthesis
CO2 +H2OCH2O+O2 contain the energy.

1.2 Design Parameter

A) Selection of materials
B) Total solid (TS) contains calculations of organic materials

Solid part: Total solid contained in a certain amount of materials is usually used as the material unit to indicate
the biogas- producing rate of the materials. Most favorable TS value desired is 08%.
Liquid part: contain 20% to 80 %.

C) Favorable condition for good fermentation-

Temperature: 20o c to 35o c.
PH value: Neutral PH and ranges 6.8 to 7.2.
C/N ratio: Ranges from 20:1 to 30:1.
Pressure: A minimum pressure of 6-10 cm of water column that is 1.2 bar is considered ideal for the proper
functioning of plant. It should never be allowed to exceed 40-50 cm of water column.

Seeding of Biomass with Bacteria: To start and accelerate fermentation processes, small amount of digested
slurry, containing Methane-forming bacteria is added to the freshly charged plant. This is known Seeding.

Mixing: Mixing has three important effects: Maintains uniformity in substrate concentration, temp. & other
environmental factors. Minimise the formation of scum on the surface. Prevents the deposition of solid at the
bottom.

Hydraulic retention time (HRT): For digestion where temperature varies from 20o c to 35o C and HRT is
greater than 20 days.

TABLE-1
Materials and their main Yield of Biogas Methane Content (%)
components m3/kg
Green Grass 0.630 70
Leaves 0.210~0.294 58
Carbohydrates 0.750 49
Liquid 1.440 72
Protein 0.980 50

1.3 Properties of Biogas

Composition: 60 to 70 per cent Methane, 30 to 40 per cent carbon dioxide, traces of hydrogen sulfide, ammonia
and water vapor.
It is about 20% lighter than air (density is about 1.2 gm/litre).

Calorific value is 18.7 to 26 MJ/ m3 (500 to 700 Btu/ ft3.)

Calorific value without CO2: is between 33.5 to35.3 MJ/ m3
Explosion limit: 5 to 14 % in air.
Removal of CO2: Scrubbing with limewater or ethanol amine solution.
Removal of H2S: Adsorption on a bed of iron sponge and wood shavings.
Air to Methane ratio for complete combustion is 10 to 1 by volume.
One cubic meter of biogas is equivalent to 1.613 liter of kerosene or 2.309 kg of LPG or
0.213 kW of electricity.

1.4 Different Wastes Under Consideration

All biodegradable wastes can be use for the production of bio gas which may be listed as:
1. Agriculture waste
2. Household waste
3. Industrial liquid waste
4. Slaughterhouse wastes

218
 Proceedings of the National Conference on
Trends and Advances in Mechanical Engineering,
YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad, Haryana, Oct 19-20, 2012

5. Food processing wastes

1.5 Utilization of Biogas

1. The bio so produced can be use in various ways.
2. Production of electricity.
3. As the fuel in city buses.
4. Supply through pipes to the nearby villages.

2. Methodology
2.1 Potentional of bio gas
The development of simple biogas plants for rural households started in the 1950s. A Massive increase in the
number of biogas plants took place in the 1970s through strong Government backing. Meanwhile, more than one
million biogas plants exist in India. Out of this 95% of the existing plants are based on the cow dung. There is
great need for the development of the plants which should be based on the industrial waste and municipality
waste treatment. The aggregate potential for the biogas generation in India from the industrial, agriculture and
municipality basis is 2700 MW but current production of electricity is only 60 MW. Punjab is the most important
area where the potential for developing the bio gas plants is very high. This is because of the lead of the Punjab
in agriculture sector. Punjab has a very high agriculture waste.

SURVEY REPORT OF S.L.I.E.T

A survey report was conducted to collect the data of kitchen waste available for the biogas in S.L.I.E.T.

Sr. Sources of Amount of Type of Current

no waste waste waste state of
produced/day treatment
1. From faculty 350kg Kitchen No
residential waste treatment
area
2. From messes 250kg Food No
waste treatment
3 Other 100kg Food&Ki No
Sources tchen treatment
(Shopping waste
complex
etc.)

Waste available 0.6-0.7 ton/day. Total solid waste for proposed plant : 200kg (30% Moisture). Total effluent for
treatment 0.6 ton/day

2.2 Gas production data

Available waste 0 .6 ton/day
Bio Gas produced /kg of kitchen waste 0.3m3
Bio gas produced from 0.6 ton/day waste 180m3
After purification 80m3
1m3 of bio gas 0.4kg of LPG
80m3 of bio gas 32kg/day
(Approx 2.2 cylinders of LPG/d)

Diesel Equavelent of Bio Gas Produced

1 m3 of bio gas 0.6 liter of diesel
80 m3 of bio gas 48 liter/day

Manure Production Data

The manure will be produced 1.3t/d in the form effluent and 600kg/day in solid form. The manure so produced
has no smell and can be used as an efficient fertilizer.

2.3 Scope of Equipments

1. Mixing digester =1 (10m3)

219
 Proceedings of the National Conference on
Trends and Advances in Mechanical Engineering,
YMCA University of Science & Technology, Faridabad, Haryana, Oct 19-20, 2012

2 Digester =1 (8m3)
3. Mixing unit=1 (4m3)
4. Pipes as per requirement= 30 ft
5. Electric motors =4 Nos
6. Mixing paddles= 3 Nos
7. Slurry pumps =2 Nos
8. Shuttle valve =5 Nos
9. Pressure gauges =3 Nos
10. Temperature meter =2 Nos
11. Soft covering EPDM membrane =2 Nos

3. Economical Analysis
Construction cost Rs70, 000/
Cost of machinery Rs70, 000/
Miscellaneous Rs 40,000/
Running cost Rs70, 000/
Total Rs 2, 50,000/

3.1 Payback period

It is observed that minimum 240 days critical kitchen waste is produced in SLIET.
Biogas produced per day equivalent to 2 LPG cylinders.
Cost of LPG cylinder = Rs420/
Income Per day 420x2=Rs840/
Income per annum (240x840) =Rs201600/
Expenditure=Rs2.5 lac
So payback period is around 1 year and 3 months.

4. Conclusion
There is a potential of generation of 2 LPG energy equivalent cylinders in a day.Payback period is less than 1.5
year. Manure as a by-product is available. Potential of decentralise of energy generation. Smokeless cooking is
there so environmental balance and Pollution control.

5. References
[1] RANJEET SINGH, S. K. MANDAL, V. K. JAIN (2008), Development of mixed inoculum for methane
enriched biogas production
[2] KALE, S.P AND MEHELE, S.T. kitchen waste based biogas plant.pdf. Nuclear agriculture and
Biotechnology/ Division.
[3] KARVE .A.D. (2007), Compact biogas plant, a low cost digester for biogas from waste starch.
http://www.arti-india.org.
[4] The University of Southampton and Greenfinch Ltd. Bio digestion of kitchen waste
A comparative evaluation of mesophilic and thermophilic bio digestion for the stabilisation and sanitisation of
kitchen waste
[5] HILKIAH IGONI, M. F. N. ABOWEI, M. J. AYOTAMUNO AND C. L. EZE (2008), Effect of Total Solids
Concentration of Municipal Solid Waste on the Biogas Produced in an Anaerobic Continuous Digester.
[6] KARVE OF PUNE A.D (2006). Compact biogas plant compact low-cost digester from waste starch.
www.bioenergylists.org., M.C. JAIN, DINESH KUMAR (2000), the increased biogas production using
microbial stimulants.
[7] SHALINI SING, SUSHIL KUMAR
[8]Tanzania Traditional Energy Development and Environment Organization (TaTEDO), BIOGAS
TECHNOLOGY- Construction, Utilization and Operation Manual.

220