BELIZE BIOGAS EXTENSION PROGRAMM

USER MANUAL OF BIOGAS PLANTS

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

USER MANUAL OF BIOGAS PLANTS

by: Gunther Klatte Belize Biogas Extension Programme Cental Farm, Cayo District Tel : 092 2129 / 31

Belize, 1992

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

USER MANUAL
Table of Contents Page 1.0 2.0 Why this Manual? . 4 Operation and Maintenance ... 5 2.1 The Initial Filling of the Biogas Plant .. 5 2.2 Operation of the Biogas Plant 5 2.3 Regular Maintenance of Appliances. 6 2.4 Faults of Appliance .. 7 2.5 Interruption of Gas Production 7 2.6 The Trouble of Scum . 8 2.7 Trouble with Feeding 8 Use of Slurry . 8 3.1 General Properties ... 8 3.2 The Slurry Disposal . 10 3.3 Use of Liquid Slurry .. 12 3.4 Use of Slurry for Compost . 12 3.5 Recommendations for the use of Slurry . 11 Use of Gas 4.1 General .. 4.2 Commercial Domestic Burners to operate with Biogas . 4.3 Gas Lamps . 4.3.1 Security Advise for your Health .

3.0

4.0

12 12 12 13 13

5.0

Simple Plant Malfunctions and Remedial Measures 14 5.1 Potential Repair Situations for simple Biogas Plants 14 Safety Measures ... 15 6.1 Safe Residue Discharge 15

6.0

Biogas owners willing to share their expertise.... 15 Biogas Constructors and Masons . 16 Selected Literature .. 16

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

1.0

Why This Manual?

Like all machinery, the biogas units and their appliances need regular maintenance service. In order to facilitate this service, this manual is offered to you so that you can learn to do these service yourself, whenever necessary and whenever technical assistance is not readily at hand. After sometimes in operation small failures or accidents occur. In the long term technical assistance may not available due to personnel limitations in the program, while you the owner may not be able to afford the cost of private technician. For this reason this manual will offer the know-how necessary to solve small failures such as leakages, necessary connections, adoptions, etc., so that you the owner is not dependent totally upon the biogas personnel. Only by completely understanding your plant your biogas syste m can you get the most out of it. This manual will help you increase the know-how of your unit so that you will benefit more from the energy produced and utilize is properly.

Photo No.1: Canal of piggery unit, connected to the Biogas Plant of Mr. Ebral Mai, San Antonio, Cayo District

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

2.0 2.1

Operation and Maintenance The Initial Filling of the Biogas Plant

The initial filling for a new biogas plant should, if possible, consist of either slurry from another plant or fresh cattle dung. The amount of digested slurry or cattle dung should be 2 3% of the total amount of slurry for initial loading. When the plant is being filled for the first time, the substrate can be diluted with more water than usual. Depending on the type of substrate in use, the plant may need from several days to several weeks to achieve a stable digesting process. Cattle dung can usually be expected to yield good gas production within one or two days. However, the very first gas production after closing the plant, should be vented unused for reasons of safety, since residual oxygen poses an explosion hazard.
2.2

Operation of the Biogas Plant

The operation of a simple biogas plant is relatively uncomplicated. The ease of maintenance ensures constant attention by the farmer. Nevertheless, even with a perfect design, a minimum of daily care is needed to receive a proper service from the unit. The lid. The sealing of the lid must stay moist. Therefore, the lid must be covered with water all the time. In order to reduce evaporation and mosquito breeding, machine oil can be added on the surface of the water. Attention! Mineral oil pollutes ground water and should be used in small quantities and with care. From time to time the water above the lid must be checked and refilled when necessary. When water is controlled, possible leaked at the lid are also detected. Expansion chamber. Once in a while the expansion chamber should be cleaned in order to avoid solids assembling in the corners and thus, reducing the gas storage capacity. Feeding the plant. The plant must be fed regularly in order to achieve gas production. The substrate should be free of stalks and other impurities in order to avoid scum formation and blockage of the inlet and outlet pipes. The next step should be to mix the dung sufficiently with urine and/or water to avoid separation of solid and liquid material inside the digester. The overflow slurry should be moved away from the outled. Otherwise it can be block the overflow and the gas pressur migth increase until it escapes through the inlet pipe or blows off the water trap. Therefore, the outlet and the slurry canal must be cleaned. This must be part of the daily routine of cleaning the stable and feeding the plant.

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

2.3. Regular maintenance of appliances

Biogas cookers and stoves are simple and easy to operate. There is no maintenance needed besides keeping it clean, in case of hardened knobs, it is necessary that they be cleaned and greased. It is possible to use any type of cookers or stoves e.g. butane gas cookers. But it is necessary to expand or change the injectors (to about 1.4 1.6. mm) and the air supply needs to be closed. Biogas contains about 1 2 % sulfuric acid. Thats the reason why simple gas stoves are getting (mostly) corrosion after one or two years of use. It is therefore recommended to use solid steel cookers to avoid this corrosion. The glass screen of the gas-lamp Photo No. 2: Cooking with Biogas needs regular cleaning in order to have in San Antonio, Cayo District bright light all the time. Cleaning should be done only if necessary to avoid shocks on the lamp that can destroy the gas mantle. Gas mantles of lamps only have a certain lifetime and ought to be replaced frequently. They are fixed with string to the nozzle and replacement is easy and does not require and skill. Attention! Used mantles are radioactive. Therefore, dust or pieces of the broken mantle should not come in contact with foodstuff. Children should be protected from inhaling the dust. Hands and working place should be cleaned with water after replacement of the mantle (see also point 4.4 Security advises for your health) Main Points for the Daily Operation/ Regular Maintenance are: Fill the plant with mixture of dung and water/urine Check the water trap from time to time, especially when there is no gas available or when the flame of the cooker is puffing Poke the inlet or outlet pipe from time to time, especially if substrate does not enter the plant Clean and inspect the gas appliance regularly Keep the overflow free from slurry Check, if the lid of the digester is covered with water Check the gas valves, tubes and fittings

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

After one year: Inspect the digester for scum formation and remove as necessary by opening the plant.

2.4. Faults at Appliances It is surprising to see, how much complaints arise because equipment was not kept clean. Often food drops into the burner head bit sometimes dust or cinder block the jets of the burners or lamps. Normally, blockage of the jet is removed with help of a fine wire or needle.
Only when blockage occurs in short intervals, the jet must be dismantled and cleaned. The rubber tube is to be disconnected and freed from dust by blowing through. If a lamp starts to loose its brightness, it is very likely that dust particles have blocked the nozzle. Again, the nozzle must be unscrewed and cleaned . 2.5 Interruption of Gas Production

If there is suddenly no gas reaching the point of use, there must be a leakage somewhere, obviously in the pipe or water trap. If you are the owner of a fixed dome plant, check the slurry level in the outlet chamber first. If the level is high, there should be gas pressure, or there must be a blockage somewhere: If the slurry level is low, first close the main valve of the gas pipe (on the plant). Wait one day for gas pressure building up. If gas is produced, which can be seen on the higher slurry level or if bubbles come up there must be a problem in the pipe. If the slurry level is still down there might be a bigger problem. A crack in the dome is the worst of all cases. The plant must be emptied and cracks must be repaired. But dont think negative; this rarely happens and in Belize we have never had any such case. Observe also the smell of the slurry. If it smells sour, the fermentation process has been disturbed. Wait some time (1 to 3 weeks) without feeding the plant. If gas production does not start be it self again, the plant must be emptied and refilled with fresh material. But such a breakdown of fermentation is very rare except in case of animal disease treated with high doses of antibiotic. Starting a biogas plant or after cleaning (emptying), manure from ruminants e.g. cattle, is useful to start the fermentation process, or use the slurry from your fertilizer chamber also, because it contains already the necessary methanogenic bacteria for the gas production.

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

2.6

The Problem of Scum

If there is heavy gas release from the inlet but not enough gas available for use, scum is most likely the reason. Often the gas pressure does not build up because of the continuous release through the inlet. If slurry does not overflow there is danger of blocking the gas pipe by rising scum. The lid must be opened and the scum has to be taken out. Straw, grass, stalks and even already dried dung tends to float to the surface. Solid and mineral material tends to sink to the bottom. With pure and fresh cattle or pig dung there should be no scum problem.

2.7

Trouble with Feeding the Plant

Whenever there is a problem of charging dung and water to the plant, there must be a blockage at the inlet or outlet pipe. The problem might be caused by fibrous substrate and could be solved by thorough poking. If this happens often, there might be scum blockage in the inlet or/and outlet pipe. Be entering a stick or pipe into the inlet one may find out the nature of the blockage. Only in serious cases the plant needs to be emptied.

3.0 3.1

Use of Slurry General Properties

Digested substrate (Biofertilizer) has almost no smell and is more liquid than undigested dung. Biofertilizer increase the biological activity and the humus content of the soil and this increases the moisture retention and the nutrient retention. Likewise physical and technical properties of the soil are better after biofertilizer application. Among the various effects we see for e.g. that soil is more porous and has a greater average of particles after 2 3 years of slurry application. The betterment in all areas (biological, physical, chemical results) gives you higher soil fertility and many tests prove the greater yield increase by using biofertilizer (slurry). Digested slurry has to keep moist or covered by soil to preserve its fertilizer value. The best way is to bring it immediately in liquid form to the roots of the plants. Another possibility is to compost the slurry together with organic material.

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

Many chemical processes take place at the same time which need different attention. But in general, two rules must be followed for preserving the plant nutrients of both the undigested dung and the digested slurry: Avoid long storage time and Keep manure moist and covered It is better to use slurry directly e.g. to fodder grass or trees than on annual crops like maize or millet.
Pigpen

Biogas Digester
Slurry Tank

Fodder Grass
Vegetable field near the Plant: Slurry is spread on by buckets

2.5% slope

Fig No. 1: Example of Slurry Distribution by Gravity Distribution channels need a slope for drainage. The slurry is dumped amongst the pasture when cleaning the channels. Slurry flows mainly to recently harvested areas. Slurry is spread on vegetable fields higher than the outlet and near the plant by bucket.

3.2

The Slurry Disposal Clever and realistic planning of the site of slurry utilization is the key to an economical biogas unit. Insufficient slurr y disposal leads blockage of the outlet and rising gas pressure inside the fixed dome plant. The value of digested slurry is about twice as much as that of fresh dung.

Slurry manure must reach the crops without loosing too much of its fertilizer value. Whenever possible, slurry should be distributed

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

directly to the crop by gravity. The best way is using irrigation channels for slurry distribution. If fertilizer follows the cropping pattern, space for a liquid storage tank of sufficient size must be provided beside the point of overflow. 3.2 Use of Liquid Slurry

Any use of slurry is a good use. Therefore whenever possible, slurry should be used in liquid form after leaving the overflow of the plant. A slope is required for short distance distribution. Distribution of liquid slurry needs management. Uncontrolled distribution may create swamps or thick layers or dried slurry sealing off the roots of crops or trees from necessary oxygen supply. The most labour saving slurry utilization is for fodder grass. It should be encouraged when controlled fertilizing is unlikely and planted near to the stable (and biogas plant) where it is used. Fodder grass should be cut when it is only 80 cm high. Slurry is led always to the freshly cut area. Per cow 500 m of fodder grass are a guiding figure. 3.3 Use of Slurry for Compost

Photo No. 3: Vegetable garden near the biogas plant, fertilized with liquid slurry, in Bullet Tree, Cayo District

The preparation of compost is best if distribution by gravity is not possible. Investment and labour input are reasonable and the nutrition value of the manure is preserved. Composting is a form of storing the slurry over sometime without loosing too much nitrogen. Compost is also a method of increasing the amount of organic manure, which stabilizes the soil structure and for long-term improvement of soil fertility.

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

3.4 -

Recommendation for the use of slurry

CORN (Maize) Corn is a species of highly required nutrition. With soils poor in phosphorus, it is necessary to fertilize with this nutrients. An adequate doses of slurry corresponds to quantity of nitrogen of about 90 to 160 lb/acre, which is equivalent to 4.500 to 8.000 gal of slurry /acre. A doses of slurry can be applied to 16.000 gal/acre (or more). But the slurry should be applied before planting, it will join the soil quickly. At the farm, various applications with buckets are recommended. The first application is done on the row before planting, on a ration of one (1) bucket to one (1) meter for each row. When the corn has reached a height of 50 cm, it needs an application of one (1) bucket per cluster (3 4 plants). During the rainy season, a third application can be performed of flowering period. SORGHUM OR MILLET Can be fertilized like corn

PASTURE CUTTING Immediately after the pasture is cut, an application of 4.000 8000 gal/acre of slurry is recommended. This corresponds to quantity of 90 160 lb/acre of nitrogen. For application with buckets a ration of one (1) until two (2) gal per m is necessary; this means one (1) or two (2) buckets of five (5) gallon for 10 sq.ft. CASSAVA Cassava is a cultivation, which absorbs great quantities of nutrients from the soil. Therefore high application of slurry is recommended. An adequate application could be two buckets of slurry per plant for each month, during the rainy season. LIMES, ORANGES and TANGERINES Recommended are applications of three (3) buckets of slurry per tree every two (2) weeks during the rainy season. Larger applications of slurry should be accompanied by fertilization along with phosphorus and potassium, for increase the yield and for a good quality of the fruits. -

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

VEGETABLE GARDENS AND FAMILY ORCHARDS Tomatoes can be fertilized with slurry on a ration of one (1) or two (2) buckets for 10 sq.ft, with applications every two (2) or three (3) weeks during vegetative period. Vegetables such as leaves (e.g. lettuce) should not be fertilized with slurry, but can be cultivated on soils, which have been previously fertilized with slurry at an earlier season. Legumes, like beans, should not receive high doses of slurry. The application is done before planting on a ratio of not more than two (2) buckets per 10 sq.ft. PAPAYAS AND OTHER FRUITS Fruit trees can be fertilized with until four (4) buckets of slurry per month during rainy season. BANANAS AND PLANTAINS During the humid season, until three (3) or four (4) buckets per plant could be applied, every two or three weeks. -

4.0 4.1

Use of Gas General Biogas is a lean gas that can in principle be used like any other combustible gas. As biogas burns with an open flame, the place of gas consumption should be ventilated but free of draft directly to the flame. 4.2 Commercial Domestic Burners to Operate with Biogas

Anybody who already tried to do this will have found that it is sometimes a challenging enterprise. The most advisable solution to convert especially butane gas burners is to increase the fuel jet diameter and to close off the primary air completely. This can be done with aluminum foil or other inflammable material. The fuel jet diameter for domestic use of biogas Photo No. 4: The fuel jet of burners should be: Between 1.6 2 mm for a a commercial burner drilled up to 1.6 mm Floating Drum biogas Plant and between 1.4 1.6 mm for Fixed Dome Plants. If combustion is perfect, the flame is dark blue and almost invisible in daylight. If there is too much air supply the flame will be yellow, the flame cools off and thus prolonging the cooking time and increase the gas demand.

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

4.3 Gas Lamps The principle of a gas lamp is similar to that of the stove. The secret behind a gas lamp is to adjust the flame in such a way that the hottest part of the flame exactly matches the form of the mantle, The burning gas heats the mantle until is glows brightly. Proper air mixture and appropriate size of the mantle plays the biggest roles. The methane content (or the gas pressure on fixed dome plants) of biogas sometimes changes. Therefore, the brightness of the light will also change. The metallic parts of the lamp can corrode very fast, this demands frequently lamp cleaning.
Photo No. 5: The bright light of a Biogas Lamp in San Antonio/Cayo

The bright light given off by gas lamps is the result of incandescence, e.g. the intense heat induced luminosity of special metals so called rare earth like thorium, cerium etc. After burning these metals will change and consist of 90% Thorium Radioactive (Thorium 232) and that gives the bright light. For the radioactive content of the gas mantle, please follow our security advises under the next point. 4.4 Security Advises for your health wh en changing Gas Mantles Beware when you replace gas mantles: Make sure, that particles dont blow away; enter your eyes and do not inhale Put a wet plastic or paper bag under the gas mantle when changing. Make sure that all ashes go into the bag. If ashes still remain, remove it with a piece of wet paper and place it in the bag. Dispose the bag in a place where it will not be Photo No. 6: Change of disturbed by animals (e.g. hens), or in case of gas mantle, placing a plastic bag under the mantle wind. Wash your hands properly after handling gas mantles Place new unused gas mantles away from food and out of childrens reach Be very careful the first five minutes after lighting the mantle Place your lamp, where it will not be disturbed by wind and where you can easily change the mantle

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

5.0

Simple Plant Malfunctions and Remedial measures Possible Cause

- broken gas line - blo w off wat er t rap - open gas cock Wat er in t he gas pipe

Problem
Sudden Loss of Gas

Counter Measures
Repair Fill up wit h wat er close Pump out t he p ipe Relocat e t he sect io ns o f pipe - App ly o il - Operat e repeat ed ly - Chang e t he t ype o f gas cocker (gas cocks) Use rod t o unplug t he pipe - Turn t he gas ho lder - Take o ff t he g as ho lder and remo ve scum I f t he plant has enough pressure, t he valves must been checked Clo se t he air supply at yo ur st ove

Pulsat ing gas pressure

St uck gas cocks

Co rrosion

P lu cked-up inlet p ipe St uck gas ho lder (Flo at ing Drum P lant s) S mall Fla me

Fibro us su bst rat e Flo at ing scum

Insuffic ient pressure

Yello w Flame

Incorrect air supp ly

5.1

Potential Repair Situations for simple Biogas Plants Detection

Inspect io n o f open plant , subsiding slurr y level - See abo ve Gas seal t est Visua l insp ect ion o f open plant

Damage
Damag e maso nr y and rend er ing

Remedial Measures
Inspect t he plant and repair any damage, t ear down t he plant if large cracks are fou nd Rep lace p ipe, repair connect ion t o maso nr y Repair render ing Renew seals co at ing

Damag e o r broken in let /o ut let pipe Damag e/ leaky Fixed Do me P lant

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

6.0 Safety Measures Biogas is a combustible, explosive gas and a safe handling is necessary. Therefore, you must learn following basic rules: - Never leave an open flame unattended - Always close the gas and safety valves of each appliance after each use Experience shows that leak and open gas cocks can and will be detected very quickly, by smelling of the suspicious odor of unburned biogas i.e. before explosive mixture forms. As long as the above safety aspects are achieved, small biogas plants require few or no special safety devices, the mayor exception being appliances that operate on their own, i.e. refrigerators, in which case the use of safety pilots are obligatory. 6.2 Safe Residue Discharging When discharging the digester do not enter immediately after discharge and never work alone. Do not allow open fires and avoid smoking around the open digester. Keep the top of the main hole open for one or two days. In the course of discharging, one person is not allowed to operate the digester! The following biogas plant owners are willing to share their expertise:

Toledo District: - Mr. Alfredo Villoria, San Pedro Colombia Village Corozal District - Mr. Justo Cobb, San Pedro Village Cayo District - Mr. Ebral Mai - Mr. Benjamin Tzib - Mr. Arturo & Salvador Mesh - Toh-Ola Mens Group

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Belize Biogas Extension Programme, Central Farm, Cayo District

Following Biogas Constructors and Masons are working: In Orange Walk District:
Leo nell Guerra, Const ruct or, Orange Walk Town (Tel: 03 22711) Gabr iel Perez, Maso n, Orange Walk Town Francisco Sanchez, Chair men o f OBTC, Orang e Walk Town (Tel: 03-22149)

In Cayo District:
Valent ine Vasquez, Mechanic for bio gas engines, San Ignacio (Tel: 092-2980) Ricardo Rejo n, Bio gas Technical at Cent ral Far m Manu el Balo na, Mason, San Ant onio Village

The personnel of the biogas program are always at your disposal: Drop in at the office in Central Farm, Cayo District. If it is too far, contact your Extension Officer or phone the Biogas-Office at Central Farm 092-2131, Ext. 106, and ask for the biogas technician .

Selected Lit eratu re - Uli Wer ner, Biogas P lant s in Animal - Ludwig Sasse, I mpro ved Biogas Eschbo rn 1992 - Difu si n de la t ecno loga del Bio gas - Int ernat io nal Bio gas Training Aru sha/Tanzania, 1990 Husbandr y, g at e/Eschborn 1989 Unit fo r Develo ing Count r ies, Gt z, en Colo mbia, Gt z, Cali, 1987 Workshop Paper, Car mat ec,

Gt z,

- Bio gas E xt ensio n Pro gramme, Tanzania, The Design o f I nject ors Bur ner s
for Do mest ic Bio gas St o ves, May 1988

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