International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 13, Number 23 (2018) pp.

16394-16408
© Research India Publications. http://www.ripublication.com

Development and Optimization of a Smart System for Biogas Production

Using Animal Waste

1
Daniyan, I. A., 2Daniyan, O. L., 3Adeodu, A. O., 3Uchegbu, I. D., and 3Abiona, O. H.
1
Department of Industrial Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa
2
Centre for Basic Space Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
3
Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.
*Corresponding Author

Abstract undergoes successive transformations until the final

transformation into methane CH4 (Clarkson and Xiao, 2000;
This work studies the development of a waste-to-energy
Vijay, 2012; Aslanzadeh, 2015). The resource limitations of
conversion system using the anaerobic digestion of animal
fossil fuels and the arising problems from their combustion
waste to produce biogas for cooking, generation of electrical
have led to a widespread research on the development of new
energy and organic fertilizers for households and on farms. The
and reliable renewable energy resources (Carucci 2011;
materials employed include galvanized steel sheets which is
Monnet, 2011; Taherdanak and Zilouei, 2014). According to
used for the fabrication of the digester and gasometer body
FAO (2008), the drivers for increasing the use of biomass for
because of its high resistance to biological corrosion, pipes and
energy include: the possibility of reduced carbon emissions and
fittings for the control of the flow of materials, fibre glass for
meeting climate change commitments; reduction in the
maintaining a constant temperature of the system, a sparkles
consumption of fossil fuel; technological developments
electric motor which is used to drive the mixer and a 220 V air
because bioenergy could be used to bridge the gap between the
compressor which is used for compressing the produced biogas
current use of fossil fuels technologies and future technologies.
into the gasometer. The plant is designed using Solidworks and
In many countries, sustainable waste management as well as
a monitoring unit is incorporated into the system comprising of
waste prevention and reduction have become major political
an Arduino Uno Microcontroller which is connected to a
priorities, representing an important share of the common
pressure sensor, pH sensor and a temperature sensor in order to
efforts to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and to
monitor the process parameters of the developed biogas plant.
mitigate global climate changes (Wang et al., 2012; Sasse
The results obtained validate the direct relationship between
2014; Weiland, 2015). Many researchers have reported the
organic loading rate and biogas production. It also show the
feasibility of the conversion of animal waste to biogas
interaction between temperature and pressure, temperature and
(Mshandete and Parawira 2009; Ocwieja, 2010; Ossai; 2012;
pH, pH and pressure. The simulation results obtained were
Mahanty et al., 2014; John 2015). According to Brummeler-ten
statistically analysed to obtain a suitable model for the
(2013) and Sanders (2015), uncontrolled waste dumping is not
prediction of biogas yield as a function of the four independent
acceptable in the economy today and even controlled landfill
variables. The work provides a suitable means for biogas
disposal and incineration of organic wastes are not considered
production with smart and continuous monitoring system.
optimal practices, as environmental standards are increasingly
Keywords: Anaerobic, Animal waste, Digestion, Energy, become strict while aiming at energy recovery and recycling of
Micro controller nutrients and organic matter (Ioana et al. 2010; Eyo 2014; Mao
et al., 2015). Hence, the development of a smart biogas system
using poultry waste will provide a clean method to solve the
1. INTRODUCTION problem of energy generation in many developing countries.
Anaerobic digestion is a simple and cost effective process
Animal wastes are rich in methane and can be used to produce which can be carried out in various environment where organic
biogas through the process of anaerobic digestion of animal wastes are generated on a regular basis. Some researchers have
waste and slurries in an airproof system known as a digester also developed biogas production system (Anjah and Shiv,
(Carlson et al., 2012). There are also environmental benefits of 2004, Tsavkelova et al., 2012) but the incorporation of
reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the use of biogas monitoring systems for optimum performance and the
as well as the supply of electricity in the rural areas (Cotrell development of model for the prediction of the biogas yield
2012; Schmidt et al., 2016). Anaerobic digestion is a suitable were not sufficiently highlighted. The aim of this work is to
process for the conversion of animal waste to biogas and can develop a smart biogas system capable of operating on animal
be catalysed in specific temperatures and in a neutral wastes for energy generation. In contrast to existing work, this
environment (pH should be equal to 7). Anaerobic digestion is study provides a biogas production system for both domestic
the controlled degradation of organic waste in the absence of and experimental use with the incorporation of an effective
oxygen and in the presence of anaerobic micro-organisms means of process monitoring as well the development of model
(Ojolo et al., 2009; Kabouris et al., 2013; Curry et al., 2012; for biogas yield prediction. It also contributes to knowledge
Waybright, 2015). It can be done in a mesophilic environment, with the generation of a predictive model and design database
corresponding to 32 -42 ° C or a thermophilic one, 50-57 ° C. for scaling its development, incorporation of low-cost
Under the action of microbial populations, the organic matter

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monitoring system for small-scale biogas system and provision to the system for easy and efficient monitoring of the digestion
of design framework for small-scale biogas system. This will processes.
assist in meeting the rural, domestic and laboratory energy
needs.
1.1 Materials Used
The following materials were used for the construction of the
2. MATERIALS AND METHOD
biogas system: Galvanized steel sheets, valves and fittings,
The experimental setup includes the development of a fixed stirrer, sparkles electric motor, pressure sensor, arduino micro
dome bio-digester with a capacity of 50 litres. A gas storage controller, pH meter kit, temperature sensor, steel shaft and
unit was also added for the collection of the biogas over the compressor
period of digestion. A stirring system comprising of an electric
The detailed list of the parts used in the fabrication of the biogas
motor, a solid shaft and bearings is also added to the digester
system are shown in Table 1.
tank to evenly mix the substrate. A monitoring unit is adapted

Table 1: Part List

S/N Description Quantity Material Remarks

1 Digester Tank 1 1 mm sheet metal Galvanized steel

2 Sparkles electric motor 1 Bought-out 1 kW

3 Stirrer 1 20 mm ø shaft Stainless steel

4 Valves and fitting 2 Bought-out ½’’ ball valve

½’’ adapter
¾” socket
¾” X ½” bushing
¼’’ gas outlet valve
½” T-fitting
½” PVC pipe

5 Arduino Uno 1 Bought-out

6 pH Meter Kit Bought-out

7 Pressure sensor 1 Bought-out

8 Temperature sensor 1 Bought-out

9 Air Compressor 1 Bought-out 0.5 Hp
10 Pressure Gauge 1 Bought-out

2.2 Design Parameters for the Digester i. Water/gas tightness: Water tightness in order to
prevent seepage and the resultant threat to soil and
The materials used in the fabrication of the digester is made of
ground water quality. Gas tightness to ensure proper
galvanized steel lagged with fibre glass to retain the heat
containment of the entire biogas yield and prevent air
absorbed by the digester tank.
entering into the digester.
The material used for the digester construction should meet the ii. Good tensile strength and ease of rolling by machine
following requirements: to required design geometry.
The design for the biogas system are shown in Figures 1-3.

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Figure 1: 3D Design of the Biogas System

Figure 2: 2D Design of the Digester Head

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Figure 3: 2D Design of the Digester Body

The following are the design parameters for the digester: and the rise of the slurry during fermentation. The operating
volume of the digester must not exceed 90% of the total volume
i. Operating Volume (Vo):
of the digester. The total volume is thus given as Equation 3
The operating volume of the digester is simply the volume of
vT = π𝑟 2 hd (3)
slurry in the digester. The operating volume of the digester (Vo)
is determined on the basis of the chosen retention time is given Where :
as Equation 1.
VT is the total volume of digester (m3); r is the radius of digester
3
Vo = Q xHRT (m ) (1) (m); hd is the height of digester (m)
Where:
Qx is the feed flow rate (m3/day) and HRT is the hydraulic Using a total volumetric capacity of 0.05m3
retention time (Days)
0.05 = 𝜋𝑟 2 × hd
The hydraulic retention time is the time interval it takes the
For minimal footprint and aesthetic consideration, heuristics is
biomass to decompose during anaerobic process in the digester.
taken as expressed by Equation 4.
The retention time, in turn, is determined by the chosen digester
temperature and the amount of biomass resource available. hd = 1.75𝑑 = 3.5𝑟 (4)
For a plant of simple design, retention time should amount to From Equation 3,
at least 20 days, the substrate input is expressed as Equation 2.
𝑉𝑇 = 𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ𝑑 = 3.5𝜋𝑟 3 (5)
Substrate input (sd ) = Biomass + Water (W) (m3 /day) (2)
Equating equations (3) and (5)

ii. Total Volume: 0.05 = 3.5𝜋𝑟 3

The total volume of the digester (VT) should be greater than the
operating volume. This is to give room for the biogas produced Hence 𝑟 ≈ 0.1657 𝑚 and hd ≈ 0.5799𝑚

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For a mixture of gases enclosed in a vessel of volume V, at The volume the gas holder should equal one day's gas
temperature T, the partial pressure is given by Equation 6. production. A desired ratio for the dimensions can be adopted,
𝑚𝑖 𝑅𝑇 depending on the geometric shape of the design. The volume of
𝑃= (6) a cylindrical gas holder is given by Equation 9.
𝑉

Where: Vg=πr2ghg (9)

2
P is the partial pressure of biogas (N/mm ); V is the volume of Where:
biogas (m3); mi is the mass of gas (kg)
Vg is the volume of gas holder (m3); rg is the radius of gas
R is the specific gas constant and T is the temperature of the holder (m); hg is the height of gas holder (m)
gas (K)

iv. Force on Gas Holder (Fg):

From Dalton’s law,
The force on the gas holder 𝐹𝑔 (𝑁) is given as Equation 10.
Pressure in digester = Ʃ pi (7)
𝐹𝑔 = 𝑃𝑔 × 𝐴𝑔 (10)
Also the thickness of the plate is given by Equation 8.
Where:
𝑃𝑅
t= (8)
𝜎Ƞ−0.6𝑃 𝑃𝑔 is the Pressure in gas holder (N/mm2) and 𝐴𝑔 is the
Where: Cross-sectional area of gas holder (m2)
R is the radius of digester vessel (m); 𝜎 is the shear stress of
mild steel plate (N/mm2); Ƞ is the joint efficiency; t is the v. Gas Pipe Diameter:
minimum thickness of the cylindrical reactor wall (mm) and P
is the maximum internal pressure (N/mm2) The gas pipe diameter is selected based on the flow rate of
biogas through the pipe and the distance between the digester
Anaerobic digestion flourishes the most at pressures below and gas holder. (I.e. length of pipe required). A half inch steel
1.2 × 105 𝑃𝑎 and a further increment of the pressure will cause pipe was the selected suitable option for the gas pipe as it has a
the digestion process to cease. Thus the design of the digester resistance to high pressure and corrosion.
tank will be made to tolerate digestion activities at a pressure
of 1.2 bar. Using a Factor of Safety of 5, a maximum design
pressure P calculated as 3.6 bar (360 kPa) is utilized. The vi. Stirrer
internal radius of the tank is 0.1657 m and joint efficiency of
weld, Ƞ is 0.8. The maximum tensile strength of stainless steel The stirrer used was a paddle type impeller blade connected to
is obtained as 520 MPa (Wendt, 2009). the shaft driven by the spark-less electric motor.
The thickness of the digester walls is calculated as: vii. Valves and Fittings:
𝑀𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑇𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 520𝑀𝑃𝑎 The substrate inlet and outlet valves were incorporated with
𝑆= = = 104 𝑀𝑃𝑎 ball valves to control the substrate flow when loading and
𝐹𝑂𝑆 5
unloading the digester tank after the hydraulic retention time
360 × 103 × 0.1657 had been attained. The gas outlet valves were also incorporated
𝑡= = 0.00072 𝑚 𝑜𝑟 0.72 𝑚𝑚 into the digester tank and the gasometer for the proper control
(104 × 106 × 0.8) − 0.6(600 × 103 )
of the biogas.
Thus, the thickness of plate was thus selected as 1 mm to the
nearest mm.
viii. Arduino Micro-controller
iii. Gas holder dimensions:
The arduino Uno R3 is a microcontroller board based on
The material used for the gas holder is a galvanized steel sheet the ATmega328 (Figure 4). It comprises of 14 digital
coated with red oxide to prevent corrosion and provide input/output pins out of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs,
reflective surface. Stainless steel was selected to meet the a power jack, a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, 6 analogue inputs, a
following requirements: USB connection, an ICSP header, and a reset button. It contains
everything needed to support the microcontroller. The Arduino
i. It provides reflective surface thereby minimizing heat Uno differs from all some other boards because it does not use
build-up inside the gas holder.
the FTDI USB-to-serial driver chip. Instead, it features
ii. It has a good tensile strength and is easy to roll by
the Atmega16U2 (Atmega8U2 up to version R2) programmed
machine to required design geometry.
as a USB-to-serial converter (Goodwin, 2013).
iii. It provides gas tightness to store biogas

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Figure 4: Arduino Uno Micro-controller

The features of the micro-controller board are shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Features of Arduino Micro-controller
S/N Item Details Remarks

1 Input Voltage 7-12 V

2 Micro-controller 8-bit Atmel ATmega328p

3 Operational voltage 5V Input range: 7-12 V

4 Digital I/O Pins 14 6 capable of PWM

5 Analog IO 6 10-bit
6 PWM Digital I/O Pins 6

7 Program memory Flash 32kb, EEPROM 1kb SRAM 2 KB

8 Clock speed 16 MHz

9 USB Type B socket

10 Programmer In-system firmware USB-based

11 Serial communications SPI, I2C Software UART

12 Flash Memory 32 KB 0.5 Capable usage by
bootloader

12 Other RTC, watchdog, interrupts

ix. pH Sensor Kit

The kit consists of a pH sensor probe, a BNC connector and a
pH 2.0 interface. It measures the pH level of a substance. It is
specially designed for the Arduino and has an accuracy of
± 0.1 𝑝𝐻 (at 25°C). The kit has a range of 0 – 14pH, a response
time of 95% after 5 seconds and an iso-potential point of 0mV
(Figure 5).

Figure 5: Pressure Sensor Kit

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x. Pressure Transducer Sensor 𝑐𝑓𝑤 = 𝑐𝑤 ,

The pressure sensor was installed in the digester chamber to The density of the slurry to be mixed is expressed as Equation
monitor the yield of biogas at various intervals. The sensor 13.
converts pressure into an electrical signal which is achieved by 𝜌𝑤 . 𝜌𝑓𝑤(𝑐𝑓𝑤 + 𝑐𝑤)
the physical deformation of strain gauges which are bonded 𝜌𝑠 = (13)
𝜌𝑓𝑤 𝑐𝑓𝑤 + 𝜌𝑤 𝑐𝑤
into the diaphragm of the pressure transducer and wired into a
Wheatstone bridge configuration (Figure 6). Pressure applied
to the pressure transducer causes a defection of the diaphragm 1000 × 300 (2)
which introduces strain to the gauges. 𝜌𝑠 = = 441 kg/ 𝑚3
360 + 1000
Slurry viscosity (𝜇) is approximately 650 cP or 0.65Ns/m2
(Sanders, 2015). Taking assumptions of the impeller
speed 𝑁𝑟 𝑎𝑠 600 𝑟𝑝𝑚 (10 𝑟𝑝𝑠) and the diameter of impeller
(𝐷𝑎 ) obtained from impeller sizing heuristics according to
Peters et al. (2003) is given as Equation 14.
𝑇𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝐷𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝐷𝑇 )
Figure 6: Pressure Transducer Sensor 𝐷𝑎 = (14)
2.5

xi. Temperature Sensor 𝑇𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝐷𝑖𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝐷𝑇 ) 331.4

𝐷𝑎 = = = 132.56 𝑚𝑚
2.5 2.5
The temperature sensor is a device that provides temperature
measurement through an electric signal. It is responsible for Therefore, the Reynolds number is calculated using Equation
monitoring the temperature of the substrate in the digester 12.
(Figure 7). The sensor has a range of -40°C - 80°C. 0.13252 ×10×441
𝑅𝑒 = = 119.2203
0.65

2.3.1 Design considerations for the Agitator

The agitator is expected to have the following properties: high
strength, good machinability, low notch sensitivity factor,
good heat treatment properties and high wear resistant
properties.

Figure 7: Temperature Sensor i. Design of Solid Shaft

Solid shafts have good stiffness/mass ratio and high natural
frequencies. According to ASME, the diameter of a solid shaft
3.3 Design Considerations for the Electric Motor
is given by Equation 15.
The power required by the electric motor for mixing is 𝑇 𝜏
calculated using: = (15)
𝐽 𝑟
𝑃 = ∅𝑁𝑟3 𝐷𝑎5 𝜌 (11)
Where:

Where: T is the twisting moment (or torque) acting upon the shaft
(Nm); τ is the torsional shear stress (N/mm2); 𝐽 is the Polar
P is the power required for mixing (kW); ∅ is the power moment of the shaft about its axis of rotation (mm4); 𝑟 is the
function; 𝑁𝑟 is the impeller rotation per unit time (rps); 𝐷𝑎 is radius of the shaft (mm); and 𝑑 is the diameter of the shaft
the impeller diameter (m) and 𝜌𝑠 is the density of slurry to be (mm).
mixed (kg/m3)
The twisting moment T is calculated using Equation 16.
The power function can be estimated from charts using the
𝑃
Reynolds number and impeller characteristics. The Reynolds 𝑇= (16)
number for the flow is given as Equation 12. 2𝜋𝑁𝑟

𝐷𝑎2 𝑁𝑟 𝜌𝑠 Where:
𝑅𝑒 = (12)
𝜇 P is the power required (W) and N is the speed (rpm)
The input waste is poultry waste of average density 𝜌𝑓𝑤 = 300
kg/ m3 and water of density 𝜌𝑤 = 1000 kg/ m3. With a mixture
ratio 1:1,

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2.3.2 Power requirements of the Agitator

The volumetric flow rate of slurry is given by Equation 17
𝑄 = 𝑁𝑄 × 𝑁 × 𝐷3 × 9 (17)
Where:
NQ is the flow number of impeller blades at 45 o and N is the
speed of shaft (rev/min)
The torque on the agitator, Tc is expressed by Equation 18.
P×60
Tc = (18)
2πN

Where: P is the average power required (W) and N is the speed

of the agitator (rpm)
According to Gujer (1999), a velocity of 0.274 m/sec will
provide a slurry uniformity to 98% of liquid level. Therefore, Figure 9: Construction of the Digester Body
0.27 m/s = 0.2 rpm (1rev/s = 2πR).

iv. Separate sheets of galvanized steel were cut and

2.4 Fabrication of the biogas system welded to form the conical shape for the base of
The digester tank was fabricated to a volumetric capacity of 50 the tank
litres using a 1 mm thick galvanized sheet because of its high v. The conical base was welded to the body of the
strength and its ability to resist corrosion. digester tank
The following procedures were taken in the fabrication of the vi. Fibre glass was filled between the lagging space
biogas system: fabrication of the digester chamber; fabrication in order to maintain a stable internal temperature
of the gasometer; installation of the electric motor; installation of the system
of the air compressor; installation of the pipes and fittings and
installation of the monitoring system vii. A separate sheet marked with the inner and outer
diameter was cut to form the head of the digester
tank
2.4.1 Construction of the Digester Chamber viii. A control valve was attached to the base of the
The following processes were taken in the construction of the cylinder to serve as the discharge port
biogas digester: ix. Three mild steel square pipes of length 0.3 m
i. The galvanized steel sheets were cut using the were cut and welded on to the base of the digester
guillotine machine to serve as its legs (Figure 3.10)

ii. The cut sheets were then rolled using the rolling
machine
iii. The rolled sheets were welded to produce the
inner and outer body of the digester with a lagging
space of 30 mm (Figures 8 and Figure 9)

Figure 10: Welding of the Square Pipes for the Base of the
Figure 8: Construction of the Inner and Outer Walls of the Digester Tank
Digester

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Figure 11: Construction of the Gasometer

2.4.2 Construction of the Gasometer 2.4.3 Installation of the Monitoring Unit

The following steps were taken in the construction of the The monitoring unit was connected and tested on a breadboard
gasometer: for prototyping using the circuit diagram (Figure 12). The
tested unit was then mounted and incorporated into the system.
i. The galvanized steel sheets were cut using the
The following steps were taken in the installation of the
guillotine machine
monitoring system:
ii. The cut sheets were rolled using the rolling
i. Three holes of diameters 7 mm, 22 mm and 18 mm
machine
were drilled on the surface of the digester tank
iii. The rolled sheets were welded to produce the
ii. The sensors were attached to the body using a 4
body of the gasometer (Figure 11)
minutes adhesive
iv. A cylindrical pipe and sheet was welded to the
iii. The casing of the monitoring unit was made by cutting
base of the cylinder to serve as the support
a 220 x 150 x 50 mm polymer plate using the
v. A half inch cylindrical pipe was welded to the top guillotine machine (Figures 13)
of the cylinder for the gas recharging point
iv. The plates were joined together using an adhesive
vi. A pressure gauge was installed along the flow line
for the monitoring of the gas flow

Figure 12: Electrical Connection of the Monitoring System

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i. The animal waste was obtained from the ABUAD

farm and was separated from inorganic materials
ii. The waste was fed into the digester with water in the
ratio 1:1
iii. The mixer was engaged to ensure intimate contact
between the microorganisms and to improve the
fermentation efficiency
iv. The waste was allowed to decompose in the digester
for 14 days and values of the parameters were
recorded over the period of digestion.
Also the process simulation of the biogas production was
carried out using Design-Expert® (version 7). A four-level-four
factor central composite design model and response surface
methodology was also used to study the effect of independent
variables such as organic loading rate (kgVDM/m3),
temperature (℃), pH and pressure (kPa) and on the biogas
Figure 13: Cutting of the Polymer Sheet Using the Guillotine yield. The input process parameters varied and their range
Machine include; organic loading rate (0.5-0.8 kgVDM/m3); reaction
temperature (23.95 – 25.10℃); pH (6.235-7.50) and pressure
The performance evaluation was carried out in order to access
(0.6-0.7 kPa).
the performance of the biogas system based on the biogas
parameters and the data obtained from the monitoring system. The quadratic cross effect of the four input process parameters
Various data was collected from the system such as the earlier mentioned on biogas yield were determined. Table 3
temperature, atmospheric pressure, pH and pressure in the shows the process parameters as input values denoted by
system and the equivalent biogas yield was evaluated daily. numeric factors over 4 levels. This generated a total of thirty
The following steps were taking during the performance experiments runs and the data obtained were statistically
evaluation of the system: analysed to obtain a suitable model for biogas yield (litres) as a
function of the four independent variables.

Table 4: Numeric Factors and Levels

S/N Factor Name Unit -1 Level +1 Level Mean Standard Deviation
3
1. A Organic Loading rate kg/VDM/m 0.50 0.80 0.650 0.134

2. B Temperature ℃ 23.95 25.10 24.525 0.514

3. C pH 6.24 7.50 6.867 0.566
4. D Pressure kPa 0.60 0.70 0.650 0.045

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Results

The biogas system was tested using an input waste of 4.3 kg of The systems temperature, pressure and pH were measured and
a substrate mixture of which 60% composed of wood chips the biogas yield per day was obtained. A view of the developed
which was used as an additive and 40% composed of animal biogas system and its evaluation is shown in Figure 15 and 16
waste. The substrate was measured individually to determine respective.
the weight of the individual materials (Figure 14). Both
materials were then mixed in the ratio 5:2 and fed into the
digester.

Figure 14: Weighing of the Substrate

Figure 15: Developed small-scale biogas plant

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7.6
7.4
7.2
7
6.8

pH
6.6
6.4
6.2
6
0.5 0.6 0.8 0.65 0.95
Figure 16: Evaluation of the Biogas System via Feeding of Organic Loading (Kg/VDM/m3 )
the Substrate
The measuring parameters of the system were determined and Figure 18: Graph of pH against Organic Loading Rate
noted as the waste was undergoing fermentation and the After the readings were obtained, the measurement of the total
amount of biogas produced was recorded as shown in Table 3. biogas yield was calculated using Equation 19.
The system was measured for a period of 24 hours using 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑔𝑎𝑠
various intervals, the measuring parameters were taken down 𝑌𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 = × 100%
𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒
and the overall efficiency of the system was determined. (19)
Table 3: Measuring Parameters of the Biogas System A predictive model for estimating the biogas yield in terms of
S/N Time Organic Temperature pH Pressure the process parameters given in Table 4 is expressed by
(Hours) Loading Rate (˚C) (kPa) Equation 17.
(Kg/VDM/m3)
𝑌𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 = +63.17 + 1.62 ∗ 𝐴 + 1.88 ∗ 𝐶 + 1.62 ∗ 𝐷 − 2.69 ∗
1. 2 0.5 25.10 7.50 0.6 𝐴 ∗ 𝐶 − 3.81 ∗ 𝐴 ∗ 𝐷 − 2.69 ∗ 𝐶 ∗ 𝐷
2. 4 0.6 24.95 6.235 0.63 (20)
3. 6 0.8 24.37 6.523 0.68 Where A denotes organic loading rate (kgVDM/m3); C is the
4. 8 0.65 23.95 6.527 0.69 pH and D is the pressure (kPa).
From Equation 20, the effect of temperature on the yield of the
Figure 17 shows the pH level of the system over time. The time biogas was negligible. Temperature is a key factor which
for production was observed to increase significantly as the pH influences rate of anaerobic decomposition processes. The
reduces. This is due to the fact that most anaerobic bacteria variation of the temperature at mesophilic range between
which drives the production of biogas to quick completion 23.95-25.10oC does not have significant effect on the rates of
functions actively in a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5, but optimally at hydrolysis and methanogenesis due to the close range of the
a pH of 6.8 to 7.6, as the time of biogas production may increase temperature distribution. The temperature was kept within the
if the pH is lower than 6.3 or higher than 7.6 (Lay et al. 1998) mesophilic range to conserve energy and preserve the
anaerobic bacteria. Beyond the mesophilic range is the
thermophilic range which requires more energy. According to
7.6 Alvarez and Lidez (2009), the thermophilic process offers
7.4 faster kinetics, higher methane production rates and pathogen
7.2 removal. However, when the threshold temperature is
exceeded, it will lead to resultant reduction in the
7
decomposition anaerobic bacteria which will in turn slow down
pH

6.8
the rate of decomposition resulting in decrease in the yield of
6.6 the biogas. From Table 3, the time for anaerobic digestion was
6.4 observed to decrese with increase in temperature. The
6.2 maximum hours being
6 Figure 19 studies the effect of interaction of pH and loading
2 4 6 8 rate on the yield of biogas. Increase in the value of pH and
Time (Hours) organic loading rates leads to corresponding increase in the
yield of biogas when temperature and pressure were held
Figure 17: Graph of pH against Time constant at 24.37oC and 0.65 kPa respectively. The optimum
yield of the biogas was 66.3% after which the value begins to
Figure 18 shows the relationship between pH and the organic drop significantly following further increase in the value of pH
loading rate. An increase in the organic loading rate which beyond 7.2 and loading rate beyond 0.73 kgVDM/m3. This is
leads to a corresponding decrease in the pH of the substrates due to the fact that most anaerobic bacteria including methane
indicates that the that the substrate feed has high free fatty acid.

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forming bacteria functions actively in a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5, performed similar studies on the effect of temperature, pH and
but optimally at a pH of 6.8 to 7.6, as the rate of methane organic loading rate on biogas generation from domestic rate.
production may decrease if the pH is lower than 6.3 or higher Also the organic loading of substrate with low free fatty acid
than 7.6 (Lay et al., 1998). The optimum pH was found to be was observed to increase the value of pH and vice versa.
6.87. This agrees with the findings of Vikrant et al. (2014) who

Figure 19: The interaction of pH and Loading rate

Figure 20 studies the effect of interaction of pressure and high rate of organic loading increases the number and activities
loading rate on the yield of biogas. An increase in loading rate of microorganisms which enhances fast microbial growth
increases the pressure resulting in an optimum yield of biogas. thereby increasing the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
At first increase in pressure and organic loading rates leads to removal efficiency. Lamprecht (2009) noted that low rate of
corresponding increase in the yield of biogas when temperature organic loading causes microorganisms to remain at a
and pH were held constant at 24.37oC and 7.31 respectively. starvation level lower the COD removal efficiency hence
The optimum yield of the biogas was 68.4% after which the reducing the rate of biogas production. As the organic loading
value begins to drop significantly following further increase in rate increases, the rate of degradation in respect of substrate
the value of pressure beyond 0.62 kPa and loading rate beyond concentration increases leading to increase in the yield of
0.65 kgVDM/m3. This is due to the fact that significant increase biogas yield.
in pressure reduces the yield of biogas and vice versa. Also,

Figure 20: The interaction of Pressure and Loading rate

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Figure 21: The interaction of Pressure and pH

Figure 21 studies the effect of interaction of pressure and pH 5 RECOMMENDATIONS

on the yield of biogas. At first increase in pressure and pH rates
The following recommendations will be of an advantage in the
leads to corresponding increase in the yield of biogas when
development of smart biogas systems:
temperature and organic loading were held constant at 24.89 oC
and 0.62 respectively. The optimum yield of the biogas was i. A comparative study should be carried out so as to
65.2% after which the value begins to drop significantly establish the optimum use of compost produced from
following further increase in the value of pressure beyond 0.7 the slurry.
kPa and pH beyond 7.5. Significant increase in pressure
negatively influences the methanogenesis process in anaerobic ii. More tests should be conducted in determining the
performance of the purifying agents to verify
digesters resulting in decrease in the yield of biogas (Mateescu,
influence on biogas heating value.
2016).
iii. Digesters with heating elements should be designed in
other to control the mesophilic and thermophilic
4 CONCLUSIONS ranges that provide optimum digestion conditions for
the production of methane
This study involves the design, development and evaluation of
a smart biogas system using animal waste as its source of iv. A means should be created to make the monitoring
production. The design was achieved by using SOLIDWORKS system more efficient through the incorporation of
design software and was analysed for stress and compatibility. wireless monitoring.
The monitoring system was incorporated using and Arduino-
v. The comparison of the biogas production at the
Uno Micro-Controller, a pH sensor, temperature sensor and a
pressure transducer sensor. The system was monitored using mesophilic and thermophilic stages is recommended.
the display and the overall performance was evaluated. The
study provides a biogas system for domestic and experimental
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