CONSTRUCTION AND TESTING FOR A BIOGAS

COOKER USING POULTRY DROPPING AS A SOURCE

OF FUEL

BY

JOSEPH. I. UKP AI

2001/14346EH .

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

,<ltDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY MINNA,

NIGER STATE, NIGERIA.

NOVEMBER, 2010

CONST;RUCTION AND TESTING FOR A

BIOGASCOOKER USING POULTRY DROPPING AS A

SOUR~E OF FUEL ,

BY

JOSEPH. I. UKPAI

2001/14346EH

A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE

DEPARTMENT ~F CHEMICAL E~GINEERING,.SCHOOL

OF ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING·

TECHNOLOGY, FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF

TECHNOLOGY MINNA, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF

THE REQUIRMENT FOR THE AWARD OF BACHERLOR .. \;,

OF ENGINEERING (B.ENG).

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA

..

11 . ,' . ;.,: \ ~,

DECLARATION

I, JOSEPH. 1. UKPAI (2001114346EH), declare that this research project was

carried out under the supervision of Engr. Dim .P.E and presented in partial fulfillment of

the requirement of the award ofB.ENG. Degteejn chemical Engineering. All sources on

information and quotation are duly acknowledged .

...... ~~ ........... . JOSEPH. 1. UKP AI DATE

..

iii

CERTIFICATIC

·1

This is to certify that .this project, Construction and testing of a biogas ::~ooker using poultry

dropping as a source of fuel is presented by JOSEPH .1. UKP AI of the department of , .

chemical engineering, school of engineering and engineering technology, Federal r

University of Technology MilU1a ..

~' '~. > .... :.7 ..... '; ......... ~ ....... . .' . ~

ENGR. DIM p.B

PROJECT SUPERVISOR

••••••••••••••••••••••••• D •••••••

PROF. F ABERUAGBA

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT

...................................... ~ ......

EXTERNAL SUPERVISOR

~" ........

...................................

DAtE

. ~ ............................................................... ..

" DATE

. .................................. .

DATE

IV

DEDICATION

This project is dedicated to God almighty. Indeed he is a wonderful God. And to

my beloved parent Mr & Mrs TENNYSON UKPAI who have contributed morally,

spiritually to my affairs. '

v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT·

The path to an acadelllic attainment like this is not easy. I here by express my p

r

9

fo

und

gratitude and appreciation to God A1lllighty for sParing my life till this day, for

protection, blessing and his mercies towards me.

I also Want to acknowledge my project supervisor Engr Dim.p.E in Cheniica]

Engineering Department P.U. T Minna. May Almighty God renew your strength and bless . . . your family.

I also acknOwledge the effort of my Sweet parent Mr & Mrs Tennyson Ukpai. I, for their

attention. patience and co-operation in derailing with me during my degree pro_e.

and also, in my report writing, may the good Lord bless you both and to the entire house

hold of my family, my sister Miss COmfort lnq,ai, she has been a source of inspiration

and aspimtion to me and Mi~s Elizabeth Ukpai, Master Stanley Ukpai. May Allllighty

God bless you all and also to my relatives, I love you all.

,

VI

ABSTRACT

The objectives ofthis study is to construct and test a bib gas plant that will generate

biogas from poultry dropping, purifying the biogas, as well as burn the same gas to

produce useful heat for household cooking. The biogas plant consist of a bio-digester, gas

lines, C02 absorption chaJIlber, and burner was designed, constructed and tested for

sustainable biogas production. The drum-type continuous flow anaerobic type of

digestion was designed and fabricated from steel sheets.

The designed units were tested. It was confirmed that the digester has a generation

efficiency of 60.5% repr~senting 0.0023m3 of the daily designed rate. A pale blue flame

confirms significant absorption of C02.The burner efficiency of 58.5% and an average

gas consumption of 0.00076m3. The whole process took place under 15 days and if left

for more clays however, a sustainable biogas production is assured.

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Table of content

• Title page .......................................... , ............................................ .i

• Declaration ................................................. " .................................... .iii

• Certification ...... , ... ' .......................................................................... .iv '

• Dedication .................................................................................. ! ••••• v

• Acknowledgement.: ............................................................................ vi

• Abstract ............... ' ........................................................................... vii

• Table of content ..... : ................................................. ······················· .viii

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction .............. ' ......................................................................... 1

1.1 Background of study ...................................................... " ........... ~ ... i ••••. 1

1.2 Aim and Objectives of the Project ............................................................ 2

1.3 Justification of the study ........................................................................ 2 ,

1.4 Scope and Limitation of Study ....... ~ ....................................... ~ ............... .2

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Literature Review ... ,' ............................................................ · .. · .. ···· ....... 3,

2.1 Biogas .. ~ .......................................................................................... 3

2.2 Produ~tion .................................... ,.: ........................... : .................... 3-4

2.3 Composition .......... , ......................... , ........................................ : ...... 4-5

2.4 Biogas from Animal dropping ........................................................ ',' ....... 5

2.5 Fermentation ............................ ' ........................................ ' ................. 6

2.6 Acidity ............................................. , ..................... ~ .......................... 6

...

viii

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Materials and methods ............................ ~ ............................ : ................ 7

3.1 Design concept ............................................................................ ' ......... 7

3.2 Sizing'a Biogas Plant ................................................. : ............. ~. 7

3.2.1 Digester sizing ................................................................................. 7

3.2.2 Daily Gas Production (Vg) ..................... , ........ ~ ...................................... 8 ,

3.2.3 Specific gas production (Vp) ................................................................. 8

3.2.4 Digester Loading (Ld) ................................................... : .................... 8

3.2.5 Sizing the Gasholder ............................. ' ............................................. 8

3.3 Design Parameters and Dimensions ........................................................... 9.

3.4 Volume calculation of digester and hydraulic chamber .................................. 12

3.4.1 Volume calculation of digester chamber ................................................. 12

3.4.2 Material balance of the digester ........ : ............................................. :' ..... 14

3.4.3 Geometric Dimension of the biogas plant units .......................................... 17

3.5 Material Selection ........... ' ................................................................... 18

3.5.1 Construction .................................................................................. 18

3.5.2 Biogas Production and Purification ................... : ................................... 19

3.5.3 Gas Utilization .... : ................................ : .......................... ~ .............. 19

3.6 Testing and Performance Evaluation ........................................................ 19

Process Diagram ............................................................... ~ .................... 20

..

IX

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Results and Discussion ........................................................................ 21

4.1 Results ....................................................................... , ................ 21-22

4.2 Discussion of results ...................................................................... .22-23

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Conclusion and Recommendation ............................................................ 24 .

5.1 Conclusion ........... : .......................................................................... 24

5.2 Recommendation .............................................................................. 24

Reference .............................. ; .......................................................... 25-26

...

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CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of study

For over thousands of years today, the world has been suffering from a reliable source

of energy. It has discovered various source of energy like animal, man, solar, water, wind,

thermal e.t.c but all these sources are too expensive or has effect on the forces of nature.

Nigeria as a nation is not left out of the struggle for a steady supply of energy. The nature has

provided Nigeria with lot of resources whiCh surrounds as a nation, however exploration and

exploitation of these natural resources has been rarely maximized. In view point of ~he use of

septic tank (digester) for the production of biogas as an alternative source of bio fuel, for the

production of energy (electrical and heat) is been investigation.

Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter

to the absence of oxygen, which is been originated from biogenic material and is a type of bio

fuel which is produce by anaerobic digestion or fermentation of biodegradable materials such

as biomass, manure, sewage, municipal waste, green waste and energy crops. This type of

biogas comprises primarily methane and carbon- dioxide. Since biogas is a mixture of methane

(also known as marsh gas "or natural gas, CH4) and, carbon dioxide it is a renewable fuel

produced from waste treatment. Anaerobic digestion is basically a simple process carried out.in

a number of steps that can use almost any organic material as a substrate -it occurs in digestive

systems, marshes, rubbish dumps, septic tanks' and the Arctic Tundra. Humans tend to make

the process as complicated as possible by trying to improve on nat!Jre in complex machines but

a simple approach is still possible.

As methane is very hard to compress, its best use as for stationary fuel, rather

than mobile fuel. It takes a lot of energy to compress the gas (this energy is usually wasted) and

has the hazard of high pressure. A variable volume storage (fleXible bag or floa~ing drum are

...

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