Handbook on Bio Gas and Its Applications

Bio Gas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung, and kitchen waste can be converted into a gaseous fuel called Bio Gas. Bio Gas is basically a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide; it originates from biogenic material and is a type of bio fuel. It is a low cost form of energy derived from renewable waste resources: animal manures, agricultural residues, industrial wastewater, human waste and other organic materials. Bio Gas has been used widely as a source of energy and waste treatment, and as liquid fertiliser for soil enhancement, since long time. Digestion the underlying biological process of Bio Gas technology leads to a renewable energy service that ensures a distributed energy production, in which the energy is produced at the point of consumption or demand. A Bio Gas digester, which produces the Bio Gas, also provides an excellent agricultural waste management solution, most notably animal manures. Also, capturing methane generated in a Bio Gas digester has an immensely important role to play with respect to rural energisation, poverty alleviation and development, increased industrial and agricultural efficiency and competitiveness, and improved management of our greenhouse gas emissions. The major applications of Bio Gas are as fertilizer, fuel gas, methane production, mechanical and electrical power production, diesel engine operation, etc. Bio Gas technology is one of the fastest growing renewable energy sectors worldwide, with the annual market growth exceeding 30% each year. This book majorly deals with Bio Gas plants, raw materials for Bio Gas generation, utilization of Bio Gas and slurry, engineering design of Bio Gas units for developing countries, engineering aspects of small scale Bio Gas plants, a village scale Bio Gas pilot plant study using high rate digester technology, structural behaviour and stress conditions of fixed dome, simplified anaerobic digesters for animal waste, mechanical and electrical power from Bio Gas in developing countries, fuel gas production from organic wastes by low capital cost batch digestion, the toxicity effect of pesticides and herbicides on the anaerobic digestion process, the toxicity effect of pesticides and herbicides on the anaerobic digestion process, Bio Gas manure as a complete fertilizer, feasibility for Egyptian farmers etc. The book contains technology of Bio Gas generation with its applications. This book will be an invaluable resource for researchers, consultants, entrepreneurs, institutional libraries, students etc.