biogas information

1. Energy
It is the keyword for mankind since everything
revolves around the Energy, be it human being or
animals or plants, every one needs Energy in one
form or the other. Energy is needed not only for
the survival of the mankind but also for further
healthy all round growth. Higher the consumption
of Energy, higher would be the growth of the
country as socio-economic development of nation
depends on Energy availability and Energy
consumption.
In short energy is one of the essential indicators
of the prosperity of society.

2. Bio-Gas has been developed and is
being utilised to the maximum extent
possible in our country. The largest
cattle population in the world and also
the warm climate in major part of the
country for most of the year make the
simple Biogas technology highly
successful in our country.
BIOGAS

3. REASONS FOR SUCCESS OF BIOGAS IN INDIA
a)Large cattle population in the countryside
ensuring steady source of supply of the
raw material required for running the gas
plant.
(b) Helps in reducing the deforestation as it
arrests for cutting of trees for firewood.
(c) Helps in maintaining ecological balance.
(d) Helps in rural sanitation
(e) Lower capital cost and almost cost free
maintenance.
(f) Removes drudgery of women.

4. Raw material availability:
India is having the largest cattle population in
the world and this offers tremendous potential
for the development of Biogas. The continued
population of cattle and buffalo is over 240
million heads, which yields about 1000 million
tones of cattle waste annually. Assuming that
75% of the total cattle waste is available, for
Bio-gas production and keeping in view of the
ownership pattern of livestock, on a rough
calculation there is a potential for setting up
16 to 22 million small bio-gas units in the
country.

5. Other than cattle dung, piggery, poultry
droppings etc. can also be used,
besides Agricultural wastes, kitchen
wastes can also be fed into the
plant. The only condition is such
droppings and wastes should be
meshed by manual beater and then fed
to the plant to prevent scum formation
etc.

6. One more raw material can be water
hyacinth. It is common knowledge the
water hyacinth spoils the pond,
however this can be used as a raw
material for producing gas, as it is rich
in cellulose.
Water hyacinth

7. Models
l) Floating drum type:
(a)Plant with Mild steel gas holder,(b) Plant with fibre-
glass gas holder & (c) Plant with Ferro cement
digester and Fibre-glass/Mild-steel gasholder.
2) Fixed dome type:
(a) Janata gas plant, (b) Deenbandhu Model.
3) Combination of floating & fixed dome:
(a) Pragati Model
4) Ballon type plant:
(a) Swastik Gas Plant.

8. Technology
Any organic matter when subjected to
decomposition in the absence of air gives rise to
gas, which is rich in methane and also contains
Carbon dioxide, Hydrogen sulphide etc.
Two types of plants are constructed
(1)Floating drum type and (2) Fixed dome type.
The technology is very simple and user friendly.
A plant consists of an
(1) Inlet tank (2) digester (3) Outlet tank and (4) gas
distribution system.

9. Selection:
The appropriate size of a gas plant
has to be selected depending on the
1)quantum of cattle dung available.
2) Requirement of gas for the family.
The gas can be not only used for
cooking but also can generate
motive power etc.

10. Uses of Plants:
Uses of the gas can be as under
1)Cooking 2) lighting
3) Motive Power
a) run pump set b) chaff-cutter
4) can produce electricity.
Motive Power can be produced by linking
the Gobar Gas to a duel fuel engine,
specially designed for Gobar Gas.

11. Benefits to farmers:
Biogas plant not only gives efficient fuel for
cooking, lighting and helps to generate motive
power, but also gives good organic manure, which is
rich in Nitrogen, humus and other Micronutrients.
The digested slurry can be used for manuring crops
or fish ponds. The application of such organic
manure reduces the salinity/alkanity of the soil and
increases the porosity and water holding capacity.
The digested slurry is an excellent material for
hastening the rate of composting of refuse, crop
wastes, garbage etc. It also provides moisture to the
compostable biomass.

12. Social benefits
1) The plant reduces the drudgery and monotony of the
women and also improves sanitation. The improvement of
sanitation reduces the high incidence of diseases which
rural-women and children face.
2) By saving on consumption of kerosene/gas, burden on
exchequer (foreign exchange) is reduced.
3) Generation of Motive Power and running of pump set by
the biogas reduces the dependence on electricity. The
saved on electricity can be utilised for setting up
Industrial units etc.
4) Organic manure help increase the fertility of the soil and
also the crop output.
5) The other benefit is arresting deforestation/stopping of
felling of trees as consumption of wood as fuel is
reduced.